Chapter 326: Put Your Life First

"I rushed Theodore and Jimmy to the Blue River as quickly as possible," Oscar said defiantly. "Had I not arrived in time, I would have searched for you myself. In my mind, you're vulnerable in this dangerous world."

She thought he was mocking her, and anger flared.

"If you weren't so clever, you'd be dead, and I wouldn't have needed to save you," he added. This, surprisingly, felt like praise to Hannah.

"Besides," Oscar continued, "you brilliantly sent the evidence to Manuel, prompting him to call the police and reporters. Without your quick thinking, we wouldn't have brought them to justice. And don't forget, your evidence secured police assistance; otherwise, we might have died in Langley Town."

Had she just received his praise?

"In my world, you've never been worthless," Oscar said with a smile. "On the contrary, you always surprise me. I was actually prepared to marry another pretty face."

The tension eased, the atmosphere relaxing.

"I married you only because you have a pretty face too," Hannah pouted, playfully re-entering the banter.

"I'm flattered," Oscar readily agreed. "So, you fell for my pretty face."

"You cheeky monkey!"

"Hannah," Oscar called her name. Though everyone called her that, hearing it from Oscar made her blush. She tried to remain composed.

"I know you're smart, brave, and strong. But you must prioritize your life. I may not be as strong as you think. You must learn to protect yourself when I can't," Oscar said earnestly.

Hannah sensed a deeper meaning in his words.

"Promise me it won't happen again," he whispered in her ear.

'Promise what? Don't risk her life for him again?' Hannah remained silent; she couldn't make that promise.

The next day, Oscar received a clean bill of health and was discharged from the hospital.

They walked towards the hospital gate, aware of the throng of reporters waiting. They were prepared for the interviews.

Their appearance sparked immediate excitement; the street erupted in a cacophony of noise.

"Oscar, I heard you helped the police dismantle the largest drug ring here, even taking down Langley Town's local forces. Can you comment?" a reporter asked eagerly.

Oscar replied, "There's nothing to say. I merely fulfilled my civic duty. I'm honored to have assisted the police in bringing the perpetrators to justice."

"You were injured. How are you doing? Do you regret it?"

"It's nothing serious," Oscar said seriously. "The doctor said the bandage comes off in a few days. As for regret? Absolutely not. I wouldn't regret it even if I died."

"Don't say that!" Hannah quickly covered his mouth. Oscar looked at her affectionately; their deep love was evident to all.

"Don't say that," Hannah repeated, upset.

Oscar nodded with a smile. Hannah lowered her hand; to onlookers, they were deeply in love. Hannah, unlike her earlier demure self with Charles, displayed a vibrant, passionate side.

The reporter persisted, "Charles and you are both campaigning. He's canvassing Kensbury City, gaining more votes than you, though your support has surged recently. Can you comment on the campaign?"

"The campaign is fair," Oscar stated. "He's in Kensbury City, I'm in a remote town—our choices. All our campaign trails are our own decisions; let's not misconstrue that." His words subtly implied more than met the eye; he was defending Charles, suggesting Charles wasn't forced into a less favorable campaign area.

Hannah observed him; he was quite cunning, she thought.

"Regarding the outcome, I won't deny wanting to win. He's excellent too, so I'll be happy with the result."

"So, Oscar…" the reporter started another question.

Hannah interrupted, "Sorry, he's injured, and the doctor recommends rest. That's all for today."

She took Oscar's hand and left, flanked by Jimmy and Theodore who shielded them from the press. Seeing his bandaged arm, the reporters finally relented, having obtained sufficient material.

At 2 pm, numerous news headlines broke:

'Oscar Says It's an Honor to Help Police Catch Criminals.' 'Oscar says he's just doing his job and isn't dwelling on the threats.' 'Oscar remains focused on the election.' 'The gap between Oscar Wells and Charles Sawyer appears to be widening.'

A black cell phone crashed to the ground. Charles had been watching Oscar's video.

Oscar was widely admired. Comparisons between him and Charles resulted in disparaging remarks about Charles. One comment, garnering tens of thousands of likes, stung particularly hard: "While Oscar sacrificed his life for country and people, Charles acted shamelessly in his comfort zone like a coward." This drove Charles to smash his phone in anger.