Alpha's replacement bride is destined mate-Chapter 59 A Wounded Woman

Marx pulled the car to a halt and turned to look at Emily. "Are you okay, Luna?"

Emily’s heart was racing, but she struggled to stay calm. "I’m fine. Did the car hit something just now?"

Marx’s brow furrowed. "I’ll get out and check it out."

Emily wasn’t reassured, so she followed him out of the car. She walked to the front and saw a woman in tattered clothes lying on the ground a short distance from the car. The woman was motionless, appearing to have been hit by a vehicle. Her face was pale and drawn, and her exposed skin was scratched and stained, as if telling a tale of a difficult journey.

Marx approached the woman and looked down, a hint of reproach in his voice. "Who are you? Why did you run out into the road just now?"

"Marx, don’t you see she’s hurt?" Emily interrupted Marx’s questioning. She crouched down and looked at the woman with sympathetic eyes, her tone full of concern. "Ma’am, can you hear me?"

The corners of the woman’s mouth twitched, and she struggled to open them, revealing gray, almost translucent eyes that held a wistful, pleading look. She grasped Emily’s hand and said in a pleading voice, "Please help me."

Her voice was faint and tremulous, like a flickering candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

"Marx, we need to take her to the hospital right away," Emily said, her tone full of pity for the woman. It was as if she saw her own shadow in this stranger. "Her leg is bleeding."

Marx looked at Emily with a hint of hesitation in his eyes, but finally nodded. "Yes, Luna."

Emily sat in the back seat, holding the woman’s hand tightly, trying to provide her with some comfort. Her heart was filled with apprehension, wondering what this woman had been through and why she was so distraught to have stumbled into their path.

Upon arrival at the hospital, doctors and nurses rushed to attend to the woman for emergency treatment. Emily and Marx waited outside in the hallway, the mood somewhat heavy. Emily’s eyes expressed deep concern, while Marx’s looked impatient.

"Luna, should we return to the palace now?" Marx finally broke the silence, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Emily looked up at Marx with determination. "No, Marx, I can’t leave. Our car hit the poor woman, and I need to make sure she’s okay before I can go."

Marx frowned, not understanding Emily’s stubbornness. "Actually, it was the woman who suddenly darted out from the side of the road and hit our car. The blame is on her."

"Marx, don’t be so callous. Maybe she’s in some kind of trouble, otherwise why would she suddenly rush onto the road?"

Marx scowled, disagreeing with Emily. "Maybe she’s just trying to extort money. I’ve seen too many people like that."

There was a flash of anger in Emily’s eyes. She disliked Marx’s indifference, and every word he uttered was hostile toward the woman. "Say no more," she said, her voice cold and laced with discontent.

At this point, a male doctor emerged from the treatment room, interrupting their argument. His gaze landed on Emily, and he spoke in a calm voice, "We’ve bandaged the woman’s wounds, and she’s fine now. By the way, you’ll need to settle her treatment bill as well."

"Marx, did you hear what the doctor said?" Emily looked at Marx, and he nodded in understanding.

"I’ll take care of the woman’s medical expenses right away."

After Marx left, Emily watched as the nurse wheeled the woman in a wheelchair to the ward and decided to follow, wanting to ensure the woman’s safety for herself.

She found the woman lying in a hospital bed, her face etched with pain. Her cracked lips moved as if trying to say something.

"Do you need some water?" Emily asked gently, leaning in to catch the woman’s faint words.

The woman nodded slowly, and Emily quickly poured a glass of water and held it gently to the woman’s lips. With difficulty, the woman sat up, and with Emily’s assistance, she took a few sips, moistening her lips.

"Thank you for saving me, noble lady," the woman whispered weakly. "If it weren’t for you, I might have died there."

Emily shook her head, dismissing the gratitude, and then asked softly, "What happened? Why were you running into the street?"

"Because..." The woman’s eyes flickered, and she lowered her head, her voice trembling. "Because someone was chasing me. I swear, I never meant to hit your car. Please believe me."

"Don’t worry, I’m not trying to hold you accountable," Emily comforted the woman in a soft voice. "What’s your name?"

"My name is Heidi."

"Where are you from?"

"I’m a refugee from the border, and I’ve just recently arrived in the royal capital."

"Are you here to join relatives?"

The woman shook her head. "My family died in the war, and I came to the city to find a job to make ends meet. Since I didn’t have enough money to travel, I accepted a ride from two strange men to the royal capital. I thought I’d met good Samaritans, but the two men robbed me of all my belongings and dragged me into the woods, trying to rape me."

The woman was crying, her shoulders shaking, and Emily couldn’t bear to see her suffer. Emily comforted her in a gentle but firm tone, "Everything will pass. Is there anything I can do for you?"

The woman looked up, her eyes shimmering with tears, gazing at Emily as if she had seen a savior. She grasped Emily’s hand tightly, her voice filled with longing and desperation, "Are you really willing to help me, ma’am?"

"Yes," Emily nodded.

The woman wiped her tears away and pleaded with Emily, "Madam, I’m homeless, and if you could have mercy on me, I’d be willing to work for you as a servant."

"No, I don’t need servants," Emily said hurriedly, a hint of embarrassment and helplessness in her voice. "Perhaps I can give you some money..."

"Kind lady, please take me in," the woman knelt before Emily, her hands clasped together, her eyes pleading. "I’m willing to do any kind of work, just give me a place to live, even if it’s just a small room in the attic."

Emily hesitated at the woman’s plea. As she gazed at her, a complex mix of emotions swelled within her. Perhaps, she thought to herself, she could bring the woman to the palace and arrange for her to work as a maid. In this way, the woman would not only have a place to live but also a steady job at the palace.

Emily took a deep breath, realizing that she couldn’t turn her back on someone in need.

"Marx, I’ve already covered all the medical expenses for this woman," Emily said. Just then, Marx entered and, upon seeing the woman kneeling and pleading, he frowned and roughly pushed the woman’s hands away from Emily.

"What are you doing?" Marx reprimanded the woman harshly. "How dare you touch the princess without permission?"

The woman’s expression shifted to one of shock and embarrassment. "Princess? It turns out you’re the princess," she said, her voice filled with shame. "Please forgive my ignorance, Your Highness, the Princess."

"Marx, don’t be so rude to her," Emily chastised him softly. "This lady is injured."

"Luna, we need to return to the palace," Marx urged.

"Your Royal Highness, please don’t leave me here alone," the woman cried. "You’re a kind Luna, please take me with you."

"Marx," Emily hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a resolute tone, "I want to bring this woman back to the palace with us."