Chapter 198
Eliana didn’t hear them. Or maybe she did, but her mind refused to absorb anything except the horrifying image of her father’s still form being lifted from the ground. Her handbag lay a few feet away, buzzing with a text from an unknown number—its screen lighting up, unnoticed, irrelevant compared to the storm tearing her world apart.
“Papa Her voice quivered, thin as a breath, as she watched the paramedics strap him onto a stretcher. The sight hit her harder than the pavement had—Frank’s chest barely rising, his face pale beneath the oxygen mask. “Papa… don’t go without me p>
The words dissolved as the edges of her vision blurred, darkness curling inward like smoke. Her body swayed, her head tilting back as the world slipped away.
Pain… fear… grief… all swallowed by the heavy, consuming black.
Eliana lost consciousness before she could see the doors of the ambulance slam shut.
“Load them both—now!” the lead paramedic barked. The team moved instantly, snapping orders back and forth as the stretchers were secured inside. The ambulance doors slammed shut with a metallic finality, and within seconds it tore down the road, sirens crying into the night.
Jax and his team sprinted to their SUV. Viktor floored it the moment the doors shut, the vehicle jerking forward as they fell in behind the ambulance.
“James, heading to St. Patrick’s,” Jax said through the phone, his breath uneven with adrenaline as they darted through traffic. “Eliana lost consciousness on the way. Frank’s condition is… bad. Severe head trauma p>
Thirty agonizing minutes later, Rafael’s luxury sedan screeched to a halt at St. Patrick’s emergency entrance, tires screaming as if echoing the panic in his chest.
Before the engine even stilled, Rafael lunged at the door handle—only to find it locked.
“Open it!” he snarled, his voice scraping the edge of panic.
James reacted quickly, slipping out of the driver’s seat with measured calm. “Rafael—listen to me. Calm down,” he said, circling the car. “You can’t storm in there like this. Let me get the wheelchair from the trunk p>
Rafael slammed his fist against the window, the sound sharp and jarring. The man who built empires, commanded boardrooms, and intimidated adversaries now looked wrecked—eyes red, breath shaking, composure shattered.
“I don’t need the damn wheelchair, James!” he shouted, voice cracking under the weight of fear. “I don’t care who sees me walk—Eliana is in there bleeding, the baby is in danger, and her father might be dying!” His fist pressed against the glass again, fingers trembling. “Nothing else matters! Open the damn door p>
The desperation in his voice wasn’t just panic—it was love stripped bare, raw and aching.
James paused at the trunk, his hands steady despite the tension. “Rafael, think! We’re so close to nailing Mirabel for good—locking her away forever. If you blow your cover now, reveal you’re not blind or paralyzed, it’ll backfire. She’ll twist it, claim you’re the manipulator. It’ll hurt you… and Eliana. Please, don’t act rashly. For her sake p>
Rafael’s breath came in ragged bursts, his steel eyes glistening with unshed tears. The logic pierced his frenzy, reluctant acceptance dawning. “Fine… damn it, fine,” he muttered, slumping back. “Hurry up and bring the stupid chair p>
James pulled a small case from his pocket, handing the cloudy contact lenses through the cracked window. “Put these on—maintain the illusion.” Rafael inserted them with shaking fingers, his vision fogging to match the pretense. James then hauled out the automatic wheelchair, unfolding it swiftly. Rafael transferred himself into it with furious efficiency, slamming the joystick forward. The chair whirred into motion, propelling him through the hospital doors like a bullet. “Eliana!” he called out inwardly, his mind a whirlwind of fear and love.
James jogged after him, catching up as they burst into the bustling ER. Nurses glanced curiously at the billionaire in his wheelchair, but Rafael ignored them, demanding, “Eliana Bennett—where is she? And Frank Bennett p>
A harried doctor approached, clipboard in hand. “Are you family p>
“She’s my fiancée,” Rafael lied, but his voice was laced with authority. “Tell me everything p>
The doctor nodded, glancing at charts. “Mr. Bennett is in surgery—severe head trauma, possible internal bleeding. Miss Bennett is stable but unconscious. She’s five months pregnant, and there’s spotting—we’re monitoring for complications. You can wait in the family room p>
Rafael’s hands gripped the armrests until his knuckles whitened. “Take me to her. Now p>
Meanwhile, across the city in a dimly lit police station, Henry Jackson stood tall beside Isabella Voss, his sharp features set in quiet determination. The air smelled of stale coffee and paperwork, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Isabella, her elegant frame trembling slightly from the night’s revelations, pressed charges against her ex-fiancé, Logan Steve. Her voice, usually commanding in boardrooms, wavered with betrayal.
“Officer, he was plotting to kill me—after the wedding tomorrow,” Isabella said, her dark eyes flashing with fury and hurt. “I overheard him in our bedroom with his… his baby mama. They laughed about it, like my life was a joke. Taking my money, my companies—everything p>
The officer nodded, typing furiously. “We’ll need evidence, ma’am. Recordings? Witnesses p>
Henry placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his warm eyes steady. “She has the audio from her phone—hidden recording. And I was there when she confronted him at the hotel this morning. Saw the fear in her eyes p>
Isabella cast Henry a grateful look, a fragile smile tugging at her lips despite the pain etched across her face. “Henry’s right,” she murmured. “I met him by accident… I was drowning in my own misery. He just sat there and listened. Didn’t judge me. If he hadn’t shown up when he did Her voice faltered, a tremor slipping through. “I might’ve walked into traffic that night. I might have drank myself to stupor. Honestly at that point in my life, I didn’t care what happened p>
Henry let out a soft, almost shy laugh, as if trying to chase away the heaviness settling in the room. “Trust me, I wasn’t planning on being anybody’s knight in shining armor that night,” he said. “I just came for cheap drinks and terrible music to chase away my own ghosts. But saving a pretty woman from ruining her life over a good-for-nothing jerk like Logan? Yeah… I’ll take the upgrade p>
The officer’s lips twitched into an amused smirk. “You two sound like the start of a movie,” he said, jotting down his final notes. “Alright, we’ll take it from here. Stay safe, Ms. Voss p>
He gave them a nod before stepping away, leaving Henry and Isabella standing in the quiet aftermath—two strangers bound by pain, chance, and the strangest twist of fate.
As they stepped out into the crisp London air, Isabella sighed, linking her arm with Henry’s. “Thank you, truly. I don’t know what I’d do without a friend like you right now p>
Henry’s mind flickered briefly to Eliana—his first love and only love. But he pushed it aside, focusing on the present. “Anytime, Isabella. Let’s get you home—away from all this mess p>
Completely unaware of the tragedy unfolding at St. Patrick’s hospital, where Eliana fought for her life and that of her unborn child, Henry and Isabella walked on, the city’s bustle swallowing their steps.