Chapter 29
Hazel glanced at the operating room, her eyes filled with heartache and helplessness. “Miss Jackson was beaten by Arthur.”
In fact, Harry had already noticed the bruises on Camila’s body–dark marks and bloodstains that stood out against her pale, fragile skin.
But his attention had been completely absorbed by the sight of her severed finger. In comparison, her other injuries seemed almost insignificant.
Harry closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to steady himself. “Why did my father hit her?”
Hazel hesitated for a moment, her face showing clear reluctance. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak, but she feared Harry wouldn’t believe her.
But if she kept quiet now, by the time Harry heard the story from Agnes, it would be a completely different version.
Finally, she spoke, “Agnes said that Miss Jackson pushed her down the stairs, and that made Arthur furious. He used a belt to beat Miss Jackson.”
Harry frowned deeply, seemingly ready to blame Camila. Hazel quickly added, “Mr. Jackson, please don’t misunderstand me. I really don’t believe Miss Jackson could have done such a thing.
“To be honest, knowing Arthur and Belinda were both home, do you think Miss Jackson would intentionally harm Agnes just to get herself in trouble?
“Agnes wasn’t hurt at all, but Miss Jackson was beaten so badly, her body’s covered in bruises. Even I can’t bear to see it.”
Hazel’s voice wavered, and she wiped her eyes, which were brimming with tears.
Harry clenched his fists. He was deeply pained seeing Camila like this. But he knew that Agnes had always been well- behaved and sensible–he couldn’t believe she would lie about something like this. And of course, Camila had a history of causing trouble.
Seeing the change in his expression, Hazel couldn’t help but speak again, “Mr. Jackson, I think… your family’s bias against Miss Jackson might be a little too much…”
Before she could finish, Harry shot her a sharp look. “Hazel, that’s enough.”
The intensity of his gaze made Hazel’s heart race, and she quickly fell silent. She knew she had overstepped.
But what had happened tonight felt so terribly unfair to Camila. Even as an outsider, she felt her pain, and yet the Jackson family seemed so heartless.
Harry, clearly agitated, stood up and began pacing in front of the emergency room.
After what felt like an eternity, the door to the operating room slowly opened, and the doctor stepped out.
Harry rushed forward. “Michael, how is my sister?”
Michael removed his mask, his face serious as he turned to Hazel. “Hazel, please take her to the ward.”
Hazel nodded and pushed the bed toward the ward.
Now, only Michael and Harry were left outside the operating room.
As he saw Michael’s grave expression, Harry’s nerves tightened. “Are her injuries really that bad?”
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Chapter 29
Michael looked at him and shook his head gently. “It’s mostly just superficial wounds. We were able to reattach her finger. It looks worse than it actually is.”
“That’s a relief.” Harry exhaled, but the continued worry on Michael’s face made him uneasy again. “Then why do you still look so serious?”
Michael opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then hesitated. His eyes revealed an unspoken weight.
Harry’s unease grew, and he raised his voice slightly. “If there’s something you need to tell me, just say it. Don’t hold back.”
Michael took a deep breath, as if making a difficult decision. He looked steadily at Harry. “While I was treating her wounds, I noticed an old injury on her lower back. It’s about the size of a palm.”
Harry’s expression immediately sharpened. He knew Michael too well–things couldn’t possibly be this simple. “Just say what you need to say.”
Michael hesitated for a moment, his throat tightening as he spoke, “Harry, the scar on Camila’s back… her left kidney is missing. From my observations, the scar looks like it’s at least a year old. A year ago, she was in prison…”
Harry felt his head buzz, as if struck by a thunderclap. He froze in shock, his eyes wide, unable to process what he was hearing.
“Michael, stop joking. She was in prison–there’s no way she could have lost her left kidney. It’s impossible. It can’t be true.*
Michael pressed his lips together, then quietly pulled out his phone and showed Harry a photo he had taken.
The photo showed Camila’s scarred lower back, twisted and misshapen, looking like a grotesque centipede crawling across her skin. The dark, discolored scar was surrounded by creases in her skin.
The moment Harry saw the photo, his face drained of color. He thought, ‘Camila had her kidney taken out in prison!‘ He felt the ground beneath him tilt, and his legs buckled, nearly causing him to collapse.
Michael reacted quickly, reaching out to steady him. “Harry, are you okay?”
Harry’s chest felt tight, as though a vise was squeezing his heart, making it hard to breathe. At the same time, a white–hot rage burned through him, his teeth clenching so hard they ground together with a menacing crack.
With all his willpower, he pushed the pain aside, standing upright. He gently pushed Michael away and spoke in a voice colder than ice, “Michael, go check on my sister in the ward.”
“And you?” Michael asked, concern clear in his voice.
“I’m going to find out who did this to my sister,” Harry said, his voice hard. “Who dared to hurt the sister of Harry?”
Michael patted him on the shoulder and walked away.
Harry stood there for a long moment, then finally left.
In the car, his figure was swallowed by darkness, the faint red glow of his cigarette flickering like a dying ember. It cast a dim light on his cold, haunted face. His mind replayed the information Sebastian had uncovered for him earlier.
A year ago, Camila had been to the hospital. After that, she was moved from her previous dorm room. If she had been forced to donate a kidney, it would explain her fragile health.
She would have been too weak to endure further abuse, which likely led to her being transferred. It was starting to make
sense.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Harry felt as if his heart were being pierced by countless needles. The pain was suffocating. He straightened up, pulled out his phone, and dialed Sebastian.
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Chapter 29
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*Sebastian, I need you to dig even deeper into the records for Camila’s hospital visit a year ago. I want every detail—what hospital did she go to, what exactly happened, who was with her, who did she interact with? I need everything, no stone
unturned.”
He hung up the phone and leaned back, the cigarette burning steadily in his fingers. He didn’t know how many he smoked, but he stayed in the car for a long time before finally stepping out and heading back to the hospital.
Standing in front of Camila’s hospital room, he hesitated, unsure whether he could go in. Just then, he heard Michael’s voice from inside. “Are you awake? How are you feeling?”
There was a long silence before Michael spoke again, his tone filled with quiet frustration, “Every time I see you, you’re covered in injuries.”
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