Grace paced anxiously outside the operating room.
"Ms. Parker."
Grace turned to see Violeta approaching. She said, "Hey, Vio."
Her gaze then shifted to Irene, and she politely greeted her. "Ms. Irene."
"As a nationally renowned opera performer, Irene was naturally well-known to Grace. To show her respect, Grace respectfully addressed her as Ms. Irene instead of Mrs. White."
Irene nodded kindly to Grace in acknowledgment.
Violeta asked, "What happened? How did the accident occur?"
Grace sighed and said, "I don't know the details, so I called you. The hospital contacted me because they couldn't reach their parents.
"On my way here, I called their parents multiple times. Their secretary answered and said both are on a business trip in Jobus and won't be back until tonight.
"Vio, where have you been all afternoon?"
Violeta explained, "We went cycling by the river, then had dinner at a street food stall before heading home. I took a cab, and they must have done the same. Did the accident happen on their way back?"
Grace was deeply worried, but there was nothing he could do.
Violeta glanced at the tightly shut doors of the operating room. She struggled to believe that just an hour ago, they had been laughing together at the street food stall.
She asked, "Ms. Parker, did the doctor say anything when you arrived?"
Grace replied, "The doctor said one of them is in critical condition. The car crashed directly into the left guardrail. Nydia was sitting in the back, on the left side. She suffered a severe leg injury, including an open fracture. Hazel sat on the right. She's in better shape but still has multiple fractures and is being treated for glass shards."
Irene was distressed to hear this. She said, "Oh dear, I hope they'll be alright."
Violeta was in deep sorrow.
Just earlier, while enjoying cajun crawfish boil at the street stall, they had been joking about winning the Lotus Award, with Violeta cheering them on as future stars of the dance world.
And now, this horrific accident has occurred.
And it happened right before the Lotus Award's registration opened.
Is this fate?
Or something else ...
Violeta asked, "Ms. Parker, did you call the police?"
Grace explained, "Yes, the bystanders called immediately after the accident. We're waiting for the investigation results now."
Grace's heart ached more than anyone else's.
She felt sorry for the two, as she had trained them since they were young. She was devastated at the thought that they would miss the Lotus Award.
Grace had missed her own chance back then.
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