Chapter 13
The air inside the coffee shop was electric with tension as Sarah rushed back behind the counter. Her fingers trembled as she dialed Matthew's number,the weight of urgency pressing down on her like a stone. The line clicked, and Matthew's voice answered casually, though there was a thread of unease beneath his tone.
"Hey, Sarah. What's going on?”
"Matthew, it's Lily-she's been taken to the hospital. I don't know which one. Can you find her?" The words tumbled from her lips, sharp with panic.
There was a pause, then a shift in Matthew's voice-casual concern replaced by sharp alarm. “What happened?”
Before Sarah could respond, Michael's voice cut through the line, his tone edged with anxiety. "What do you mean she's in the hospital?”The sound of Matthew putting the phone on speaker made Sarah's pulse spike.
"She collapsed, Michael,” Sarah said, her frustration rising with her fear.“She showed up here shivering, clearly unwell. Then she fainted before I could do anything. I called her husband, and he took her. I-I didn't have time to follow them."
"Damn it, Sarah! How could younot find out where?" Michael snapped,his anger barely restrained. “You think I didn't try?" Sarah shot back, her voice rising. "He carried her out before I could even move." "Stop it, both of you," Matthew interrupted sharply, his calm precision cutting through the argument. "This isn't helping. We have bigger problems-hospitals use fingerprint ID systems. If anyone accesses her information, they'll start asking questions about who she is."
"Then block the system! 'That's your job, isn't it?" Sarah's tone was ice.
Matthew exhaled, already focused. "I'm on it. But don't shout at me unless you want me to stop."
"Find her. Matthew. Fast," Sarah demanded, her voice low and hard.
"I'll handle it," Matthew promised, typing furiously in the background.Moments passed in silence, each second heavier than the last. Finally, his voice returned. "Brightside Hospital. VIP Ward. Sending you the address now.”
Sarah snatched up her coat the moment the message came through.muttering.“You two stay out of this. If Alexander sees either of you near Lily,it'll make things worse."
Michael grumbled in protest, but Matthew cut him off. “She's right.
Alexander is already suspicious of us. Let Sarah handle this."
"Fine," Michael relented begrudgingly.
Without another word, Sarah stormed out of the coffee shop, the cold wind biting at her as she hailed a cab. As the city blurred past the window,her thoughts raced. Please let her be okay. The VIP wing of Brightside Hospital was unnervingly quiet when Sarah arrived. The scent of antiseptic lingered in the air and the hushed voices of nurses added to thesterile tension. She spotted Alexander instantly. He sat in a chair near Lily's room, his shoulders rigid, his gaze fixed on the closed door. Sarah paused, her pulse quickening. She had only ever heard of Alexander Kane-his cold reputation, his calculated ruthlessness. Seeing him in person was another thing entirely. His presence seemed to fill the hallway,dark and unyielding.
Before she could move, a doctor emerged from Lily's room. Alexander rose to his feet in one fluid motion, his expression tense, though his voice remained deceptively calm.
"How is she?”
“She's stable," the doctor said, removing his glasses and tucking them into his pocket. "It was a minor cold, compounded by exhaustion and exposure.
If you want her to maintain a healthy pregnancy, this cannot happen again. She needs rest and warmnth.”
Alexander's jaw twitched. “Noted."
The doctor gave him a knowing look. “You care about her more than you let on,you know."
“Enough,” Alexander snapped, though there was a flicker of something-guilt?-in his dark eyes.
The doctor said nothing more, retreating downthe hall. Alexander turned back toward the room, his hand hovering near the door handle, but he didn't enter. He stood there, staring at the door, the hesitation uncharacteristic of a man like him. Inside the private hospital room, Lily's eyelids fluttered open,her head pounding. She blinked against the harsh light overhead, disoriented by the sight of medical machines and the quiet hum of the monitors. A soft hand pressed against her shoulder as she tried to sit up. "Stay still. Lily," Sarah's familiar voice said gently.
"Sarah?" Lily croaked, confusion clouding her expression. "Where am I?”
"You're at Brightside Hospital. You collapsed,remember?"
The memories returned in fragments-her frantic search for the scarves,the cold, her body giving up as the world spun. "How long have I been here?”
"A few hours," Sarah replied softly. "Alexander brought you here."
Lily's eyes widened slightly."He did?”
"Yes,” Sarah said. “You're in a VIP ward."
Lily turned her head, taking in the luxurious surroundings.“A VIP room...
"Her voice trailed off, disbelief flickering across her face.
"You scared me, Lily. What happened?" Sarah pressed,her concern evident.
Lily hesitated, then finally explained everything-the scarves, the search.the emotions that overwhelmed her. By the end, Sarah's jaw was tight with anger.
“I'll have words with him," she vowed.Before Lily could respond, the door creaked open. Grandma Helen stepped inside, her presence commanding as always. Her eyes softened when they landed on Lily, though her tone remained firm. “Oh,my dear.How are you feeling?" “Grandma?" Lily blinked in surprise."How did you know I was here?" "I hear everything." Grandma Helen said dismissively, her voice tinged with disapproval. "That grandson of mine has been careless, and he will answer for it."
"Grandma, it's not a big deal-"
"Nonsense," Helen interrupted. “You need rest, and I won't have you staying here under his roof." She turned to Sarah, noticing her for the first time."And who is this?"
"I'm Sarah, a friend of Lily's," she said politely.
“Good," Helen nodded approvingly. “It's nice to know she has someone looking out for her." She turned back to Lily. “You're coming home with me after you're discharged. No arguments.”
Lily sighed,too tired to protest.
Meanwhile, in a towering office building downtown, Alexander sat at the head of a conference table, his expression unreadable as his executives pitched a rural development project. The silence stretched unbearably as he tapped his fingers rhythmically against the polished wood, the sound echoing like a ticking clock.
Finally, Alexander stopped, his voice cold and final. "Start over." With that, he rose, leaving stunned silence in his wake. James followed close behind as Alexander strode through the hallway, his steps quick and decisive."Any update on the hospital?" Alexander asked, his voice tight. James hesitated. "Miss Evans has been discharged. sir."
“Where did shego?" Alexander stopped walking. his gaze sharp as it pinned James in place.
"Wel. about that..." James shifted nervously. "Grandma Helen took her back to the family house."
The air seemed to crackle with tension. Alexander's grip tightened on his phone, his knuckles white.
"Return her." His voice dropped to a low growl, icy and final."Now.Grandma."