chapter578

Connor sat right beside Lydia and glanced at her phone screen. He grinned. "Your grandma's calling. Aren't you going to answer?"

A strange feeling crept up inside Lydia. Her grandma almost never called. Usually, she just sent messages because she knew how busy Lydia was and didn't want to bother her. A phone call could only mean something urgent.

With her heart racing, Lydia picked up. Grandma, what happened?"

But it wasn't her grandmother's voice on the other end. It was Sandy, her voice shaky and frantic. Lydia! Grandma... she fell down the stairs. There's so much blood. I don't know what to do... please, you have to come..."

Lydia felt her whole body freeze. The next moment, she shot up from the couch. "Sandy, you..."

"It wasn't me, Lydia! Grandma slipped, I swear. It wasn't my fault!" Sandy's words tumbled out between desperate sobs.

Connor reached over and gently rubbed Lydia's tense back. You need to stay calm. I'm calling for a helicopter now."

Lydia swallowed hard, fighting the panic bubbling up inside her. Gritting her teeth, she tried to get more details from Sandy.

Her grandmother was unconscious. The bleeding from her head wouldn't stop.

Connor had left two bodyguards at the house. When Sandy screamed, they ran in and found her crouched on the floor, clutching the phone, her face pale with fear. They immediately called Aiden to report what happened.

Because of Connor's people, Lydia stayed updated about her grandmother's condition. She gave them clear instructions-grab gauze and medicine to stop the bleeding, but don't touch or move her grandmother unless absolutely necessary. She told one of the bodyguards to fetch Mr. Roth, the village's old doctor. Lydia didn't trust anyone else.

With her grandma's situation so critical, waiting for an ambulance would take too long. Lydia and Connor had to get there fast.

But then...

"Boss, the storm over Lakeview Town hasn't let up. The helicopter might not "

Lydia didn't even flinch. She strode straight toward the helicopter. "I'll fly."

Connor stared at her, stunned for a second. But then he just accepted it. Lydia could fly a helicopter, even in weather like this.

The skies over the Capital were still, but as they flew toward Lakeview Town, everything turned wild. Black clouds churned overhead Lightning etracked in the distance. The wind howled, driving the rain sideways.

The helicopter shook and rattled in the storm, the wind buffeting its frame.

Inside the cockpit, Lydia looked completely focused. Her eyes stayed glued to the instruments, her hands steady on the controls.

As they got closer to the ground, the wind and rain only got worse.

Lydia kept adjusting their altitude, fighting the elements every second. The thrum of

the rotors mixed with the roar of the storm, a tense, relentless soundtrack.

At last, Lydia brought the helicopter down safely.

Connor let out a shaky breath and checked his watch. Twelve minutes. She'd landed in twelve minutes, in the middle of a storm, with her mind probably spinning out of control. It felt like something out of a world record book.

The wind and rain were still going strong. Lydia didn't even bother with an umbrella.

She jumped out and sprinted straight for her grandmother's house.

Connor followed, his chest tight with worry, hoping against hope that this was all just a bad scare.

Even if he knew that was unlikely.

Lydia rushed inside. Mr. Roth was already there, pressing gauze to her grandmother's wound.

The room was dim. The two

bodyguards used flashlights to light up the space. Lydia could see it all-Mr. Roth's hands stainedbred, the floor at his feet slick with blood.