Meanwhile, across town, Mrs. Spencer sat on the balcony of her spacious apartment, enjoying the evening breeze while reading a book. She was completely unaware of the unfolding situation until her assistant approached quietly.
"Good evening, ma’am," he greeted respectfully.
"Oh, good evening, Roberts," Mrs. Spencer replied, taking off her reading glasses to clean them carefully before returning her attention to him.
"Ma’am, there’s something you need to know," Roberts began, his voice laced with concern. "I just received some news about ten minutes ago. It’s about Maria—she’s been hospitalized and has fallen into a coma."
Mrs. Spencer immediately stood up, her eyes wide in shock. "Maria? A coma? What happened?"
"I was told she collapsed at school. No one knows exactly why. When she was rushed to the hospital, she passed out completely and the doctors confirmed she slipped into a coma," Roberts explained, the tension clear in his voice.
"This is serious... Maria cannot die! No, she must not die. Which hospital is she in?" Mrs. Spencer asked quickly, her worry growing by the second.
"She’s at Celtic Hospital," Roberts replied.
"Celtic Hospital is a good place... Roberts, please get me my phone," she requested as she lowered herself back into her chair, her mind spinning with worry.
As she waited for Roberts to return with her phone, she overheard his voice coming closer and he wasn’t alone.
He was talking to someone... someone with a very familiar voice. Mrs. Spencer’s eyes flickered with surprise when she saw Roberts walking toward her, with Laura by his side.
"Laura? I was just about to call you!" Mrs. Spencer said, a mix of relief and frustration in her voice. "Why didn’t you call me immediately after it happened? You should have informed me right away!"
Laura kept her head low, walking toward Mrs. Spencer with an unreadable expression on her face, her lips pressed tightly together.
"Laura, I’m waiting for an answer," Mrs. Spencer said again, her voice a little softer this time, but her concern was unmistakable.
Still, Laura remained silent, stopping in front of Mrs. Spencer, her sadness and guilt clearly written on her face...