No Strings Attached

Chapter 378

The building was engulfed in flames, reaching high into the night sky, and even those who had just leaped to safety were caught in the aftermath. The fire chief immediately led his team forward, rescuing Leonora from the danger.

As he looked toward the fiercely burning remains of Crimson Manor, his voice was urgent, "Where's Mr. Hayes? Why didn't he come down?"

"Mr. Hayes went back to save Leonora and told us to jump first. He's still in there."

The fire chief's anxiety spiked. "This is madness! He's the golden boy of the Hayes family. If we lose him, the whole fire department can kiss their jobs goodbye!"

Without hesitation, he organized his firefighters to continue battling the blaze. But the fire was too intense, and there was the threat of a third explosion. It could even spread to the entirety of the Hayes family estate.

Just then, someone reported, "Chief, the gas line was tampered with, but it's been fixed now. There shouldn't be another explosion." This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

"Is all the power cut?"

"It's cut."

"Good. You lot, come with me. We need to rescue Mr. Hayes. The rest of you, keep putting out the fire."

"Understood."

The fire chief and his team charged back into the inferno.

Seeing only Leonora emerge, Teo instantly knew the gravity of the situation. He clenched his teeth and ordered, "Dawson, take her to the hospital, and while you're at it, tell the reporters outside that Ian's life hangs in the balance after trying to save his mother."

Dawson quickly left to carry out the command.

As the ambulance left the Hayes family estate, reporters swarmed, blocking its path. Dawson leaped from the vehicle, his voice filled with urgency, "If you keep blocking the way, Leonora's life will be at risk. Mr. Hayes risked his life to save her!"

Hearing this, the reporters immediately turned their cameras on Dawson.

"What do you mean by 'risking his life?' What happened to Leonora?"

"Our CEO braved the fire to save his mother. He was caught in the second explosion right after he got her out. Now, we don't know if he's alive or dead. If you keep blocking us, you might be wasting Mr. Hayes' act of devotion."

Everyone was startled and quickly cleared a path. The ambulance sped past them, sirens wailing. The reporters began to buzz with speculation.

"What's happening? Weren't there rumors Mr. Hayes was mistreating Leonora? Now, he's suddenly risking his life to save her. Could the rumors be false?"

"I've always said Mr. Hayes isn't that kind of person. Someone must be spreading lies to confuse us."

"Nobody would risk their life if they weren't sincere. I need to write up a story about this right away."

"I’m also going to clear Mr. Hayes' name. He's not heartless. Someone must be trying to frame him."

Moments before, the internet was ablaze with accusations of Ian being unfilial, lambasting Teo for his supposed involvement in his wife's near-death ordeal. Now, the narrative had shifted dramatically. The posts climbed the trending charts once more.

Clara woke with a start, a nightmare jolting her awake. She dreamt that Ian, covered in blood, was walking towards her. She sat up in bed, heart racing, her forehead dotted with sweat beads.

As she gathered her bearings, she realized it had been just a dream. Her tightly wound nerves finally relaxed.

She reached for her phone to check the time, but noticed it was missing. Was Ian worried about radiation and taken it?'

Glancing through the window, the night was deep and dark. It was well past midnight, yet Ian hadn't come to bed.

Something felt off. She wrapped herself in a robe and stepped out of the bedroom. Reaching the staircase, she noticed the lights blazing in the hall below – it looked nothing like the middle of the night.

Casey's sighs drifted up from downstairs. This was troubling. The doctors had stressed that her father needed early nights after his surgery. "Why was he still up at this hour?" she wondered.

Clara hurried downstairs and asked with concern, "Dad, why aren't you asleep?"