Chapter 186: The Man Who Was Kristoff

The hospital wasn’t just a hospital anymore.

It had become the epicenter of a media storm.

Reporters crowded the entrance, cameras flashing, microphones thrust forward, their voices rising over one another as they fought for answers.

Police and hospital security struggled to keep the growing crowd away from the emergency entrance.

And somewhere behind those doors was Kristoff Dalton—with blood still staining his clothes and the unsettling certainty that what happened at Hugo Castle had not been an accident.

Isobel couldn’t shake the thought.

What would happen when the reporters discovered that the owner of Dalton Group had been inside Hugo Castle when it collapsed?

The revelation would turn an already terrible situation into a catastrophe.

For now, however, the unruly crowd had finally been pushed back.

Hospital guards, assisted by the police, forced the reporters away from the main entrance of the emergency building.

For one brief moment, there was silence.

Then the doors of the emergency room swung open.

Kristoff Dalton stepped through.

He walked calmly toward the entrance, his expression composed, his movements unhurried—as though he couldn’t hear the shouting waiting for him outside.

The reporters spotted him almost instantly.

Cameras swung in his direction.

Microphones were raised.

The fragile order outside the hospital shattered.

"Mr. Dalton! Can we get a statement?"

"Was the collapse at Hugo Castle caused by negligence?"

"Is Dalton Realty responsible for the injured workers?"

"Mr. Dalton, were you at the site when the building collapsed?"

Kristoff’s bodyguards immediately moved forward, trying to clear a path, but the reporters surged around them. Flash after flash exploded through the entrance.

Inside the emergency room, Isobel instinctively tightened her hands around the Randy and Yana.

She couldn’t see everything happening outside, but she could hear it—the shouting, the questions, the frantic voices pressing against the hospital doors.

Then Kristoff raised one hand.

The effect was immediate.

The reporters gradually fell silent.

Kristoff looked over the crowd, his face unreadable.

There was no anger in his expression, no fear, no visible sign that only moments ago he was also pulled from the wreckage of Hugo Castle.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, deep, and loud enough to carry over everyone.

"Dalton Realty is currently investigating the accident that occurred earlier today. Once we have confirmed the details, we will release an official statement."

"Mr. Dalton!" a reporter shouted. "How many people were injured? There are rumors that more than five people are dead!"

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

Kristoff didn’t flinch.

"Fifteen people were injured. Five are in serious condition. The others sustained external wounds and minor injuries."

The reporters immediately began shouting more questions.

Kristoff waited a moment before continuing.

"Dalton Realty will cover all medical expenses for those injured in the accident. Updates will be posted on our official website."

He paused.

His eyes slowly swept across the reporters.

For a fleeting second, something cold and dangerous seemed to pass through his expression.

Then it was gone.

"Please disperse now. You’re blocking the emergency driveway and interfering with hospital operations."

With that, Kristoff turned around.

He walked back toward the emergency room as calmly as he had emerged.

"Mr. Dalton! We still have questions!"

"Mr. Dalton!"

"Was Dalton Realty aware the building was unsafe?"

"Did you know people were still inside?"

"Mr. Dalton!"

The questions followed him, growing louder with every step.

But Kristoff never looked back.

And from where she stood, Isobel couldn’t help wondering if his silence was more frightening than anything he could have said.

,,,

"Where are Leon Lancey’s relatives?"

The doctor’s voice cut through the noise of the emergency room.

Isobel turned sharply.

The two children were already moving toward him, their small faces filled with worry. She hurried after them, her heart pounding harder with every step.

She had been waiting for this moment, but now that it was here, she was almost afraid to hear the answer.

"How is my uncle, Doctor?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

The doctor glanced at the children before looking back at her.

"He’s stable now."

Isobel released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

"Stable?"

"Yes. His condition has improved enough that we can transfer him to a regular ward." The doctor paused, his expression becoming more serious.

"But he was in poor condition when he arrived. He is suffering from severe malnutrition and pneumonia. He’ll need close monitoring and plenty of rest."

For a moment, Isobel could only stare at him.

The relief came first.

Then the guilt.

She should have noticed how badly he looked the moment she arrived at that house under the bridge. She should have gotten him help sooner.

"Thank you, Doctor," she finally whispered.

The doctor gave her a reassuring nod before walking away to attend to another patient.

Isobel turned toward the children.

"Stay here, okay? I’ll arrange a room for Uncle Leon."

The two children nodded obediently.

They climbed onto the bench and sat side by side, their feet barely touching the floor.

Isobel watched them for a moment before turning away.

Her uncle was stable.

For now, that was enough.

But as she walked toward the nurses’ station, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the worst of the night wasn’t over yet.

...

"Where is Isobel?"

Kristoff’s gaze swept across the hallway when he realized she was no longer with the children.

"She went to arrange a room for our grandpa, Sir."

Yana answered quickly.

Kristoff looked toward the corridor.

Just moments ago, when entered the hospital, he caught a glimpse of Isobel hurrying away. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it.

Now, a different thought crossed his mind.

Was she avoiding him?

His jaw tightened.

It wasn’t the first time Isobel had slipped away whenever he came near. But what bothered him more was the way she had thrown herself into helping these two children.

Why? Who were they to her?

And why did she seem so determined to protect them?

Kristoff lowered his gaze to the children.

"What is your grandfather’s name?"

The two children exchanged a glance.

"And how are you related to Isobel?"

Randy slowly looked up at him.

Kristoff was intimidating up close—far taller than anyone Randy had ever stood before. His presence seemed to fill the entire hallway, making Randy suddenly aware of just how small he was.

He swallowed.

"My grandpa’s name is Leon..."

He hesitated, then quietly finished,

"Leon Lancey."

Kristoff went completely still.

The name hit him with unexpected force.

For a moment, the noise of the hospital seemed to fade into the background.

Leon Lancey.

He knew that name.

And suddenly, Isobel’s mysterious concern for the children didn’t seem so mysterious anymore.