Chapter 76
Chapter 76
The kidnappers had left a full medical kit, covering everything from infection to tetanus. Emily gave Austin a tetanus shot first, then began treating his wounds.
His shirt, long ruined and stained beyond recognition, was peeled off, revealing the true extent of his injuries.
Even with her experience, Emily sucked in a sharp breath. There were whip marks, stabs, cuts, and burns. It was a brutal collection of wounds. None of them were fatal, but all together told a story of deliberate torture.
Emily looked up, unable to hide her concern. “Does it hurt?” She thought, ‘He had escaped from that dilapidated warehouse despite the agony. How had he endured it all?’
Seeing that Emily wasn’t the least bit fazed by his wounds and even asked if he was in pain, Austin was taken aback.
She was the first to see his wounds and ask about the pain instead of recoiling. Feeling moved, Austin smiled. “I got hurt enough times and I started to become numb to the pain.”
When he smiled, his eyes curved warmly. That bright grin almost made Emily ignore the depths of his suffering.
She withdrew her gaze, silent as she began tending to Austin’s wounds.
Though Austin always wore that earnest expression as if ready to answer any question, Emily didn’t press. They were strangers after all, brought together by circumstance, with no need to pry into each other’s pasts.
Emily’s movements were swift and practiced as if this bloody task were as natural to her.
Curious, Austin broke the silence. “You’re really good at this. It’s like you do it every day.”
Without missing a beat, Emily said, mimicking his tone, “I got hurt enough times too and I gradually became a doctor myself.”
Austin raised an eyebrow, studying Emily carefully. He thought she looked like someone who had been through a lot.
Austin’s gaze landed on Emily’s arm. Earlier, it was too dark to notice, but now he saw the marks-old scars, not much better than his fresh wounds.
People who kept their pasts locked away were often the ones who had suffered most. He felt that he and Emily were the same kind of people.
After endless running and bleeding, Austin finally gave in to exhaustion and drifted into sleep.
However, Emily didn’t dare to sleep. She was no doctor, and Austin’s injuries were too serious. If anything went ‘wrong, he would need to go to the hospital.
Thankfully, she kept watch until dawn, and Austin showed no signs of trouble. As daylight fully broke, Emily packed quietly and slipped out.
She had been kidnapped, so of course she had to call the police and have them investigate who was behind it.
After a night without sleep, Emily finally had time to think about the whole thing. The kidnappers were cautious,
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Chapter 76
and if they just wanted money from the Bennett family, they would have researched her situation first and realized she was a target of no value.
Emily thought, ‘I don’t have any Bennett contacts saved in my phone, so how did the kidnappers get the numbers?
‘Why had they called every Bennett family member demanding ransom, acting as if they already knew I would be discarded? And what did that “play our part and let her go” bit mean, from the grey-clothed man?’
Emily thought that until these questions were answered, the danger wasn’t over. Next time, she might not be so lucky.