Chapter 71

Morse's arm was pinned in a bruising grip,making him clench his jaw against the pain."Chloe's been taken for an examination," he said, his voice grave and measured.

Outwardly, Morse looked composed, but inside,his nerves were shot and his thoughts spun out of control. Behind the gleam of his gold-rimmed glasses, worry churned in eyes usually known for their kindness. His palms were slick with sweat, a cold dread creeping through his veins,though no one around him noticed.

"What did the doctor say? How did she lose her sight so suddenly?" Ralphy asked, his voice taut.

"They still don't have an answer. Everything's uncertain right now. Chloe said she took a bad fall yesterday and hit her head, but we don't know if that's the reason," Morse said,his tone

flat and icy.

At that moment, Dylan strode in, a sense of urgency radiating from him.

Ralphy turned to Dylan. "Did Chloe ever mention falling or hitting her head?"

"No," Dylan answered, jaw tight and hands balled into fists. "She was in great spirits at lunch."

Earlier, while preparing Christina's meal, Dylan had whipped up all of Chloe's favorite dishes as well. At that time, Chloe had been energetic and chatty, trailing after him and begging to move to live with Christina. She had pestered him endlessly, but he'd stood his ground and turned her down. Now, the memory gnawed at him.Maybe he'd at least run it by Christina instead of shutting Chloe down so quickly. A wave of regret washed over him-he wished he'd taken Chloe's request seriously, instead of dismissing her outright.

"She probably brushed it off as nothing serious,

not wanting to alarm us," Ralphy said, his voice heavy with emotion. Anxiety consumed him as he worried for Chloe, but couldn't do anything.

The bitter ache of frustration crept over Ralphy,each moment feeding his building self-reproach. "If I hadn't used the Scott family's Woodfort, Chloe could've started treatment already," he remarked, regret threading through every word.

"What do you mean?" Morse asked, his tone sharp.

Dylan's gaze shifted to Ralphy, a faint crease deepening between his brows.

"King reached out to Miss Jones, saying that the prescription's nearly complete, but one ingredient is still missing: Woodfort." Ralphy clarified quietly.

Morse's brow tightened, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "Woodfort's practically unheard of.Most people don't even know it exists."

"Exactly," Ralphy said, the weight of self-blame bearing down on him. "If I hadn't used the sole and only Woodfort of the Scott family, it could've been used to treat Chloe right now."

"Don't talk like that. Back then,the Scott family wouldn't have stood by, not when your condition had been dire. Even if we'd kept the Woodfort,we would have used it for whoever needed it most," Dylan replied, giving Ralphy's shoulder a firm, reassuring pat.

Ralphy swallowed hard, emotion tightening his throat. He gripped Dylan's hand in silent gratitude, eyes shining.

"There's no point dwelling on what-ifs.We'll just wait for King's update," Christina said, keeping her tone steady and composed. She was eager to check on Chloe. If anything changed for the worse, the Woodfort might be useless, and another prescription could become necessary.The thought that Chloe's illness might spiral beyond anyone's help haunted her, a fear that no medicine would be enough if it got out of

control.

Soon, Chloe was transferred to a ward,flanked by the doctor and nurse who had handled her examination.