Chapter 31 After The Fall
After The Fall
Aria's POV
What have I done?, I asked myself as I wandered around the room. I was in a great disbelief. All I could hear was the ringing sound of guilt in my head.
It was all your fault. You've gotten what you wanted, revenge, right?
I thought about Mrs Isabella,how she would react to his fall,her threat.
I didn't know if I should go and see Damian or not. I knew I needed to pass through her before getting to Damain.
I should fix what I broke, but how?
I remembered how the news came in the morning. I was just having my morning coffee as usual.
I grabbed the remote,turned up the volume.
\- Damain Blackwood involved in a ghastly accident on Route 9 last night -
I didn't realize I was crying until the taste of salt touched my lips.
“No..’ I cried. “No,no,no,no, what have I done?”
It wasn't supposed to go this way.
I called Viktor earlier on,and he told me how everything happened,that it was when he broke the news to Damain while he drove.
I thought naming the truth would free me,that finally after Caleb's death,I'd find peace and justice. Instead all I found was guilt and pure silence.
I was pacing around my room when viktor's call came in. His voice was serious though it cracked a little, “Miss Reynolds, he's alive?”
“Alive?” I asked with a little relief
“Barely. He's in a critical condition. They're moving him to St George under tight watch”.
“Please update me, what's going on?” I begged.
“ The doctor said the initial scans shows a cracked rib and a cerebeal contusion”.
“What does it mean?” I asked still crying and sniffing.
“It's a bruise on the brain” he said.
“Oh, my God” I exclaimed, “ it's all my fault.”
He continued, “ so they need to wait for the swelling to reduce,the next fourty-eight hours are crucial”
“Can I come see him?” I pleaded.
“The authorities are..,” he paused. “ Calling it attempted manslaughter tied to your statement. You might be called in.
I needed to see him
To see what was left of the man I tried to destroy.
In the evening I was already standing outside St George's Hospital,my heart beating painfully in my chest, nervously.
The hospital was clustered by Media vans, flashing Cameras and murmuring reporters. A few bodyguards stood near the entrance wearing black suits.
I pulled my hood over my head, blending into the crowd.
“Is it true he lost consciousness again?” someone asked near me.
“They said he hasn’t woken up since they brought him in,” another replied.
Their words made me dizzy and unsteady.
I pressed my hand to a wall, steading myself.
Inside the hospital smelt of antiseptic. I stopped at the receptionist desk.
I stopped at the reception desk.
“I’m here to see Damian Blackwood,” I said quietly.
The nurse looked up, her expression curious. She recognized the name before the face.
“Are you family?” she asked, typing something quickly.
“I..” I hesitated and thought of what to say. What was I now? His wife? His enemy? The reason he might never wake up? “I was close to him.” I finally said.
Her lips pressed, negatively. “I’m sorry, ma’am, visitation is restricted. Only immediate family is allowed at the moment.”
I nodded weakly, stepping aside as another nurse passed with a tray.
I found a quiet corner, sat on one of the metal benches, and stared at the floor.
I couldn’t feel my fingers. Everything around me felt like static,sounds fading in and out.
I could only think of how the accident happened, imagine how the look on his face was when Viktor told him I gave my statement. I was right,but maybe wrong,all I could hear was my brain ringing from different angles.
I could remember our former conversation,
Tell me what you did to Caleb.” I asked him,
You think I killed him.”he said
“I don't think,I know you did.”
Was I threatening, accusing?
I never gave him the chance,I never let him explain.
And now he was fighting for his life.
I looked up. Viktor stood there, his usually composed face strained with exhaustion. His tie was loose, his eyes red from stress,likely lack of sleep.
“Viktor,” I whispered,a drop of hope in my voice. “How is he?”
“They stabilized him. He’s still unconscious, but his vitals are holding.” He rubbed his temple, then sighed. “He has bruises, cuts… but the main concern is the head injury.”
I swallowed hard. “Can I just see him? Please.”
He hesitated, glancing around as if weighing his options. Then he nodded slightly. “Just for a minute.”
He led me down a quiet corridor to the ICU wing.
When we reached the door, I stopped. Through the glass, I saw him,Damian,lying still,and surrounded by machines. Tubes ran from his arms. His heart beat unsteady.
My knees weakened. I pressed my palm to the glass.
He looked nothing like the man I knew. No sharp suits. No arrogance. Just… fragility.
Viktor whispered something to the nurse and gestured for me to enter. My hands trembled as I pushed open the door.
The room was quiet except for the beeping of the heart monitor.
I walked closer. “Hey,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “It’s me.”
Like as though he was awake.
I sat beside his bed, my fingers at the edge of the sheet. “You weren’t supposed to go like this, Damian. Not like this.”
I looked at the small bruises on his hand and traced them gently with my thumb. “I thought hurting you would make me feel better. That if I tore down everything you built, I’d finally be free of the pain you caused me. But all I did was destroy myself too.”
“I'm sorry”
“I don’t care what they call it,attempted manslaughter, revenge, betrayal. I just want you to wake up, please,” I whispered. “I just want to tell you I’m sorry.”
The door opened behind me. I turned expecting Viktor.
But it was Damian's mum, Isabella.
“What are you doing here?” she asked coldly,her eyes burning with hatred.
I stood quickly, guilt flooding through me. “ I …I came to see him. I just needed to…”
“You’ve done enough,” she snapped. Her voice cracked. “You wanted to ruin him, and now you have.”
“Please, I didn’t..”
“Save your excuses,” she said sharply. “ I thought I warned you. And you paid him back with this.” She gestured to Damian’s unconscious body.
Tears rolled down my cheeks. “I never wanted this. I swear, I didn’t.”
I looked at Damian one last time. His face was peaceful, unaware of the chaos that surrounded him.
“I’ll come back,” I whispered. “Even if you hate me, I’ll still come back.”
I turned and walked out.
Outside the hospital,Cameras flashed again, reporters shouted questions I couldn’t answer.
“Aria Reynolds! Did you have anything to do with the accident?”
“Are you being investigated?”
I kept walking, my eyes fixed on the ground.
I had started a fire I couldn’t put out. And now, everything that once made sense had fallen apart.