What Separates Me and You

Seth answered, "What else can I do? It's karma. He has to fend for himself."

Lewis chuckled.

He seemed to be mocking Seth's sermon just now.

"Mr. Fairchild, I thought you decided to turn over a new leaf and change for the better."

Seth didn't seem offended by his words. He chuckled softly, "Being a nice guy is not easy. When someone stabs you with a knife, you still have to persuade them to put down the weapon."

As they were talking, Conrad rushed over, panting. He said, "Chairman Alvarez, Miss Woods has woken up."

Sierra had been in a coma for four days, and she finally regained consciousness today.

Wasting no time, Lewis followed Conrad to Sierra's ward.

On the way, Conrad said, "By the way, Chairman Alvarez, the DNA test results for Miss Woods and her parents are out, but I forgot to bring them."

"Tell me the results."

"They are not biologically related."

Lewis nodded without saying anything.

They had to put on a sterile suit before entering Sierra's ward, and this was the first time Lewis had gone inside.

Sierra was extremely weak at the moment. Her entire body was wrapped in bandages, and her original appearance was barely recognizable.

She could only move her head while the rest of her body remained immobile.

Her eyes followed Lewis' movements, and when she saw the man's tall figure, her eyes welled up with tears.

The tears flowed down her cheeks and soaked the gauze, causing her wounds to throb with pain. She trembled. Wearing a mask and a sterile cap, Lewis sat beside her, with only a pair of deep eyes exposed.

She opened her mouth, but her weakened state and the respiratory mask made her voice almost inaudible.

"Lewis."

Lewis looked at her, but he remained silent.

She tried to discern something from his eyes, whether it was pity, love, or guilt.

However, his gaze remained calm and emotionless.

"You shouldn't have come," Lewis suddenly spoke.

Sierra was momentarily taken aback. Struggling to breathe, she asked in her hoarse voice, "If I hadn't come, what would have happened to you?"

"I won't die. When you entered, the firefighters were already inside. Even if they found me later, I would have just spent a few more days lying in the hospital bed. Why did you put yourself through all this?"

Sierra's heart sank even further when she heard his words.

What did he mean by this? Was he saying she deserved this, or was he trying to distance himself from her?

Regardless of his intent, his words pierced her heart like a sharp knife. Soon, tears blurred her vision.

Lewis' expression remained calm, which only further escalated Sierra's emotions. Her breathing became more and more rapid.

The nearby medical monitor emitted a piercing alarm, but Lewis only sat there and watched her quietly.

Sierra noticed his indifferent demeanor. She felt like countless ants were gnawing at her wound, but she couldn't move. Gradually, she felt more and more suffocated.

She wanted to scream to release the pent-up emotions. She yearned to break free from the restraints that were holding her down.

Soon, the doctor rushed in and saw how agitated Sierra was. Without hesitation, he administered a sedative to her.

Sierra's eyes remained fixed on Lewis. However, unsure whether it was due to the dim light in the room or her tears blurring her vision, she couldn't see his eyes clearly anymore.

She clenched the bedsheet, and the veins on the back of her hand bulged as she desperately tried to catch the emotions in his eyes.

Despite her unwillingness, she couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness, and gradually, she closed her eyes.

The doctor sent Lewis out and began to provide emergency treatment for Sierra.

Looking at the man beside him, Conrad felt the surrounding temperature drop. He couldn't help but shiver involuntarily.

Lewis slowly removed his mask and sterilized cap before casually tossing them into the trash can.

The emotions in his eyes were unreadable, making it difficult for others to discern what he was thinking.

Conrad glanced at the ward again.

He didn't know what had just happened inside, but with so many doctors rushing in, something must have gone wrong with Sierra.

He thought that perhaps she had become too emotional after seeing Lewis, causing her condition to worsen.

"Bring Sierra's parents here," Lewis suddenly spoke, interrupting Conrad's thoughts.

Conrad snapped out of his daze and nodded. He immediately called someone to bring Sierra's parents to Styx Mansion.

The elderly couple had arrived for several days, yet they hadn't met Sierra even once.

Conrad led them into the mansion. Upon seeing Lewis sitting on the sofa, they couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and anxiety. The two approached with trembling steps and anxiously asked, "Sir, how is Sierra? Has she woken up?"

Sierra's father asked, "When can we visit her?"

Lewis sat on the sofa imposingly and silently observed the couple. The couple couldn't help but dip their heads even lower. "Don't worry. Take a seat first."

The two dared not resist and sat cautiously across from Lewis. They felt somewhat uneasy.

Lewis lit a cigarette and crossed his legs.

After taking a drag, he began, "Are you very worried about Sierra?"

The old lady nodded eagerly. "Yes, Sierra is our daughter. Of course, we're worried about her."

"Is she your biological daughter?"

The couple's faces stiffened. Unable to find the right words to respond, they exchanged glances. They were unsure why Lewis was asking such a question. Lewis continued, "Don't be nervous. I only want to understand the situation."

He added, "Of course, I have already checked your identities. So, to avoid wasting each other's time, let's forget about unnecessary talk."

The couple grew increasingly nervous. Sitting at the edge of the sofa, Sierra's parents seemed like they might fall off at any time.

"What do you want to know then?"

Lewis replied, "Where did you adopt Sierra from?"

The old lady recollected. "From a ditch."

"Be more specific."

"We used to work at Hardington, and one evening after work, we heard a baby crying near the factory. We rushed over and found a baby lying there."

"I had obstructed labor before and couldn't keep my baby. Later, I couldn't conceive again. When we saw that abandoned baby, we thought it was a gift from heaven and decided to bring her home." While recalling the past, the old lady's eyes welled up with tears.

They weren't sure if the child was abandoned or lost, but they resigned from their jobs and returned to their hometown because they wanted a child so much.

After that, they struggled to raise Sierra.

However, as Sierra grew older, she started to resent her parents. Other kids' parents were young and glamorous, while her parents were old and unattractive.

Every time she went to school, she felt angry. She thought her parents were an embarrassment.

Gradually, her parents stopped appearing before her and her friends to protect her self-esteem. Whenever they met on the street, they pretended not to recognize her. They wouldn't even greet her. However, they never mistreated her. They made sure Sierra had the best they could afford and bought Sierra everything her friends had.

As Sierra graduated from university, she grew mature and began to view her parents differently. She no longer felt embarrassed about them.

She would buy her parents clothes and gifts whenever she got her salary. She would even send a considerable amount of money back home. However, her visits back home became infrequent after she graduated from university.

The elderly couple was afraid of embarrassing Sierra. Also, they couldn't endure the travel due to their old age, so they never visited Sierra. Despite this, Sierra treated them relatively well. She often delivered them gifts and money. Hence, they had been living a decent life. "So, you found her in Hardington? Were there any other children in that place besides her? Or did you find any of her belongings?"