Chapter 377

Darcy's heart turned cold, and she decided to use a trick to keep him by her side. Tears streamed down the woman's face with a hint of sorrow as she pushed away those things that he had presented. "Lawrence, I love you. I don't want any of these possessions. All I ask is for you to visit me every day during my recovery. That alone would satisfy me."

She continued, "Moreover, the negative news about me and the Ordelia family is spreading rapidly, and I'm worried that my parents won't be able to handle it. Can we keep our breakup a secret for now? Don't burden my parents. Please have some mercy on me."

Lawrence noticed that she agreed to break up without making a scene. He closed his eyes, masking his annoyance. "Once you recover, we will publicly announce the cancellation of the wedding. But there's no need for me to visit you every day. I don't want to give you or anyone false hope. Your body is your own, and I am not obligated to repeatedly bear the burden of your suicidal tendencies. I'll remember the grace you showed me, but as I've said before, it cannot withstand excessive depletion. Think it over carefully."

Darcy clenched her fists as tears filled her eyes. She uttered in a sorrowful and haunting voice, "I understand. Lawrence, could you please accompany me for the last time tonight?"

Lawrence found a chair and coldly sat down. He didn't come near Darcy throughout the night while Barbara took care of her. But as luck would have it, Darcy managed to capture a few photos of the man accompanying her in the hospital room.

As soon as she shared these pictures in a chat group, Lynn was the first to jump in and congratulate her, asking, "Darcy, did Lawrence reconcile with you again?"

Once one person spoke, the other debutantes started to chime in, probing, complimenting, and congratulating her.

It was unclear who started the rumor, but it had spread like wildfire in Lymington's upper-class social circle. Darcy's phone kept ringing all day long.

These days, the debutantes who secretly mocked her now came to inquire about her well-being and offer support.

Darcy couldn't help but feel proud. She didn't dare go to the press like last time, but as long as the news of her breakup with Lawrence wasn't made public, people would remain clueless. It wouldn't be impossible for it to be Lynn who had leaked these photos to the media, silencing those who dared to insult her. After all, she was still part of the upper-class circle, the esteemed future Mrs. Rodriguez.

Darcy had planned her strategy well, retreating to advance. As long as she had Lawrence on her side and continued to sow discord with Winnie, she feared nothing. She could slowly dismantle him.

Feeling the light scars on her thigh and wrist, she sarcastically praised Barbara, "You did well with the blood bags last night. The doctors in this hospital aren't bad either."

Barbara smiled eagerly and responded, "Darcy, that wretched Winnie still wants to mess with us. She doesn't realize how worried Mr. Rodriguez is about you. As long as you get hurt, he will always feel guilty, knowing you only have one kidney left."

Darcy glared at her, and Barbara fell silent. But Darcy secretly smiled, knowing this secret would never be discovered because Madam Rodriguez would eventually die. That guilt would remain in Lawrence's heart and be exploited by her.

"What?" exclaimed a middle-aged maid who had been left by Lawrence, speaking on the phone outside the room. The person on the other side of the phone was another servant at the villa.

The middle-aged maid spoke excitedly, "Are you serious? Madam Rodriguez actually woke up? Has she emerged from her persistent vegetative state?"

Inside the room, Darcy and Barbara heard the maid's voice and both froze.

Darcy's heart sank heavily, as if she hadn't heard it clearly enough. She trembled and got up abruptly, "Barbara..." Her teeth chattered, her beautiful face turned pale.

Anxious and flustered, she pleaded, "Barbara, go listen carefully. What did she say just now?"

A wave of panic and icy chill surged through her body, sending shivers down Darcy's spine. She found it utterly unbelievable.

Lawrence was in his office. These past few days, he repeatedly picked up and put down his phone, knowing there wouldn't be any news from that woman. He wanted to explain something, but a cold, suffocating feeling gripped his heart, making it hard for him to dial the number.

The entire company building felt Lawrence's gloom.

When his phone rang again, this time from the landline at the mansion, Lawrence initially thought it was just an ordinary call. However, upon answering, he suddenly stood up, his movements quick and shaky, causing him to accidentally knock over a coffee cup on the table.

"Lawrence, what's wrong?" Bryan asked anxiously, afraid that something bad had happened.

Lawrence struggled to breathe; his gaze scattered for a few seconds before it turned into a shade of deep red. He tried to control his voice, remaining calm. "Mother is awake."

"What?" Bryan was stunned, unable to digest this sudden surprise. "Madam Rodriguez is awake?!"

"Yes, she finally woke up." Lawrence glanced at him, unable to believe it yet also terrified that it might be just a dream.

The man dropped his files as he rushed out.

At a speed of 200 miles per hour, Lawrence hurried home as quickly as possible. Covered in sweat, he felt weak as he ran toward the detached villa behind the mansion.

At the entrance to Madam Rodriguez's nursing room, Sidney's small figure was already standing guard.

The room was filled with family doctors and the villa's staff. Taylor stood by the bed; her face lit up with joy. "Madam Rodriguez..."

"Mom?" Lawrence called out softly, his footsteps heavy as he made his way across the crowd.

"Mr. Rodriguez, see for yourself. Madam Rodriguez opened her eyes!" exclaimed Taylor the moment she saw Lawrence walking in.

"Daddy, it's true. This morning around eleven o'clock, Grandma opened her eyes. Look, her eyeballs are moving!" Sidney's usually cold face rarely showed such evident joy as he excitedly approached.

"Mother..." Lawrence kneeled, one knee touching the ground, his large hand sweaty as it tightly held Madam Rodriguez's frail hand.

Madam Rodriguez lay weakly on the sickbed, her face drained of color after three years of confinement. Despite her frail state, her appearance remained unchanged from Lawrence's daily visits.

She opened her eyes, her pupils clouded, slowly following the light and shadows, while her breathing under the oxygen mask was slow and deliberate.

When she tried to reach out her hand to Lawrence but couldn't move it, he teared up. A true man's tears do not fall easily, especially not someone like him. But at that moment, his heart had already weakened. In front of his mother, even the strongest person turned into a fragile child. His tears held countless yearnings and the self-blame he had relegated to himself for neglecting that incident three years ago.

"Is she really awake?" Lawrence felt agony and joy, holding on tightly, fearing it might be a sign of her impending death.

The family doctor spoke with mixed emotions evident in his voice, "Madam Rodriguez has finally awakened! However, she's still extremely weak. While her eyes can vaguely perceive things, she's unable to speak, and her body, after lying down for three years, remains immobile. These are challenges that will require time to overcome. As for her current condition, a comprehensive examination is needed to assess the state of her internal organs."

Madam Rodriguez exerted all her strength to lift her arm slightly, the withered and gentle hand falling onto Lawrence's chiseled face. As she looked at her son, the corners of her eyes curved ever so slightly, shimmering with tears. Her fingers happened to brush against the tear in Lawrence's eye.

Lawrence tightly pursed his lips.

Madam Rodriguez's hand slowly shifted again, making contact with Sidney's fingertips. Sidney gripped her hand tightly, the redness in his stern pupils deepening. "Grandma..."

Madam Rodriguez held onto him tightly, her eyes filled with contentment, joy, and extreme gentleness.

Lawrence's gaze fixed on his mother's hand which gripped Sidney's hand so tightly while she looked into his eyes. She knew Sidney was there... perhaps she had been able to hear all these days.

He took a deep breath, feeling immensely shocked as he turned to the family doctor with furrowed brows and asked, "How could mother suddenly wake up? You've been checking on her every week, and there were no signs that she would regain consciousness. You always said her condition was stable, not improving, and the best case was remaining unconscious."

The family doctor was thrown for a loop by the question, feeling distressed. "Indeed, every time I examined her, her indicators showed no improvement. I do not understand what happened inside Madam Rodriguez's body that could have caused her sudden awakening. This will require detailed examination and investigation."

Sidney and Taylor both paused for a moment, pondered, and then Sidney stepped forward. "Daddy, actually, it's Mommy who helped Grandma to regain consciousness."

Lawrence's gaze shook as he muttered in bewilderment, "Winnie?" He caught onto the sensitive information, his lips coldly pressed together as he looked at Sidney .