?<strong>Chapter 802:</strong>


    Adrian was shielded beneath Lucian and a bodyguard, their bodies frozen in ce, lifeless. Joelle copsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she reached for Adrian, her hands trembling. His bodyy motionless, his eyes closed, his breathing so faint it was almost undetectable. Lucian and the bodyguard showed no signs of life. They were as still as the mountain around them, frozen in death.


    Can and the others pulled Adrian from the debris. They wrapped him in nkets and carried him down the mountain on a stretcher, their movements urgent but careful. Joelle, nearly exhausted, kept her gaze fixed on Adrian as they carried him up.


    When she saw his arm slip out from beneath the nket, Joelle quickly grabbed it and tucked it back in, only to find it ice-cold to the touch. Even after only a few hours in the snow, one of her legs had gone numb from the chill. She knew Adrian’s condition was far worse. Still, she felt a sense of relief.


    After everything, at least he was alive—life, in such circumstances, was everything. The medical staff worked tirelessly to help Adrian regain his body temperature. Joelle rubbed his hands, feeling that the act of warming him was more exhausting than the search itself.


    The bodies of Lucian and the bodyguard were also brought back.


    Can asked, “Mrs. Miller, should we return to Illerith now?”


    Joelle stared nkly at Adrian, her heart tightening as panic and fear surged within her. She felt utterly powerless. She had always been the family’s pir, the one others leaned on. But now, she had no idea what to do.


    “Pack up and wake Aurora. We’re leaving now.”


    “Yes, Mrs. Miller.”


    “Can!” Joelle’s voice trembled as she stopped him. “Contact Illerith Hospital and have their medical team meet us at the airport.”


    Can’s heart sank as he nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Miller!”


    The journey back took nearly six days, and throughout it, Joelle barely slept. Every time she was awake, she would clutch Adrian’s hand, her voice filled with anxiety as she asked about his condition. His body temperature still hadn’t stabilized, remaining dangerously low, which kept him unconscious.


    Joelle had made prior arrangements with the hospital, ensuring Adrian would get immediate treatment as soon as they arrived in Illerith.


    On the first day in the hospital, Adrian remained unresponsive. Katy showed up with her parents, holding banners and crying to the cameras, using the Millers of causing Lucian’s death, iming they had driven him to his end.


    The very next day, Aurora developed a high fever, and Joelle was so overwhelmed with caring for both of them that sleep became a distant memory.


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