Overprotected By My Tsundere CEO

Chapter 269 - 182: Farewells and Welcomes, When Spring Meets Winter

"Dad, what happened? How could you crash into someone? ... Alright, wait for the police there, I’ll come over later..."

...

Everyone has urgent matters to deal with.

Looking around, there were those bowing and nodding, those with furrowed brows, those in uncontrollable rage— all these states of being were displayed in these relatives who were just enjoying the spectacle.

Laura Collins was taken aback for a moment, and two seconds later, she thought of what Nora Scott had said about "waiting."

She turned her head to look at Nora Scott, who raised an eyebrow at her.

Laura Collins understood.

At this time, Mr. Collins, Sophia Collins, and her mother all received calls.

Mr. Collins: "Wasn’t everything confirmed? How could there be an error in the project? I’m coming over right now."

Mrs. Collins: "What, my brother was taken to the police station?"

Sophia Collins: "The police?!"

The moment the three received the calls, their faces changed dramatically.

It was clearly something urgent, needing immediate attention.

Sophia Collins hung up the phone, her face pale, her eyes fierce as she lunged at Laura Collins, "Laura Collins, why are the police looking for me? Is this your doing?!"

Laura Collins dodged her claws, sneering, and asked in return, "Don’t you know what you’ve done?"

"They, they..." Sophia Collins hesitated under Laura Collins’s sharp gaze, looked around at the Collins Family caught off guard by the sudden events. A flash of realization came, and she questioned Laura Collins, "Did you manipulate something?"

Laura Collins glanced at those people who were busy with their own affairs, thinking of how leisurely they were just watching from the sidelines, feeling only irony.

She chuckled softly, enunciating each word, "Maybe it’s karma."

Sophia Collins clenched her fists in anger, "If there’s karma, it’ll come for you!"

Laura Collins looked at her calmly, "We’ll see."

Sophia Collins gritted her teeth with frustration.

"There’s a problem at the company, I need to go. What’s up with you two?" Mr. Collins asked hurriedly, showing no concern for Laura Collins.

Mrs. Collins hung up, "My brother caused some trouble, he’s been taken to the police station. I have to go too."

Sophia Collins bit her lip, lowered her head, not daring to speak.

"And you?"

Mr. Collins furrowed his brows, asking.

"Dad, she called the police on me!" Sophia Collins pointed at Laura Collins, trying to shift the blame onto her.

Laura Collins did call the police over the graffiti incident. However, it was the police who found those thugs responsible and got Sophia Collins’s name from them.

It wasn’t directly related to Laura Collins.

Laura Collins didn’t bother to argue with them, letting them clamour on.

"You—" Mr. Collins glared at Laura Collins with a dark expression, leaving her with a threat, "I’ll deal with you when I get back!"

With Mr. Collins’s words, Sophia Collins was instantly pleased, giving Laura Collins a contemptuous glare before leaving.

A hectic rush ensued.

In less than three minutes, the noisy ward returned to silence.

Because of that phone call, all the Collins Family members in attendance were in a tizzy, too preoccupied to even glance at Laura Collins as they left.

Laura Collins stood there in a daze for a while, gradually pulling herself away from various emotions, then exhaled and turned to look at Nora Scott on the side.

She curled her lips, "Quite a show."

Nora Scott shrugged, "That’s life."

"Their life, your script," Laura Collins waved her hand, heading into the ward, "Impressive."

Nora Scott stood quietly, not entering the ward, leaving all the time and space for Laura Collins.

After a while, Michael Quinn called.

"How’s it going? Did she enter the ward?"

As soon as the call connected, Michael Quinn’s somewhat urgent voice came through.

"Yes."

"That’s good."

Michael Quinn audibly sighed in relief.

"Make sure they don’t have a chance to come to the hospital during this time."

"I know."

After a brief pause, Nora Scott asked, "What about after everything’s over?"

Given the current situation, after Sir Collins passes, the Collins Family is bound to be in a tumult. Laura Collins might have some peace by not participating in the inheritance dispute. But the matter will eventually conclude.

Surely, Sophia Collins and her mother, Mr. Collins, will give Laura Collins a hard time once it’s over.

Laura Collins might not be afraid of trouble, but being constantly harassed isn’t peaceful.

"Don’t worry, I’ll handle it all."

Michael Quinn answered without hesitation.

"Okay."

With his promise, Nora Scott didn’t intervene anymore.

They respected the law, yet weren’t the most upright individuals and knew the right means for different people. Besides, they had some connections and resources to make others behave properly.

*

Laura Collins stayed at the hospital for two days.

Nora Scott also accompanied her for two days.

Michael Quinn kept his word, ensuring no one bothered Laura Collins during this period.

On the third day, at four in the morning, Laura Collins bid farewell to the suffering Sir Collins.

Half an hour later, Laura Collins walked out of the ward.

She walked over to where Nora Scott was waiting in the corridor, raising her eyes, which were glistening, "Let’s go."

"Now?"

"I’ve notified the Collins Family." Laura Collins exhaled, suppressing the warmth in her eyes, softly said, "I told grandpa that I won’t be attending his funeral."

"Okay."

Nora Scott lightly nodded, not probing further.

As they left the hospital, the first rain of the spring arrived.

The rain poured down in large drops, kicking up dust from the ground only to wash it away again.

March’s spring rain, carrying a chill, struck like needles and ice blades, cold and painful.

In this overwhelmingly cold rain, a figure dashed out from the inky darkness, the streetlights tracing arcs of falling rain over him, rendering him the only bright spot in the city’s silent night.

He crashed into view, through the doors.

A presence that couldn’t be ignored.

In just a short distance, he was drenched, his usual brash short hair wet and clinging, black jacket darkened by the rain.

After running inside, his gaze swept around, spotting Nora Scott and Laura Collins, his dark eyes lit up, and he heaved a sigh of relief, stepping forward in a few strides.

"I made it."

He raised his hand, handing them two folded umbrellas.

Laura Collins looked at his bedraggled appearance, suppressing the sourness in her eyes, and asked with indifference, "Why are you here?"

"I asked him to bring an umbrella and give you a ride," Nora Scott explained, taking one of the umbrellas from Michael Quinn, then instructed him, "You take her home."

"Okay."

Michael Quinn nodded, then tentatively looked at Laura Collins, his fluttering gaze showing his nervousness.

After a few silent seconds, Laura Collins softly said, "Thanks."

"Just a small favor." Michael Quinn raised an eyebrow, stepping aside, "Let’s go."

Laura Collins nodded to Nora Scott, then turned around and walked forward.

Michael Quinn opened the umbrella.

The two stepped into the rain.

The umbrella wasn’t large, visibly tilted to cover Laura Collins’s slender figure, leaving Michael Quinn’s one side exposed to the rain.

Standing in place, Nora Scott watched them leave until their figures receded into the distance, her gaze flickering before retracting.

She opened her umbrella and walked into the rain, the bean-sized droplets hitting the umbrella, creating a dense, crisp sound from all directions.

It was as if the entire world was engulfed by rain.

Passing a flower bed, her peripheral vision caught a flash of green, and Nora Scott suddenly stopped.

The trees and shrubs that had been bare all winter had unknowingly sprouted new buds. The tender, fresh green color, under the dull black and white sky, burst forth with vitality.

Spring had arrived.