No Escape from Love novel Chapter 227

Alex's smile faded, and a trace of exhaustion flickered in his eyes.

I nodded and turned toward the ward. As I pushed open the door, I saw Mom leaning against the headboard, reading a book. She looked much better than before.

Seeing me enter, she set the book down and asked with concern, "How is it? Has the situation been resolved?"

I forced a smile. "Almost. Mom, you don't need to worry."

Walking to her bedside, I gently took her hand. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

She squeezed my hand in return and smiled. "Much better, Serena. Don't worry about me."

"Mom, the doctor said you're recovering well. You'll be able to leave the hospital in a few days," I said, keeping my tone as light as possible.

"Alright." She nodded.

We chatted for a while about ordinary things. I deliberately steered the conversation toward lighthearted topics. I told her about a new flower shop in our neighborhood and how beautiful the flowers were. I mentioned the elderly lady downstairs who had adopted a little cat.

I was careful not to let anything slip, not wanting her to sense anything unusual. I especially didn't want her to know what Mom and Aunt Shirley had done, let alone let her hear that recording.

Only when she drifted off to sleep did I quietly leave the ward.

Stepping out into the hallway, I exhaled deeply as if shedding a heavy burden.

Alex was leaning against the wall with a phone in hand, seemingly browsing the news. Noticing me, he put his phone away and walked over. "She's asleep?"

I nodded. "Mm."

He reached out and ruffled my hair gently. "You've had a hard time."

I ducked away from his hand. "Let's focus on fixing this first."

The receptionist, intimidated by his imposing presence, quickly made a call.

Moments later, a short, portly man with a greasy face came waddling out. As soon as he saw Alex, he put on an ingratiating smile. "Oh, Mr. Hastings! What an honor! Please come in!"

Alex ignored the man's enthusiasm and walked straight into his office, settling into the couch without hesitation.

Without any preamble, he got straight to the point. "Didn't I already buy out all the negative news about Serena and Nicole? Why is there a new scandal this morning?"

The man's smile stiffened, and he hurriedly explained, "Mr. Hastings, there must be some misunderstanding! We absolutely didn't violate our agreement! We removed all previous reports and even deleted the original videos. This morning's scandal has nothing to do with us!"

Alex let out a cold laugh. "Nothing to do with you? Where did that recording come from? Don't tell me you have no idea."

The man wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced another smile. "Mr. Hastings, I swear, we really don't know! We only saw the news this morning, just like everyone else. We have no clue who leaked it…"