Chapter 180

Nolan found out almost right away.

He raced to the hospital, but the entrance was already crawling with reporters who caught wind of the story.

A team of bodyguards had to shove their way through the crowd just so he could reach the emergency room doors.

Bright,almost harsh lights filled the hallway.

He could not tear his eyes away from the red light above the door. His eyes were starting to turn red, but he said nothing.

Gone was his usual poise and confidence. In its place was a storm of anger that threatened to spill over at any second.

He knew he had let his guard down.

He should have kept Eleanor safe and never allowed anyone to get close enough to hurt her.

If anything happened to her, he would make sure every single person responsible paid for it.

Lillian had gotten there just before him, and the second she spotted him, she ran over.

Tears rimmed her eyes as she grabbed his arm and started hitting him in frustration.

"This is your fault, Nolan! Every bit of it! If you had done your job and kept her safe, Eleanor wouldn't be in there fighting for her life! None of this would have happened!" she said in between sobs.

Ryland hurried to pull his shaken sister into his arms, holding her close.

He turned to Nolan, who seemed completely lost, and spoke in a softer voice. "Nolan, don't mind her.Lillian's just scared out of her mind."

To everyone else, Nolan was untouchable. He was the head of the Stewart family, someone people respected and even feared.

Now, he looked completely defeated.

Ryland understood better than anyone that nobody took Eleanor's car crash harder than Nolan did.

Nolan did not react to Lillian's anger.

He would not look at her. His focus never left the closed door in front of him.

A broken whisper left his lips. "I know. It's all because of me."

If he hadn't let things slide so many times, the people hiding in the dark would never have dared to go after Eleanor.

He really believed he could keep her safe, no matter what.

Even though he made careful plans, he still failed. She stil ended up hurt, and it crushed him.

He spun around and fixed his bloodshot eyes on Erick, who had been following close behind. There was no hiding the anger burning in his stare.

"Did you track down the truck driver yet?" he asked.

Erick looked like he might shrink under the pressure of that glare. He struggled to breathe as he answered,"We're still looking, boss. I'll bring in more people and find the driver as quickly as I can."

Right then, the emergency room doors swung open.

A doctor stepped out, white coat crisp, and his eyes were serious.

Nolan hurried over, anxiety clear in every movement. "Is she going to be alright?"

The doctor pulled down his mask. His face softened a little, but he didn't look hopeful. "The man in the crash got lucky. The airbags protected him, so his injuries are minor. Just a mild concussion. The woman took the worst of it. She broke two ribs and suffered a serious concussion. Right now, the biggest danger is how much blood she's lost." He let out a tired sigh before adding, "Her blood type is AB, and while it's not especially uncommon, we've completely run out of it in our supply. We just used the last of it on a pregnant woman who suffered an amniotic fluid embolism."

He frowned. "If we try to get more from the city's blood bank, it'll take no less than two hours. Even if we start collecting on-site donations now, we'd need at least twenty people willing to give blood, and that's almost impossible to manage in time."

All the hope Nolan felt slipped away.

He could not let Eleanor lie on that operating table for two hours without help.

Panic set in. He grabbed the doctor's arm, his eyes turning red. "Where can I find the hospital's broadcast room?"

The doctor froze for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden question.

After a second, he pointed down the hall. "Go that way and turn left at the end."

Nolan did not waste a second. He took off running, leaving everyone else staring in confusion, wondering what he planned to do.

Moments later, the sound of his voice filled the hospital as the intercom crackled to life.