Chapter 434

Estella had her eye on a piece of clothing and wanted to ask Zoey's opinion, but when she saw Zoey's panicked expression, she got curious.

"What's up, Zoey? Something wrong?" Estella asked, picking up Zoey's phone from the ground.

"My daughter's in trouble, she's in danger. I need to get to the hospital, like, right now." Zoey snatched the phone from Estella's hand and frantically tried to run outside.

Estella quickly caught up and grabbed the car keys from Zoey.

"You're too freaked out to drive. Let me take you. Just tell me where the hospital is," Estella said, looking at Zoey with genuine concern.

Zoey was too preoccupied to appreciate Estella's concern. She jumped into the passenger seat and gave Estella the hospital's address.

Estella started the car and sped towards the hospital.

She wasn't just being a good friend; she was also curious if there was any useful info she could get from this situation.

Following Zoey's directions, Estella ran several red lights, getting Zoey to the hospital as fast as possible.

Their high heels echoed in the hospital corridor.

Paxton, hearing the familiar sound of high heels, looked up and saw Zoey and Estella. He wasn't thrilled to see Estella because Pearl's situation was supposed to be kept quiet. But Pearl's condition was more important than worrying about Estella being there.

"How's Pearl? Wasn't she getting better? Why the sudden emergency?" Zoey rushed up to Paxton, bombarding him with questions.

Paxton glanced at Estella and stayed silent, gesturing towards the ward door.

"The doctors are in there working on her. You'll know more once they come out," Paxton said calmly.

Estella sensed Paxton was holding back because of her presence, hinting that whatever he wanted to say shouldn't be known by outsiders. This secret could be useful to Michael. Estella started thinking about how to get this info.

Zoey felt a surge of anger but knew she couldn't lose it now. She had to wait for news about Pearl.

Just then, the ICU door opened, and Allan walked out heavily.

Even with a mask on, the heaviness in his eyes showed his somber mood.

Zoey had a bad feeling. She hurried to the doctor and asked, "Doctor, how's my daughter?"

Allan sighed deeply. "Mrs. Brown, Mr. Brown, I'm sorry to inform you that Ms. Brown has just passed away. We did everything we could."

Before Allan could finish his sentence, Zoey's eyes rolled back, and she almost collapsed. Paxton, ready for this, caught her in his arms.

Tears streamed down Zoey's face as she wailed uncontrollably. "You said my daughter was getting better. How did it come to this? Why did she suddenly die? Is it because you're incompetent?"

With red, furious eyes, Zoey grabbed Allan by the collar and screamed, "You damn liar! Pearl's condition never improved, did it? You've been lying to us!"

"Mrs. Brown, please calm down. Ms. Brown's deterioration was beyond our control. We weren't lying to you," Allan said helplessly, looking towards Paxton for support.

"This isn't the doctor's fault; they did their best," Paxton said, stepping forward and gently pulling Zoey's hands away from Allan's collar.

Paxton waved his hand, signaling for Allan to leave quickly.

Allan sighed and left with the medical staff.

"Pearl, I raised her for so many years, and now she's gone!" Zoey cried as she rushed into the ward and collapsed on Pearl's body.

Pearl showed no signs of life. She lay there quietly, her severed limbs and bald head making it seem like she was just asleep.

"Wake up, Pearl. Look at me, I'm your mom. Please wake up," Zoey cried incessantly, her tears soaking Pearl's clothes.

But Pearl would never wake up again.

Feeling awkward, Estella hesitated outside the ICU, knowing this was a family moment, and she was an outsider.

Paxton noticed Estella's discomfort and said, "Ms. Foster, why don't you head back for now? This isn't the right place for you. I'll take care of my wife."

Estella nodded and left the ICU.

After Estella left, Paxton entered the room and stood beside Zoey.

"Why did Pearl die? Don't think I don't know. Allan looked at you-did you do something?" Zoey suddenly turned and glared at Paxton with hatred.

Paxton closed his eyes and nodded after a long pause. "Yes, I did. I asked her a few questions, and Pearl couldn't handle it, leading to her deterioration."

As soon as Paxton finished speaking, Zoey went wild, scratching at Paxton's face.

"You don't deserve to be a dad. Give me back my daughter, bring her back to life," Zoey screamed frantically.

Paxton frowned, grabbed Zoey's arm, and growled softly, "Now is not the time for this. Don't you want revenge?"

Zoey stared fiercely into Paxton's eyes and asked, "Do you know something? Do you know who the killer is?"

Paxton nodded. "It's Isabella and her husband. We misunderstood Bianca. She was only involved in the kidnapping case. Pearl's previous reactions were due to external stimuli. Now I need your help to avenge Pearl."

Zoey looked at Paxton, and after a moment, she nodded. "What do I need to do?"

Meanwhile, after leaving the hospital, Estella sneaked back in and went directly to find Allan, Pearl's attending physician.