Chapter 51

Grandma Helen stood at the threshold of the intensive care unit, her hand pressed against the cold, transparent glass. Her eyes, bloodshot from hours of silent vigil, followed the still figure of Sandra lying motionless on the hospital bed, hooked to an array of machines that beeped rhythmically-each pulse a reminder of how fragile life was. The sight of her granddaughter in such a condition brought fresh tears, which she wiped away in vain. "Sandra," she whispered, her voice breaking as she gazed at the girl fighting for her life.

Camila stood beside her, her face ashen, unable to look away from the woman in the bed. "Please recover soon, young miss," she murmured under her breath. It was hard to believe that just two months ago, Sandra had returned home with so much promise, only to find herself on the brink of death.

A few steps behind them, Mr. Blake, the patriarch, stood stoically, his eyes scanning the room before he turned to leave. His thoughts were elsewhere-on his granddaughter's near-fatal encounter. His people were still digging for answers, but he couldn't shake the feeling that things were spiraling beyond his control. The chilling possibility that his granddaughter could have been in Sandra's place sent a wave of anger through him. His fists clenched at the thought.

"How's the investigation progressing?" Caleb demanded, his voice steady but filled with frustration. "Our team is still gathering intel. The mastermind is elusive,covering his tracks well," came the response from one of his most trusted aides. Caleb exhaled sharply, unwilling to give up hope. "Mmmm." James, who had been standing in the corner, watching the scene unfold.took a step forward. "Sir, what did the doctor say about Sandra's condition?"His voice was tinged with a rare sympathy as he glanced at the ICU.

"The doctor said it would take a miracle for her to wake up." Caleb's tone was grim,each word weighed down with the harsh truth.

James nodded, looking towards Lilly, who was still unconscious and pale."And what about Lilly?"

"The doctor says only Lilly can decide when to wake up. She keeps calling out Sandra's name," Caleb replied, his voice softer now, a flicker of helplessness in his eyes.

"Sir, I want you to inform the hospital that we will cover both Miss Sandra's and Lilly's medical expenses from now on," Caleb ordered, his determination not to let them suffer financially despite the grim circumstances.

James hesitated for a moment. "You mean Miss Sandra,right?"

"Yes," Caleb affirmed. "And Lilly's too."

"Sir, with all due respect, you know Alexander won't accept your help,"James warned. "He's too proud."

"'I know." Caleb's jaw tightened. "But I can't sit here and do nothing."

James shifted uncomfortably. "Sir, your son tried to see Lilly. But he wasn't allowed."

Caleb's brow furrowed. "What do you mean he wasn't allowed?"

"According to what I gathered, Alexander has restricted visits. Only you are permitted to see her."

A slow,simmering anger began to rise in Caleb. "Since when?"

"This morning. Mr. Peter came with Bella and Kate, but they were turned away. I heard there was an argument between Alexander and Peter,"James informed him, concern creeping into his voice.

"Hmmm. James, I want you to find out what's going on. Alexander wouldn't have done this without a reason."

James nodded, his tone resolute. "I'll get to the bottom of it,sir."

Meanwhile, in a dark room a few floors up, Kate sat rigidly beside her mother. Bella, her face twisted in frustration. "How did we fail, mother?"she spat, her voice filled with venom. "Lilly should be dead by now.How did those people screw this up so badly?"

Bella remained silent, lost in thought. The thought of Lilly still being alive was a thorn in Kate's side, especially considering her own schemes were at risk of being exposed.

"Mother," Kate hissed, her impatience mounting. "We need to act fast. As long as Lilly is alive, Alexander will keep hating me. If she's gone, I can get close to him, make him see me differently."

Bella's response was slow, deliberate. She didn't even meet Kate's eyes."Shut up." Her voice was sharp, her gaze icy. "You're not thinking straight.Don't you realize te mess we're in right now?"

Kate's frustration boiled over. "What do you mean? We've been planning this for months! If Lilly's out of the way, I can get to Alexander.W′11−′′

"No!" Bella snapped, cutting her off. "Alexander is investigating, and so is your grandfather. They're both looking for answers. Did you not see the rage in Alexander's eyes when he saw you? He knows it's us, Kate. If he discovers the truth about your involvement, he will come after us. And believe me, he won't stop until we're dead."

Kate's breath caught in her throat as the weight of her mother's words hit her. "What do we do now?"

"We need to clean up our mess," Bella growled. "Alexander is dangerous.He'll hunt down anyone connected to this, and we can't afford to let him find the gang leader. We need him dead before your grandfather or Alexander get to him.Fast."

Kate's heart raced as she realized the full scope of their predicament."How soon can you take care of it?"

"I'll make the arrangements," Bella replied, her voice cold, calculating. "But you need to focus on staying out of Alexander's radar. We've gone too far for you to slip up now."

As the pieces fell into place, both Kate and Bella knew that their lives hung by a thread. They needed to act swiftly, or everything they had worked for would crumble. But as the net closed in, one thing was certain-their past mistakes would catch up with them sooner than they expected. And when Alexander finally found out the truth, there would be no place for them to hide.