Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts novel Chapter 497

Ines woke up, devoid of the anticipated emotional breakdown, not even shedding a single tear. It appeared that all her tears had been shed on that stormy night.

Downstairs, Ines took baby Olivine directly from Erica’s arms. The little girl stared blankly at her. Her eyelids were drooping, devoid of her usual vitality.

Ines lovingly kissed her small face. “Sweetie, you’ve been a handful these past few days. With your dad not around, there’s no one to spoil you. You’ll have to behave.”

Her words left a bitter taste in everyone’s heart. Erica’s eyes welled up with tears again, and she fell into Beasley’s arms.

“Ines, you’ve been unconscious for a while. Is there anything you’re craving?” Phillip asked.

Ines looked up. “Grandpa, my throat feels dry. I would like some light soup.”

At her words, Phillip’s face lit up, and he gave Camela a look. Camela promptly headed towards the kitchen.

Ines also noticed Beasley. His face was so similar to Ethan’s. Seeing him was like swallowing a bitter pill. She managed to croak out, “Beasley, you’re home.”

Beasley nodded. “Yes, I took a few days off from the army.” When he heard the news, he had been unable to sit still. The moment he received his mother’s call, his heart was in shreds, and he rushed home.

“Thanks for your concern, Beasley.” Before he could respond, Ines continued, “Don’t say anything. I know the situation. No news is already good news. The storm has passed, so the river should have receded by now. If Ethan is gone, his body will have surfaced by now. But three days have passed and no body has been found along the river. Therefore, Ethan must be alive. He was probably rescued, injured, and unable to return. When he recovers, he’ll come back.”

The word “body” made everyone extremely uncomfortable, but her analysis was exactly what they wanted to say to her.

Phoebe stared at Ines, knowing that every uttered syllable must be tearing her apart inside.

Erica moved forward to embrace Ines. “Ines, don’t bottle up your feelings. If you need to cry, come to me.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already cried enough. Ethan wouldn’t want to see me in tears. I’ll pull myself together. By the way, how is Lucas doing?” Ines didn’t want everyone to dwell on the sadness, or cast a gloomy shadow over the house, so she changed the subject.

Upon spotting Ines and Phoebe at the door, Lucas said, “Ma’am, what brings you here?”

Ines smiled. “Lucas, I come to see how you’re doing.”

“You don’t have to, ma’am. I heard you’ve been running a fever these past few days,” Lucas expressed, surprised by her visit.

Fanny brought over two chairs for Ines and Phoebe. Once seated, Ines said, “Actually, I come not only to see how you’re doing but also to understand what happened. Why did Ethan fall into the river? When I called you, both of you were in the car.”

Lucas clenched his fists as he recalled, “It was Russel. He is a complete lunatic. They left a bit earlier than us and also encountered the landslide. The road down the mountain was blocked, and they knew there was no escape. They wanted to take us down with them, so they drove straight at us. Ethan and I had no choice but to jump out of the car. But that man wouldn’t let go. He drove straight at Ethan, who had no choice but to jump into the river. As for me, I was fortunate to survive another sudden landslide.”

“So, you’re saying Ethan wasn’t injured?” A genuine smile finally graced Ines’ face. This was why Ines had been so eager to see Lucas as soon as she woke up, just to confirm whether Ethan had been hurt when he fell into the river. If he had been seriously injured before falling into the river, the chances of survival would be slim. However, if he hadn’t been injured before the fall, it would be a different story.

She knew her family must have already looked into this, but she didn’t trust what they said. She only trusted what came from Lucas. Lucas looked at Ines earnestly, reassuring her, “Ma’am, I can assure you with absolute certainty. Mr. Meyer was not injured before he fell into the water. When we jumped from the car, we landed on a pile of soft brushwood.”