Chapter 521 That Is Not Christina
“Camila, Lucas, be good. I promise I’ll bring your mommy home.” Nathaniel urged his children to stay with their grandparents a little longer.
Reluctantly, Camila and Lucas followed Julia’s lead and left.
Just then, Francis entered with a somber expression.
As if he could read minds, one look was enough for Nathaniel to tell the heartbreaking news that Francis carried.
Without wasting a moment. Nathaniel rushed toward the beach. The rescue team had covered the lifeless female body they had just recovered with a white cloth.
As Nathaniel approached, the team made way for him.
Though each breath felt heavy, he pressed forward until he stood before the shrouded figure.
Just as he reached out to lift the white cloth, the team leader intervened, “Mr. Hadley…”
The team leader couldn’t bear to let Nathaniel see the disfigured state of the body as the wildlife had gotten to it first.
However, Nathaniel disregarded the team leader’s intervention and proceeded to lift the white cloth.
The scent of decay filled the air as the corpse, soaked in water for an extended period, emitted a pungent odor. Its disfigured state made everyone feel uneasy, and even the seasoned members of the rescue team couldn’t help but retch.
Nevertheless, Nathaniel remained resolute, furrowing his brows as he carefully examined the body.
The height and weight matched. Even the dress’ color and design appeared identical.
“It’s not her…” After a prolonged silence, Nathaniel gently lowered the cloth and made his announcement.
Everyone fell into stunned silence.
“Mr. Hadley, we understand your grief, but advanced technology will be needed to determine her identity.” The truth was that DNA testing was necessary due to the extent of disfigurement, rendering. traditional identification methods impossible.
Besides, everyone could understand Nathaniel’s state of desperation and denial.
“Nathaniel, are you absolutely sure it’s not Christina?” However, Francis thought otherwise. He trusted Nathaniel’s judgment.
“Yes, it’s not her.” Nathaniel nodded firmly as hope reignited within him.
He had reason to believe that Christina was still alive until he found concrete evidence that proved otherwise.
“All right then, I’ll join you in the search, Francis offered, following Nathaniel’s lead.
Onlookers couldn’t help but question the sanity of the two siblings as they observed the unfolding scene. Nathaniel and Francis geared up once more, ready to dive into the depths of the sea in search of Christina. This time, a significant discovery awaited them. They came across the necklace that Christina had been wearing approximately seven kilometers away from where she had fallen into the water.
The discovery of the necklace brought them a significant breakthrough, leaving no room for doubt that Christina had been rescued.
After careful deliberation, Nathaniel and Francis reached a decision to divide their efforts and expand their search.
Francis mobilized his team to scour the depths of the sea while Nathaniel dispatched his men to comb the coastal villages.
Meanwhile, news of Nathaniel’s prolonged absence from Hadley Corporation reached Anya’s ears.
“Yerek, do you think something bad has happened to the Hadley family?” Anya inquired, her face still scarred despite having been discharged from the hospital. To restore her appearance fully, she would need to undergo multiple plastic surgeries.
“Why do you say that?” Yerek, engrossed in his documents, replied without lifting his gaze.
Ever since Azure had entrusted the Hadley family’s lawsuit against the Gibsons to Yerek, he had been immersed in his work.
Anya shrugged. “Call it a woman’s intuition. If it’s not the Hadleys, then something must have happened to Christina.”
As Nathaniel’s business competitor, Anya had thoroughly researched him beforehand. She was well aware. of his reputation as a diligent workaholic who rarely took time off without a valid reason.
Moreover, considering how deeply Nathaniel cared for Christina, Anya believed he wouldn’t simply sit idle if something unfortunate had occurred.
It was with this line of reasoning that she became convinced that something had indeed happened to
Christina.
“Yerek, I need to go to Jadeborough and find out what’s going on. If Grandma asks, just tell her I’ve decided to go on a vacation to clear my head,” Anya declared. With that, she left the study.
She was determined to visit Jadeborough and witness firsthand what had befallen Christina. Then, if the opportunity presented itself, she would seize it to seek revenge for the damage done to her face.
Yerek remained silent, merely lifting his head to give Anya a look before returning to his work as she departed.
Meanwhile, in a humble clinic located in a village, Christina regained consciousness after being unconscious for three days and nights.
As she awakened, a profound sense of thirst engulfed her. Startled, she surveyed her surroundings, finding herself in a small and modest ward.
“Where… am I?” she murmured, her voice barely audible.
However, her feeble voice managed to stir the man who had been dozing off nearby.
Startled, he glanced up and, upon realizing that Christina had regained consciousness, exclaimed, “You’re
awake!”
“She’s awake!” The man hastily departed from the ward before Christina could fully comprehend the situation.
Coughing, Christina struggled to prop herself up, her body weakened from the ordeal.
As fragments of her memory started to resurface, she recalled the terrifying moment when she and Madison had fallen into the sea.
Have I been rescued? But where is Nathaniel?
Just as Christina was about to remove the intravenous drip from her arm, a doctor who had hurried over intervened, stopping her. “Don’t move, young lady. You’re still very weak. Lie back down.”
Christina’s anxiety eased as she found solace in the doctor’s presence.
With a hoarse voice, she asked. “Where am I?”
The doctor replied briefly, “You’re in the clinic of Conch Village. You fell into the sea. Do you still remember that?”
Christina nodded in response.
The doctor then motioned to an honest-looking man with a dark complexion beside him and said. “This is Vito Seaborne. He’s the one who saved you.”
Vito bashfully scratched his head as he met Christina’s gaze, unable to find his words.
Sensing his discomfort, the doctor quickly stepped in. “Young lady, you were unconscious for three days and nights. Your body is severely dehydrated, and you have a few broken bones in your legs. We were planning to transfer you off the island if you didn’t wake up soon.”
“Thank you,” Christina expressed her gratitude toward them.
She then continued, “By the way, do you have a phone? I’d like to let my family know that I’m safe.”
She could only imagine Nathaniel’s anxiety since she fell into the sea.
The doctor and Vito appeared conflicted when they heard Christina’s request to make a call.
“What’s the matter?” Christina noticed their hesitancy.
“On this small island, only the village chief has a phone,” the doctor explained after a moment of thought.
Christina was taken aback by this revelation. She couldn’t believe that such an underdeveloped village still existed in the twenty-first century.
