Sham Marriage Quit Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 57

"Hold on, now's not a good time to go in."

"But they just came out, didn't they?" Sophia looked confused.

"They just stepped out, and we don't know the full situation yet. Let's check with a nurse or someone first. We'll go in after the patient's condition is stable and she's calmed down."

"They're not just going to tell us, right?"

Sophia felt like she was completely out of her depth around Elena, like a kid tagging along.

Elena gave a sly smile. "Sometimes you've got to be a little creative."

In this line of work, getting solid firsthand information sometimes meant using a few tricks. Elena headed to the restroom first, pulled out some eye drops, and carefully let a few drops pool in her eyes. Then, under Sophia's stunned and confused gaze, she hurried toward the patient's room and stopped a nurse who had just stepped out.

"Excuse me, the person inside is my sister. How is she doing?"

The nurse flinched at first, then saw the tears in Elena's eyes and the panic on her face, and believed her for the most part.

"Try not to worry. Both the mother and the child are okay. They inhaled a bit of smoke, but they're out of danger. She should wake up soon."

"And the man?"

Elena did not miss the chance.

"His condition is more complicated. He'll probably need skin grafts. You'll have to ask the doctor for details later."

The nurse sighed and walked away.

Sophia, standing a short distance away, looked completely shocked.

Elena wiped the tears from her face and walked back over. When she saw Sophia giving her a thumbs up, she looked a little embarrassed. "Like I said, sometimes you have to improvise."

They waited outside the room. Just like the nurse had said, about half an hour later, the woman woke up.

The first thing she did was try to throw off the covers and get out of bed. "Where's my husband? Where's my son?"

The nurse quickly held her down. "Your son is fine. Your husband is in the ICU. You can't get worked up right now."

Unable to break free, the woman lay there crying.

Elena chose not to interrupt at a moment like this. She gestured for Sophia, and they quietly left.

"We're not going to talk to her?"

Sophia asked, puzzled.

"She's not in a stable place today. We'll come back tomorrow."

They left the hospital, and to Elena's surprise, Alexander was still outside, waiting for them.

"I'll give you a ride."

"I drove—"

"Elena, my office, now."

Several people looked over, some with poorly hidden amusement.

As she passed Luna's desk, Luna let out a dramatic laugh. "Some people think a little experience makes them special. First field assignment at a new company, and they still got scooped by another outlet. Funny how it just happens to be her old company."

The sarcasm was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Elena shot her a glance. Luna returned it with a provocative look.

Elena walked into the office. Lydia sat behind her desk. "I gave you this assignment because you have years of experience, and because Ryan recommended you. This is what you deliver?"

She turned the laptop around so Elena could see the screen. "Swiftline published first. Other outlets followed up. Where's your piece?"

Elena scanned the content. After Swiftline released their report, the rest of the media had basically echoed the same details.

"The exact cause of the fire and the condition of the injured aren't fully confirmed yet. I'll go back to the hospital tomorrow—"

"Elena."

Lydia cut her off, impatience clear in her voice.

"You think I didn't notice? You said you were at the hospital, but I just saw you and Sophia getting out of a luxury car. If I'm not mistaken, that was your husband's car, right? Using a field assignment as an excuse to slack off and go on a date?"

She did not even bother to listen to Elena's explanation, launching straight into a harsh reprimand.