Chapter 13

It was almost noon when Gloria finally reached the dorm building.

Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she noticed a car parked by the roadside.

It was Sebastian's car, the one she had seen last night.

What was he doing here?

Thinking about everything that had happened over the past few days, Gloria instinctively stepped back and turned to leave.

But she was still injured, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't move quickly.

"Mr. Windsor, Ms. Russell is back!" Behind her, Lucas respectfully reported to Sebastian.

Hearing his voice, Gloria ignored the pain and desperately tried to move faster, supporting herself against the wall.

She couldn't let herself fall into Sebastian's hands!

"Why are you running?" Sebastian, with his long legs, caught up to her in just a few strides and grabbed her wrist, clearly displeased.

Gloria instinctively tried to pull away, but he only tightened his grip.

"Let go of me!" A wave of humiliation and anger surged through Gloria as she turned back, gritting her teeth.

"What do you want from me? I admitted my guilt for what happened three years ago, and I served my punishment! Even my family was sent to prison because of you! What more do you want? I just want to live a normal life. Why is that so hard?" Tears welled up in Gloria's eyes, filled with grievance.

Seeing her like this, Sebastian's grip on her wrist loosened slightly.

Gloria bit her lip and forcefully pulled her hand away. "Sebastian, please, just leave me alone. I have nothing left."

With that, she turned to head back to the dorm.

Since she had already run into Sebastian, there was no point in hiding anymore.

Sebastian frowned deeply as he looked at her profile. "What happened to your face?"

Gloria had been so focused on the pain in her stomach that she had forgotten about the injury on her face.

Judging by Sebastian's reaction, it seemed pretty serious.

Memories of the previous night flooded back, and a hint of sarcasm flashed in Gloria's eyes. "You don't know? Why bother asking?"

Sebastian's expression hardened. "What do you mean?"

Gloria lowered her gaze, her tone becoming humble again. "I just wanted to thank you for sparing my life."

One moment, Gloria was fierce and defiant; the next, she was humble and submissive.

Sebastian felt an inexplicable irritation. "Gloria, you still don't understand. Everything that's happened to you is your own doing. The Russell family spoiled you too much, making you reckless and leading to disaster! Do you really think serving three years in prison is unfair?"

Hearing his words, Gloria almost wanted to laugh.

The three years of hell she had endured were reduced to "just three years in prison" in Sebastian's eyes.

If it were really that simple, she wouldn't be in this state.

Three years ago, Sebastian hadn't given her a chance to explain.

Now, she didn't want to explain anymore.

Gloria took a step back and bowed respectfully to Sebastian.

As she straightened up, the pain inside her made her face turn pale. "I was immature before. I'm sorry, Mr. Windsor. I know I was wrong. From now on, as long as you need me, I'm willing to do anything for you. Please, let me live."

Sebastian clearly saw that the look in Gloria's eyes had lost its former intensity, replaced by a lifeless emptiness.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Gloria pressed her lips together and walked past him.

As she disappeared into the building, Lucas couldn't stand still any longer. "Are we just going to let Ms. Russell go? What about the QL Bar case..."

The charges against QL Bar included not only organized crime but also money laundering and various economic crimes.

The investigation revealed intricate connections between QL Bar and the Russell family's former branches.

And Gloria, as the Russell family's heiress, had appeared at QL Bar right after her release, albeit as an escort, which was puzzling.

It was hard to believe that Gloria had no connection to the case.

Sebastian had sought her out, hoping to hear the truth from her.

But he hadn't expected this reaction from Gloria.

Watching her disappear around the corner, Sebastian turned his gaze away. "Keep an eye on her."

Lucas nodded and complied.

Back in her dorm, Gloria counted the remaining money.

She had a little over three thousand dollars left, enough for her medical expenses.

Seeing Sebastian's car drive away from the window, Gloria got up and headed downstairs.

By the time she reached the hospital, Gloria could barely stand and had to be carried in on a stretcher.

During the examination, the doctor looked at her with a serious expression. "You have long-term malnutrition, and the external force has caused stomach bleeding and a slight spleen rupture. I don't know how you managed to walk to the hospital."

Gloria asked, "How much will it cost to treat me?"

The doctor frowned and started writing a prescription. "You should be hospitalized for observation and treatment. The exact cost will be on your discharge bill."

Hearing that she needed to be hospitalized, Gloria struggled to get up from the bed. "I can't stay in the hospital. Please just prescribe me some medication. I'll be careful."

She had only that much money left. If she spent it all on treatment, what would she do afterward?

The doctor looked at her with a complex expression, studying her for a long moment. "Tell me the truth. Do you need me to call the police for you?"

Gloria was stunned for a moment before she realized what he meant.

It wasn't surprising that the doctor would think that way. She looked like someone who had been subjected to long-term domestic abuse.

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you, but I'm fine. I was robbed yesterday and have already reported it to the police. I ran into some trouble and don't have much money. Could you please prescribe me some affordable medication?"

The doctor scrutinized her for a while longer, confirming that she was telling the truth, before prescribing the medication.

"Make sure to rest when you get home. Injuries to the spleen and stomach are serious. If you need help, call this number." He handed her a piece of paper with a phone number on it.

Gloria took it and thanked him again. She had no money left.

Leaving the hospital, Gloria went straight back to the dorm.

She was exhausted and needed a good rest.

And there was still no news about Elodie.

Thinking about Elodie filled Gloria with worry. She had no idea how Elodie was doing.

"Why isn't she back yet? Did she find out about us?" As she approached the dorm building, she heard a rough male voice in the distance.

Gloria's steps halted abruptly.

She recognized that voice all too well. It belonged to one of the men from last night!

What were they doing here?

She carefully hid around the corner, watching the group from a distance.

"There's no one in the alley. She must be in the dorm. She hasn't come down all day. Maybe she realized we're here and is hiding upstairs?" Someone speculated.

The others quickly agreed, and the group of menacing figures headed upstairs.

Gloria felt a wave of fear.

Luckily, she had returned just in time. She couldn't imagine what would have happened otherwise.