Chapter 86 Coma daddy
Chapter 86 Coma daddy
Chapter 86: Coma daddy
Gwen sat beside Izo, her fingers tightly wrapped around his hand as if sheer will could keep him anchored to this world. Her eyes were red, her cheeks damp, her breathing carefully uneven, perfectly practiced grief.
“Daddy,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Please… please wake up.”
As if summoned by her voice, Izo’s fingers twitched.
Gwen gasped loudly. “Doctor!” she cried, half-rising from her seat. “He’s moving!”
Before anyone could rush in, Izo’s eyelids fluttered. Slowly, painfully, they opened. His gaze was unfocused at first, clouded with medication and exhaustion. His lips parted as he struggled to speak.
Gwen leaned closer instantly. “Daddy, I’m here. I’m right here.”
His eyes shifted toward her face, confusion swimming in them. “G… Gwen?” he croaked.
She nodded quickly, tears spilling over. “Yes. It’s me. You scared me so much.”
He swallowed with effort. “Audrey…” he whispered.
The name landed between them like a blade.
Gwen’s expression didn’t change, not even for a second. She squeezed his hand gently. “She’s… she’s not here right now.”
His brows furrowed. “Where… where is my wife?”
Gwen hesitated just long enough to make the lie believable. “Daddy, Audrey hasn’t been herself,” she said softly. “She’s been unstable since the accident. She refused help. She pushed everyone away.”
Izo frowned faintly. “She… she wouldn’t…”
“She did,” Gwen said, her voice breaking. “She even started acting… inappropriate.”
His eyes sharpened slightly. “What do you mean?”
“She’s been getting too close to Tennessee,” Gwen continued carefully. “People are talking. She refuses to listen to anyone. She’s angry all the time.”
Izo’s breathing grew uneven. “Tennessee?” he murmured, clearly struggling to piece it together.
Gwen brushed his forehead gently. “Please don’t stress yourself. You need to rest. The doctors said too much emotion could hurt you.”
He stared at the ceiling, confusion clouding his face. “I just… wanted to protect her.”
“I know,” Gwen said quickly. “But right now, she doesn’t want anyone’s protection.”
The doctor entered quietly, observing the monitors. “He’s responding, but this is too much,” he said firmly. “We need to sedate him again.”
Gwen nodded immediately. “Do whatever you need to do.”
She leaned down, kissing Izo’s forehead. “Sleep, Daddy. I’m here.”
His eyes slowly closed as the medication took hold. His grip loosened.
The moment his breathing steadied, Gwen straightened. The tears vanished from her face as if they had never existed. Her lips curved upward, not wide, not obvious but unmistakably satisfied.
She watched him for a long moment, then stood and adjusted her jacket.
“Rest well,” she whispered, not unkindly. “You’ll understand everything soon.”
She turned and walked out of the room without looking back.
The mansion felt colder than usual that evening.
Audrey sat in her wheelchair near the large window, staring out at the darkening sky. Her hands rested calmly on her lap, her posture straight, her expression unreadable.
The door opened behind her without warning.
“What the hell was that?” Tennessee’s voice thundered through the room.
Audrey didn’t turn. “Good evening to you too.”
He slammed the door shut. “You pulled a knife on the farm. On my men. A body guard I employed for your safety. You used a belt your maid.”
“I didn’t pull a knife,” she replied calmly. “I threw it. That stupid maid and your sister Gwen, are the reason why I cannot walk again.”
Tennessee ran a hand through his hair, pacing. “Gwen cannot do such evil. Do you have any idea what you’re doing? People are talking. They’re scared of you.”
She finally turned to face him. “Good.”
“That’s not funny, Audrey!”
“I wasn’t joking.”
He stopped in front of her, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “You’re not the same person anymore. Ever since the accident…”
“Stop crying in my ears.” she snapped sharply.
He flinched but continued. “You’re reckless. You’re angry. You’re acting like you don’t care if you burn everything down.”
Audrey laughed bitterly. “Maybe that’s because everything already burned.”
“You could’ve been hurt,” he said, lowering his voice. “You’re vulnerable.”
Her eyes hardened. “I am not.”
“You’re in a wheelchair,” he said without thinking.
Silence crashed between them.
Audrey’s jaw tightened. Slowly, she rolled closer to him until they were face to face. “I survived without you,” she said coldly. “I married without your approval. I lost my legs without your permission. And I will uncover the truth without your protection.”
Tennessee swallowed. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
“I already am.”
He reached out instinctively, then stopped himself. “I’m trying to keep you safe.”
“No,” she replied. “You’re trying to control me.”
“That’s not fair.”
“It’s accurate.”
He exhaled sharply. “You think throwing knives and threatening people is the answer?”
“I think fear gets answers faster than politeness.”
“That’s not who you are.”
She tilted her head. “You don’t know who I am.”
His voice cracked slightly. “I know you.”
“You know who I want you to know and who I used to be,” she corrected. “That girl is gone.”
Tennessee stared at her, truly seeing it for the first time. The softness was still there, buried deep but the fire on the surface was new. Dangerous.
“You’re scaring me,” he admitted quietly.
Audrey smiled faintly. “Good. That means you’ll stop underestimating me.”
He shook his head slowly. “This isn’t a game, Audrey. Powerful people are involved.”
“I know.”
“And if you push too hard…”
“I’ll break,” she finished for him. “Or they will.”
He clenched his fists. “You think you’re stronger than all of them?”
“I think they think I’m weak,” she said. “And that’s their mistake.”
Tennessee stepped back, uncertainty flooding his face. For the first time since he had known her, he didn’t know what to say.
“You can’t stop me,” Audrey continued. “And you shouldn’t try.”
He looked at her wheelchair, then at her eyes. “I’m losing you.”
“You never had me,” she said quietly. “I am your father’s wife.”
The words cut deeper than any knife.
Tennessee turned away, swallowing hard. “Just… be careful.”
Audrey watched him go, her expression unreadable once more.