Chapter 69 All at Once
Evelyn hissed, her face scrunching.
“Eve, are you okay? You've been holding your stomach since you got here.” Lena asked worriedly.
They were near a bank of windows overlooking the city. Evelyn leaned against the wall, breathing through the pain. It felt sharper and hotter now.
“Eve, you're pale." Lena's voice trembled with concern. "Like, really pale.”
“I’m fine. Just dizzy.” Evelyn breathed. “Just... hospital phobia. You know how I get.”
“Right! I forgot you hate hospitals,” Lena remembered. “Wait here, I’ll get you water. Maybe a mask too. Might help with the smell.”
Evelyn gave a weak smile. “It won’t help much… but okay.”
Lena guided her to a bench. “I'll be right back.” She hurried off.
Evelyn sat there, breathing slowly, one hand pressed to her stomach. The pain was getting worse. Much worse.
She looked around instinctively for James.
She spotted him standing farther down the hall, watching discreetly. He even gave her a small reassuring wave.
She exhaled in relief.
At least she wasn't alone.
She closed her eyes, trying to steady herself.
The foreboding feeling hadn't left. If anything, it was stronger now. A heavy weight pressing down on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Today just felt wrong. Too many things at once.
She opened her eyes.
And froze.
A figure was stepping out of the elevator at the far end of the hallway. Familiar silhouette, broad shoulders, and dark hair.
Her heart lurched.
“Roman!” she called out.
He turned immediately.
Their eyes met across the hallway.
His eyes widened in shock.
Relief flooded her system. She stood up too quickly, pushing off the bench and moving toward him. Her injured ankle protested sharply.
She hissed, but before she could steady herself, a violent pain ripped through her. Not a cramp or a twist like before. This was different. It was white-hot and massive, exploding through her abdomen like a bomb. It doubled her over.
“Ahhh—!”
Her entire body went cold as the world tilted, her vision collapsing into white.
She vaguely heard footsteps running toward her.
"EVELYN!”
She heard Roman’s voice in real panic, calling out to her.
Then, another voice shouted in horror.
“Christ— she’s bleeding!”
‘Bleeding?’
Evelyn felt warmth sliding down her leg.
Her mind couldn’t process it.
Roman caught her before she hit the floor, his hands trembling as he pulled her into his arms.
“Call emergency! Now!” he roared.
Her ears rang. Her vision faded into darkness.
The last thing she heard was Roman’s voice breaking.
“Evelyn, stay with me.”
Lena came running back at that moment, a paper cup of water in one hand and a mask in the other.
She slowed when she saw the crowd forming.
Then she saw Evelyn on the floor.
The cup slipped from her fingers.
Water splashed across the tiles.
“Evelyn!” she screamed.
She rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside Roman.
“What— what’s going on?!”
Roman didn’t respond. He couldn’t.
His entire world had narrowed to the pale face in his arms.
“Theon!” Roman’s voice cracked. “Call the fucking emergency team!”
James came running too.
“Madame!” His voice trembled when he saw the blood staining her gown.
Theon, who had already made the call, sprinted back down the corridor.
“They’re on their way!”
Roman didn’t wait.
He lifted Evelyn into his arms again, standing up too fast—almost swaying from the sheer force of his panic. He steadied himself immediately, jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might crack.
Lena’s mind went blank.
Evelyn was fine. She was talking just now.
Her eyes dropped, and she saw the blood running down her friend’s leg. So much of it.
Her stomach dropped.
The emergency team arrived with a stretcher within seconds.
Roman placed Evelyn on it, his hands reluctant to let go even for a second.
“Move!” Theon yelled. “Move!”
They rushed down the corridor.
Roman followed closely, almost stumbling as he kept pace beside the stretcher.
The entire VIP floor dissolved into chaos.
Lena remained frozen for a heartbeat too long. Then she stood abruptly, her chest heaving.
“Eve…” she whispered, before running after them.
—
By the time Lena reached the emergency ward, Evelyn had already been wheeled inside.
Roman stood at the entrance, arguing with the young male doctor from before.
“Roman! Listen to me! You cannot go in there!”
“What are you saying?!” Roman exploded. “If there’s any place I need to be, it’s in there! That's my wife! And I'm a fucking doctor!”
“That’s exactly why you should understand!” the doctor shot back. “You’re shaking. Look at yourself. You’re not in the right state of mind to assist!”
“Get out of my way!”
“She’s in critical condition!” the doctor snapped. “Is that what you want? To make it worse?”
Roman froze. His hands trembling. His eyes were bloodshot.
Without thinking, Lena pushed between them.
“Will you two stop arguing and go save her?!” she cried, her voice cracking.
The doctor—Theon—shot her a brief glance before turning back to Roman.
“You have to trust me.” And then he disappeared inside.
Lena sucked in a breath that turned into a sob. She pressed her hand to her mouth, trying to hold herself together.
Roman stood there unmoving for several seconds.
Then suddenly, he punched the wall.
“Fuck!”
The sound echoed down the corridor.
James flinched.
He had never seen the young master like this. Even when the old master collapsed, Roman had remained composed.
But now…He looked like a man unraveling.
James swallowed hard, guilt choking him. He should have called sooner.
He should have ignored her refusal.
The emergency doors burst open again.
Theon rushed out, face tense.
Roman was in front of him instantly. “What—”
“Not now,” Theon muttered urgently. “I need a gynecologist.”
Roman went still.
“…What?”
“I need a gynecologist,” Theon repeated sharply before turning and running down the hall.
Seconds later, he returned with a female doctor already pulling on sterile gloves and a gown. They disappeared back inside.
The doors shut again.
Roman stood there. The words echoed in his head.
Gynecologist.
He was a doctor. He'd known. Some part of him had known from the moment he saw the blood. But he'd refused to think it, and allow the possibility to form.
His gaze slowly dropped to his hands.
They were stained dark red. His shirt too. He hadn’t even noticed.
A sound tore from his chest before he realized it. Raw, and broken.
He staggered backward and collapsed into a chair, gripping his hair tightly as if he could rip himself awake from this nightmare.
Lena saw him fall apart and something inside her cracked too. A choked sound escaped her. She bit down on her own hand, hard enough to leave marks, trying to stifle the sobs.
Her father is still in the ICU. And now Evelyn too. Everything was collapsing all at once.
James stood rigid, fists clenched at his sides. He knew what was going on at that moment.
He had seen the way she held her stomach, yet he had hesitated.
And now the young master looked like he was one step away from losing his sanity.
No one spoke. Time crawled. Every second felt like a blade.
Then, the red light above the emergency room doors flickered, and turned off.