Jane Sterling stared at the scene, unable to process it for a moment.
She walked over and looked at Luna Nash's somewhat dazed face.
"Who is that?"
Luna Nash asked blankly.
"Mom..."
The word "mom" felt so incredibly foreign to her now.
Mother and daughter hadn't seen each other in nearly ten years. To think their reunion would be under circumstances like these.
Luna Nash's expression was complicated. Seeing her heartbroken look,
Jane Sterling wanted to pat her on the shoulder and offer some comfort.
But then she remembered she couldn't touch her, so she pulled her hand back.
Her tone was gentle.
"Don't be sad. Let's go in first. We need to get you back into your body quickly. Things could go wrong if this drags on for too long."
With that, Jane Sterling walked straight up to the bodyguard and explained her purpose for being there.
After going inside to ask for permission, the bodyguard let Jane Sterling in.
Inside the hospital room, an old woman was sitting by the bed, peeling an apple.
And lying on the bed was none other than Luna Nash's body.
The woman who had just entered saw the scene, covered her mouth, and began to cry uncontrollably.
The old woman's expression was clearly sour, but upon seeing a stranger like Jane Sterling arrive, she forced herself to smooth over her grim look and offered a smile.
"Young lady, are you Luna's friend?"
Jane Sterling snapped back to reality and nodded.
"Yes, Grandma. I'm her friend."
The old woman stood up and placed the peeled apple in Jane Sterling's hand.
"Good child. Have some fruit."
She pulled out a stool and had Jane Sterling sit down.
Seeing the other woman standing there at a loss while she herself was sitting, Jane Sterling felt a little awkward.
"I should probably stand."
The old woman pressed her firmly down onto the stool.
"It's fine. When Grandma tells you to sit, you sit."
Luna Nash floated next to Jane Sterling and sat on the edge of the bed, quietly gazing at the mother she hadn't seen in so many years.
"Mom, I'm sorry..."
Hearing the woman's choked words, the old woman's face turned grim, but she still spoke in a stern voice.
"Don't you call me Mom. You and Walter divorced a long time ago. I know he wronged you, but Luna was so young back then. I begged you, pleaded with you not to leave Luna all alone. It would have been better if you'd even taken her abroad with you. But what did you do? You left her by herself in that den of wolves!"
Perhaps because there was a stranger present, the old woman's tone wasn't as severe as it could have been, but her expression was far from pleasant.
"If Luna hadn't gotten hurt this time, would you have ever come back? Did you ever plan on seeing her again?"
The woman covered her face, crying, and sank weakly onto the corner of the bed.
"I'm so sorry, Mom. It was my fault, I..."
The woman sobbed, gasping for breath.
Seeing her like this, the old woman couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. She pulled a pack of tissues from the bedside table and tossed it in front of her.
"Stop crying. What good will that do? What's done is done. We need to figure out how to save Luna now. We've already seen every doctor we could find in Aethelgard."
The woman quickly wiped her tears, her expression hardening with resolve.
"I'll find renowned doctors from overseas. No matter the cost, I will save Luna."
The old woman snorted. As if she'd found her backbone, the woman dried her tears and picked up her phone.
"Mom, I'm going to make a call. I happen to know a doctor abroad. I'll ask him."
"Mm."
The old woman replied indifferently. The younger woman took her phone, walked over to the window, and made a call.
The old woman turned her attention to Jane Sterling, her expression softening into a smile.
"Child, sorry for the scene."
Jane Sterling shook her head. "Not at all, Grandma."
With that, she glanced at the dejected Luna Nash, paused for a moment, and then spoke with determination.
"Grandma, I have a way to wake Luna Nash up."
Hearing this, the old woman froze.
"What? You have a way?"
The woman on the phone by the window also froze when she heard Jane Sterling's words.
"Hold on a second..."
She lowered her phone and walked over to Jane Sterling, looking her up and down.
"Young lady, you have a way to save Luna?"
Jane Sterling hesitated for a moment but still nodded.
"Yes, I have a way to save her. But none of you can be here."
Jane Sterling had known since she was young that possessing a treasure invites disaster.
Now that she had a system, as well as some life-saving artifacts others couldn't even dream of, she didn't want anyone else to see them.
Hearing this, the old woman looked hesitant.
"Well..."
The other woman quickly said something to the person on the phone and hung up.
She sat down gently beside Jane.
"Young lady, you're not trying to fool me, are you? Do you really have a way to wake Luna up?"
Jane Sterling looked into her eyes. The woman's gaze was sharp and shrewd.
But right now, all Jane could see in them was overwhelming worry.
Jane Sterling was a little envious. After all, even though the woman before her had been forced to leave Luna Nash, it was clear her world still revolved around her daughter.
It was nothing like her own life—eighteen years of lies, only to end up with a couple of scumbags.
Pulling herself from her thoughts, Jane Sterling gave the woman's hands a reassuring pat.
"Ma'am, please believe me. I really do have a way to wake Luna Nash up. It's just... the method isn't something you should see."
Jane Sterling furrowed her brow, her expression hesitant.
She didn't know if, after what she'd said, the two of them would press her for every last detail.
The old woman and the younger woman exchanged a long, deep look, seeming to reach a decision in that silent glance.
The old woman spoke slowly.
"Child, even though we've just met, I can see integrity and courage in your eyes. I believe you won't do anything to harm Luna, so I trust you. Give it a try."
Hearing the old woman say this, the younger woman didn't feel she had the right to object and just nodded silently.
"Then we'll be counting on you, young lady."
Jane Sterling was rather surprised. 'They agreed so readily?'
Luna Nash, who had been sniffling nearby, chimed in at the right moment.
"My grandma used to be a powerhouse in the business world—a real titan whose word was law. She's an excellent judge of character. If she says you have integrity and courage, it means she likes you and trusts that you won't do anything to hurt me. As for my mom... I've been away from her for too long. I don't really know what she's thinking."
Luna Nash's voice was tinged with melancholy.
Just then, the two women stood up, walked out of the room, and even thoughtfully closed the door behind them for her.