Chapter 242

Christina hit the ground hard, leaving her dazed and disoriented.

It took her a while to regain her senses. The air around her was thick and suffocating, making it hard to breathe.

She staggered to her feet, grabbed a steel pipe, and smashed it against the window. Luckily, the old factory's glass wasn't reinforced, and it shattered easily. Fresh air rushed in, and she felt a bit better.

The broken window was her only escape route. She piled up some old equipment to climb higher, even though it was risky.

This time, she managed to get closer. With a push, she climbed up to the window.

She was almost out!

As she tried to squeeze through the broken glass, a figure suddenly burst in.

"Trying to escape?"

Damn, the thug hadn't left.

Christina used all her strength to wriggle outside, but just as she was almost through, a hand grabbed her ankle.

"Get back here! You think you can break your promise without consequences?"

"You said I'd see Harper. You lied." Christina didn't believe him anymore and kicked furiously.

But his grip was strong, and he pulled her back inside.

"Let go of me!"

Christina felt her strength waning.

Maybe it was the gas, but her head was spinning, and she felt like she might pass out. The hand holding her loosened, and she teetered on the edge.

She tilted her head and fell.

The person who grabbed her didn't react in time and was knocked down with her.

A piercing scream echoed as they hit the ground.

Christina was dazed but managed to stand up. The first thing she saw was a sharp-edged steel pipe with blood dripping from it.

She instinctively thought she was injured, but after checking herself, she realized she was fine. Then she saw the person in black writhing in pain.

He was clutching his left cheek, screaming in agony.

"Where's Harper?" Christina crouched down, trying to pull away the covering on his face to see who he was.

"Get away!" He recoiled in fear. "My face, my face! You ruined my face!"

Christina suddenly felt something was off.

Despite his masculine appearance and deep voice, he sounded like he was using a voice changer. And he was so concerned about his looks-could he be a woman?

"Who are you?" Christina stepped closer, but before she could touch his face, she felt dizzy.

The person in black grabbed a piece of broken glass from the floor.

"I'll kill you! You ruined my face, I'll kill you!"

He lunged at her like a wild beast.

Christina rolled to the side, dodging the attack.

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside the warehouse. The person in black glared at Christina with hatred, realizing they couldn't finish the job today. They dropped the glass and limped away.

Christina tried to follow and ask about Harper, but she collapsed after a few steps.

Someone rushed over and caught her.

"Christina, are you okay?"

Christina opened her eyes to see William. She grabbed his collar and gritted her teeth. "Go after her! She knows where Harper is. Don't worry about me!"

William glanced at the fleeing figure and then back at Christina.

He scooped her up. "Now's not the time for that. I'm taking you to the hospital!"

Christina struggled weakly. "No, I'm fine. Go after her, or we'll lose our chance."

William reluctantly set her down and chased after the woman.

But he returned a few minutes later. "She's gone. I'm taking you to the hospital. I've already called the police; they'll track her."

Christina was filled with anger.

"This is your fault! If you'd gone after her sooner, she wouldn't have escaped!"

"Fine, it's my fault. But you need to go to the hospital now." William didn't give her a choice and carried her to the car, driving her to the hospital.

The hospital was bustling, likely due to the change of seasons. William got her an urgent appointment.

Christina was breathing heavily, struggling to catch her breath.

The doctor listened to her heartbeat with a stethoscope and asked, "Do you have a history of asthma or throat issues?"

"No, but I think I inhaled some toxic gas. It was really pungent, but I don't know what it was," Christina managed to say.

The doctor quickly wrote an order for a blood test.

William took the order and carried her to the blood draw station.

Christina felt embarrassed by the attention they were getting.

"Put me down. I can walk."

William was stubborn. "You're too weak right now. Just accept my help."

A young couple passed by. The girl, also looking weak, tugged at her boyfriend's arm.

"Look at them. I can't walk either. Carry me!"

The boyfriend didn't hesitate and picked her up. "You're too skinny, babe. You need to eat more."

The girl smiled happily.

But things were different between William and Christina. She couldn't fight back and buried her face in his shoulder, not wanting anyone to see her.

The blood draw station was just a couple of hallways away. William set her down on a chair.

After the blood draw, Christina felt a bit better. She looked at William. "We have new leads. If you don't go to the police station, I will."

"Fine, after we get the blood test results," William agreed but set a condition.

Christina ignored him.

The results came back quickly. The doctor looked at her seriously. "You have mild mercury poisoning. It's not severe, but you have symptoms. You should stay in the hospital for observation to avoid permanent damage to your nerves and kidneys."

Hearing how serious it was, William was firm. "You're staying in the hospital."

"How long?" Christina asked, breathing heavily.

The doctor replied gravely, "We'll need to treat and observe you first. The exact duration depends on your response to treatment. For your health, please cooperate."