Chapter 542 Dead Without Consequences

Ebir began convulsing. Blood poured from the corners of her mouth in relentless streams, quickly soaking the front of her hospital gown.

Owen hadn’t caught what she said. Frantically wiping the blood away, he asked again, “Who did this to you? Was it Oscar? If it was Oscar, blink once!”

Elsie’s eyes were wide open. Through a mix of blood and foam, she repeated faintly, “Mom…”

“I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you, Elsie!” Owen shouted, stamping his foot in frustration.

Just then, Lily stumbled into the room, crawling across the floor in panic. “Elsie, don’t leave me alone.”

She threw herself onto the bed, clinging to Elsie’s legs and wailing. “You’re my whole world! How am I supposed to live without you?!”

Elsie wasn’t ready to die. If she died, Yunice would be the only daughter left in the Saunders family.

She had sacrificed her health to win the family’s affection. If she died now, would Owen and Lily go back to loving Yunice?

No. She refused to accept that.

How could she lose so thoroughly?

She had schemed for her entire life and only enjoyed three years of glory. Yunice had suffered for three years and then stepped into a brilliant future.

With Wyatt and Carl on her side, it was only a matter of time before the Saunders family took Yunice back to stabilize their reputation.

The thought made Elsie clutch Owen’s hand tighter. She bit her tongue and forced herself to speak clearly.

“Owen, Mom… promise me… you’ll only love me. Never… never go back to Yunice. I hate her… she’s the one who ruined me…”

Elsie broke down sobbing–not from regret, but from fear of death.

Peggy stood just outside the room, not bothering to watch the scene.

Feeling something off, she turned and saw Yunice and her husband standing behind her.

She had seen Wyatt at the Saunders estate once before, but this was the first time she was standing this close to him. His sharply defined features seemed impossibly striking. Peggy’s breath caught for a moment.

But she didn’t dare stare. She quickly looked away–at Yunice.

Yunice’s expression was neutral, but her dark eyes shimmered with a trace of loneliness.

Inside the hospital room, right after Elsie begged Owen and Lily not to reconcile with Yunice, they both agreed without hesitation.

“We’ll never take her back,” Lily cried. “I only have you–you’re my one and only daughter. I’ll never forgive her! If she hadn’t kept hurting you, breaking your health down bit by bit, you wouldn’t be leaving me so soon. Why couldn’t it be her instead of you?”

Owen wept beside her. “Elsie, I swear, the Saunders family has only one daughter–and that’s you. Your identity, in life and in death, will always belong to you. Yunice will never appear on our family record again.”

Yunice felt a warmth on her shoulder and turned her head. Wyatt had wrapped his arm around her.

Peggy, watching the room full of grief, curled her lips in a smirk. “Dead people making life miserable for the living. That squatter pigeon finally dropped.”

Elsie’s strength drained the moment she finished speaking. Owen’s eyes filled with panic as he watched her fingers unclench from his shirt and fall limply onto the blanket.

Her facial muscles finally relaxed. The light in her pupils faded away.

Owen’s pupils contracted. He stared in horror at the change in her face. He wanted to yell for her not to sleep–but no words came out.

Her head dropped sideways against his arm. Behind him, the monitor let out a long alarm tone, its waveforms flatlining into a single, steady line.

“No!” Owen pulled her into his arms, his howl of grief echoing down the hallway, drawing attention from the entire ward.

His cries were so raw and loud they drowned out even Lily’s sobs at the foot of the bed.

Peggy beamed with satisfaction. The one she hated most was finally dead.

Yunice, meanwhile, felt like something in her chest had collapsed. She slumped quietly into Wyatt’s arms.

Her face remained blank, but her eyes were full of frustration and injustice.

Elsie had done so many terrible things. Why did she get to die like this?

Yunice hadn’t had the chance to expose her. Hadn’t had the chance to make her answer for it.

And worse–Elsie had died at the height of her parents’ grief. To Owen, she would always be the innocent, kind one.

From now on, no one would remember how Elsie had treated Yunice. No one would care. If anyone brought it up again, they’d say Yunice was slandering the dead. And with no one left to testify, it wouldn’t matter.

Her revenge had ended–just like that–because of Elsie’s death. And that was the hardest part to swallow. Wyatt held her tightly and turned to leave, taking her with him.

There was nothing left to ask. The person was gone.

Outside the hospital, Yunice tilted her head up and looked at the sky full of stars.

It was early winter now. The night air had grown cold.

She wasn’t tired. She knew she wouldn’t sleep at all tonight.

Wyatt draped his coat over her shoulders. It was warm–very warm.

Yunice lowered her eyes. Her brows twitched slightly. This feeling… it’s familiar.

She leaned in subtly and inhaled. But the feeling was gone.

Wyatt never wore cologne.