Chapter 152: Evelyn regained her eyesight.
As Elias stepped out of Elena’s hospital room, he saw Vivian strolling down the corridor. His expression darkened instantly.
Anger surged through him.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded as he strode toward her.
The fury in his eyes made Vivian instinctively take a step back.
"I... I came to see Evelyn," she replied, forcing herself to remain calm. "I heard about the kidnapping attempt and was worried. I also wanted to check on Eve."
Elias continued staring at her. His gaze was so cold that it sent a chill down her spine. He wanted nothing more than to throw her out of the hospital.
But he couldn’t.
Vivian and Evelyn had been childhood friends. He had no right to stop her from visiting.
"How is Elena?" Vivian asked cautiously. "Has she woken up?"
"You don’t need to concern yourself with my wife," Elias answered coldly. "Her family is here for her."
Vivian’s lips curved into a pout.
"Why are you always so cold to me?" she complained. "We’ve been friends for years."
Elias rubbed his aching temple. "You came to visit. I appreciate that." His tone remained indifferent. "You may leave now."
Vivian’s expression instantly stiffened. The pitiful look disappeared, replaced by barely concealed resentment.
"You are such a heartless man." She turned sharply on her heel and stormed away.
Elias watched her retreating figure in silence. A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.
"Vivian... if I find out you had anything to do with this kidnapping, I won’t show you any mercy."
~~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later...
It was finally the day Evelyn’s bandages would be removed. She sat nervously on the hospital bed, her fingers tightly clutching the blanket. Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear it.
The doctor carefully began removing the gauze wrapped around her eyes.
Would she really be able to see again? Or would everything remain shrouded in darkness?
With every layer the doctor removed, her heart beat wildly.
After removing the final strip of bandage, the doctor smiled gently.
"Miss Evelyn, open your eyes... slowly."
Evelyn took a shaky breath. Her eyelashes fluttered. With trembling anticipation, she slowly opened her eyes.
A flood of bright light rushed into them. She instinctively squeezed them shut again.
The sudden brightness stung after days of darkness.
"Don’t rush," the doctor reassured her. "Give your eyes time to adjust."
Standing nearby, Elias and Elena exchanged anxious glances. Neither of them dared speak.
Leo, however, could barely contain his excitement. He bounced on his feet, his tiny hands clenched tightly together.
His mother was finally going to see him again. The thought alone filled him with joy.
Taking another deep breath, Evelyn slowly opened her eyes once more.
At first, everything appeared blurry. The room was nothing more than a haze of light and shifting shadows.
She blinked several times. Gradually, the blurred outlines began taking shape.
Colors emerged. Three figures in front of her slowly came into focus.
The tallest one stood in the middle. She recognized him immediately.
"Elias..." Her gaze shifted. Beside him stood a little boy with bright, hopeful eyes. "Leo..."
Her heart nearly burst.
Finally, her eyes rested on the woman standing quietly beside Elias. She had never actually seen Elena before. But somehow, she knew who the woman was.
A warm smile spread across her face.
"You are Elena..."
Before Elena could answer, Leo rushed over to him.
"Mommy," Leo cried out excitedly. "You can see me now?"
Tears instantly filled Evelyn’s eyes. She nodded repeatedly.
"I can... I can finally see you." She opened both arms wide.
Leo ran straight into her embrace.
She hugged him tightly, laughing and crying at the same time. "My baby... I missed seeing your face so much."
Watching the reunion, relief washed over Elias and Elena. They exchanged smiles.
Outside the room, Ian stood quietly at the end of the corridor. He watched everything through the small glass window.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
She had regained her sight. That alone was enough.
His feet instinctively moved forward. He wanted to step inside, to ask if she was alright, to hear her voice.
But after only one step, he stopped. His smile faded into quiet resignation.
"She is happier without me," he murmured. "I shouldn’t disturb her."
Turning around, he silently walked away.
Inside the room...
Elias turned toward the doctor. "Thank you, Doctor." His voice was filled with gratitude. "My sister has regained her eyesight."
The middle-aged doctor smiled and shook his head. "You shouldn’t thank me alone. If you truly wish to thank someone, thank Dr. Whitmore. Without him, this surgery wouldn’t have succeeded."
Evelyn froze. "What?" Her eyes widened. "Ian Whitmore?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes. He assisted throughout the procedure."
Confusion flooded Evelyn’s face.
Ian was a neurosurgeon. Why would an eye surgery require his involvement? More importantly, why would he help her?
She looked at the doctor in bewilderment. "I don’t understand. It was only an eye surgery. Why would a neurosurgeon be involved?"
The doctor patiently explained. "Dr. Whitmore personally reviewed your scans. He discovered that your temporary blindness wasn’t caused solely by the damage to your eyes. There were neurological complications affecting your optic pathways. He identified the underlying problem and helped plan the surgery accordingly."
The doctor smiled. "Without his diagnosis and guidance, the operation would never have been this successful. So, the greatest credit belongs to him."
Evelyn sat motionless. She couldn’t process what she had just heard.
Ian... The man she believed didn’t care about her... had quietly become the reason she could see again.
"Daddy cured Mommy!" Leo’s cheerful voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Her heart skipped a beat. She lowered her eyes, trying to hide the turmoil inside them.
During the seven years they had lived together, Ian had always seemed distant. His world revolved around surgeries, research, and endless hours at the hospital. He had rarely spent time with her or Leo.
She had convinced herself he simply didn’t care. Then, why had he gone to such lengths to save her eyesight?
The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.
"Your daddy is an incredible doctor," the doctor said. "We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber working in this hospital."
Evelyn remained silent. Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the blanket. Her heart was anything but calm.
"We are grateful to every member of the medical team," Elias said sincerely. "This success belongs to all of you."
After a brief pause, he added, "I’ll be increasing the Rowan Foundation’s donation to the hospital. In particular, I’d like to support the ophthalmology department. We’ll provide whatever advanced equipment your team needs."
The doctor’s eyes widened. Then his face broke into a delighted smile. "Thank you, Mr. Rowan." He bowed respectfully. "The entire department—and the hospital—will be deeply grateful. I’ll inform the hospital director immediately."
Elena walked over to the bed and gently embraced Evelyn. "I’m so happy you can see again," she whispered.
Evelyn hugged her back tightly. "Thank you." Her voice trembled with emotion. "And thank you for saving Leo."
When she pulled back, tears shimmered in her eyes. "You protected him without thinking about yourself. You fought those kidnappers even after you were injured."
She choked. "If you hadn’t been there, I don’t even want to imagine what could have happened to my son."
Elena gently wiped away the tears rolling down Evelyn’s cheeks.
"You trusted me with Leo," she said softly. "Keeping him safe was my responsibility. Of course, I would protect him."
"I know." Evelyn smiled through her tears. "But risking your own life for someone else’s child—that isn’t just courage. It’s love. Love for Leo and for all of us."
Elena gently caressed her cheek. "We are family. If you were in my place, I know you would’ve done the same for me."
As she spoke, tears welled in her own eyes. After Noah’s betrayal, she had convinced herself that a loving family simply wasn’t meant for her.
She had believed she was destined to face every hardship alone. But Elias had quietly changed that belief.
He hadn’t just loved her. He had given her a home. His family had accepted her wholeheartedly, never treating her as an outsider or a replacement.
They had welcomed her with genuine warmth, trusted her without hesitation, and loved her as though she had always belonged with them.
For the first time in years, Elena truly understood what it meant to have a family, not just a responsibility. Emotion swelled in her chest.
"Come on," Elias said with a chuckle, breaking the emotional silence. "My two favorite women are crying on a day that’s supposed to be celebrated."
He slipped an arm around Elena’s waist and gently pulled her closer.
Elena laughed through her tears. "We are not crying."
"No," Evelyn agreed with a smile. "We are just... overwhelmed."
She hugged Leo once more. "It’s a double celebration. Elena has recovered from her injury. And I’ve regained my eyesight."
"I want a party!" Leo declared excitedly.
Everyone laughed.
Elias ruffled his hair affectionately. "Alright, champ. We’ll throw the biggest celebration you’ve ever seen."