Chapter 3 The Man She Saved

The door swung open, and the doctor stepped out.

"Doctor, how is he?" asked Lindsay.

The doctor gave a reassuring smile. "His vital signs are stable. The only issue is that he may be dealing with post-traumatic amnesia, which means he could have some memory loss. There's a chance his memory will return naturally, but it will take time."

Relief washed over her face. "As long as he's safe, that's all I need to hear," said Lindsay.

Together, she and Walter walked back into the hospital room.

"Son, you need to stay here and focus on getting better," said Lindsay as she sat down beside Avery, brushing her fingers softly across her face. "Walter and I will take turns coming by to see you over the next few days. Your father, along with Phillip and Zachary, is caught up with work right now, but they'll be back once you're ready to go home."

"Alright," responded Avery with a small nod, her eyes fixed on them with the innocence of a child who knew little about the world.

The sight of her looking that way made Lindsay's and Walter's hearts ache even more.

"My poor boy..." Lindsay pulled Avery into her arms once more, her voice trembling as she whispered, "I've been searching for you for over a decade. There were times I thought I'd never find you again. But luck has finally brought you back to me, and I swear I'll make up for every ounce of pain you've endured."

"Mom, you don't have to worry." Avery shook her head gently, her lips curving into a bright smile. "Just being here with you is enough for me."

Her gaze drifted toward Walter, and she grinned. "And I even get a handsome brother out of it. How could I not feel blessed?"

Walter's chest tightened as he looked at her. That childlike warmth in her smile seemed to soften something deep inside him, and he could hardly stand the rush of affection.

But alongside that tenderness, anger brewed. He couldn't stop imagining the faces of those who had mistreated his little brother, and every part of him longed to make them pay.

"Mom, Walter," Avery said softly, hesitation flickering in her eyes. "Do you think Dad and my other brothers will accept me like you have? I remember being taken in by another family once... As far as I can recall, they treated me coldly and eventually threw me out."

"You don't need to fear that," said Lindsay firmly. "We aren't like them. Your father and brothers will be just as glad to welcome you back as I am."

Avery narrowed her eyes, recalling the forged papers Ashton had produced. They painted her as a castaway from the Cooper family, a twist that ended up sparing her from a worse fate.

"Of course!" said Walter with conviction. "Mom, Dad, and every one of your brothers won't just treat you well. They'll treasure you."

"That's the best thing I could ever hope for." Avery nodded eagerly, her smile bright enough to chase away any lingering doubts.

The following days blurred together as Lindsay and Walter came by often to keep her company.

During her quieter moments, Avery buried herself in research, combing through hidden corners of the dark web in search of whoever was behind the Shadow Kingpin's death.

This time, she also tried to follow up clues of the Hudson family, but the trail was frustrating. Ashton had been right. Both the killers and the Hudsons operated with walls of secrecy, leaving her with almost nothing of value.

She realized that the only way forward might be to get closer to the family members themselves.

One afternoon, she sat in the hospital garden, her phone glowing with the latest trending headline. "Zachary Hudson Takes Home Best Actor for the Third Year in a Row, Shattering Film History Records."

A laugh escaped her lips. "So, my so-called third brother is a superstar. And I can't deny it... he really is striking."

Her eyes lingered on the photo of him in a white suit, standing tall and distant like someone carved out of light, admired but unreachable.

The sorrow in his eyes ran so deep it tugged at every heart watching, sending his admirers into a wild rush of emotion.

Avery let out a soft laugh. "The Hudson family really doesn't disappoint. Phillip, the oldest, built Prosper Corporation from the ground up and turned it into the most powerful company in Shoria. He's already on track to surpass Ryan. And then there's Walter, the brilliant professor who's written groundbreaking papers and somehow ended up being called the most handsome man in academia."

Avery arched her back in a lazy stretch, amused at the thought that having three brothers as successful as hers wasn't such a bad deal after all.

Her calm drift was shattered when she caught sight of a patient sprinting across the walkway, a knife flashing in his grip as he charged at another man.

"Watch out!" Avery shouted, instincts kicking in as she lunged forward with explosive speed and slammed into the intended target.

The startled man spun around just in time to see the patient bearing down on him, blade raised. Before he could react, Avery's body collided with his, knocking him off balance.

"I'll cut you down!" the patient shouted, his eyes wild as he swung the knife with desperate fury.

Avery narrowed her eyes, braced herself, and snapped her leg back in a sharp kick that sent the weapon skittering across the pavement.

The attacker froze in shock, giving her the opening to pivot and drive her knee hard into his chest, forcing him to stumble back and crash to the ground.

Two nurses burst onto the scene at that moment, quickly restraining the fallen man.

"We're terribly sorry," one of them said in a rush. "He just found out his lung cancer is in the final stage. He lost control of himself, but we'll bring him back right away."

The situation left Avery baffled. If the patient was unstable enough to lash out with a weapon, why had the hospital allowed him to wander freely? She pushed the thought aside and shifted her attention to the man she had just saved.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, her words tumbling out before she realized she was staring into eyes so deep they seemed to quiet every storm inside her.

That steady gaze felt like sinking into still water, and for a fleeting moment, she forgot where she was.

"I'm alright, thanks to you," Nathan Kirk answered, his voice rich and calm, carrying a warmth that lingered in her ears.

Avery blinked herself back into focus and gave an awkward laugh. "Oh, it's nothing. Really. I'm just glad you're okay."

She reached up and rubbed the bridge of her nose, unsure what else to do with herself.

Up close, his looks struck her even harder. He outshone Zachary's polished charm, and for a second, she wondered if he, too, belonged to the world of stars and flashing cameras.