The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 240

At 1:00 AM, on the streets of New York.

Lance Sterling's car sped down the empty avenue. The Bluetooth speakerphone was engaged, and Evelyn Sullivan's calm voice echoed through the cabin. "What is Isabella's exact condition?"

"Acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock," Lance quickly relayed the information his brother, Seth, had just sent him while tightly gripping the steering wheel. "Isabella has a twenty-year history of coronary heart disease and has been on antidepressants long-term. Her heart function was already poor. She suffered a severe shock this afternoon, leading to an emotional breakdown tonight that triggered the attack. She's currently at The Bayview Retreat. The doctors said... she has at most six hours left."

Silence fell over the line for a few seconds.

Lance could hear Evelyn's steady breathing and the faint sound of hospital intercoms in the background. He tightened his grip on the wheel, his voice laced with a desperate plea. "Dr. Sullivan, I know this request is incredibly sudden, but... Mr. Thorne truly has no other options left."

"His mother..." Evelyn asked softly. "Is she that important to him?"

"More important than his own life," Lance's voice choked up. "Dr. Sullivan, you might not know this, but Mr. Thorne... there really aren't many people he cares about in this world. The Thorne family patriarch was one, and his mother is the other. Just those two. And perhaps now, there's you as well."

Outside the window, the glow of streetlights blurred past. Lance took a deep breath and continued, "Mr. Thorne's father... never loved him. When he was a kid, if Mr. Thorne got second place in his class, his father would demand to know why he wasn't first. Later, his father had a bastard child with another woman and doted on that boy, yet treated Mr. Thorne like..."

He paused. "Mr. Thorne once told me that when he was eight years old, his mother had her first severe heart attack and was rushed to the ER. He stood frozen outside those doors, listening to the alarms blaring inside. He thought to himself right then that if his mother died, he would truly... have no family left."

The line remained quiet, save for Evelyn's gentle breathing.

"All these years, Mr. Thorne has been blaming himself," Lance's voice grew heavier. "He feels he didn't protect his mother well enough, which is why she kept getting hurt. Three years ago, he built that retreat and equipped it with the absolute best medical resources, just to prevent any accidents. But today... today, it still happened."

The car turned into the main gates of St. Jude's Medical Center. Lance parked the car and picked up his phone, his voice thick with unshed tears. "Dr. Sullivan, I'm begging you. Mr. Thorne has never begged anyone in his life, but this time... he really needs you. As long as you agree to go, he'll agree to any condition. The private jet is already prepped and ready for takeoff."

On the other end of the line, Evelyn stayed silent for a long time.

So long that Lance genuinely thought she was going to refuse.

Then, he heard her say, "Come pick me up at the hospital entrance. Send me Isabella's medical reports, as detailed as possible. Which airport is the jet at?"

Lance bolted upright in his seat, his eyes instantly turning red. "Thank you! Thank you, Dr. Sullivan! I'll be right there! The plane is waiting at JFK, we'll head there immediately!"

---

At 2:00 AM, JFK International Airport.

Sebastian Thorne's private jet already had its engines running, the cabin bathed in soft, warm light. Evelyn sat by the window, holding a tablet and meticulously reviewing Isabella's medical files.

The Bayview Retreat, 4:00 AM.

The sterile, harsh lights illuminated the hallway outside the resuscitation room. Sebastian stood perfectly still by the window, staring out into the pitch-black night.

He had been standing there for two hours.

His phone had vibrated multiple times in his pocket—calls from the family patriarch, calls from Thorne relatives—but he ignored them all. Right now, his entire universe had shrunk down to those closed doors and his dying mother behind them.

"Mr. Thorne," Dr. Wright approached cautiously. "Isabella's vital signs are relatively stable for now, but... she doesn't have much time left."

Sebastian didn't turn around. He simply asked in a low voice, "How long?"

"...Three hours, at most," Dr. Wright replied softly.

Three hours.

Sebastian closed his eyes. The childhood memories he had intentionally buried came flooding back.