Chapter 38 Shadows Closing In
DAVID
The thought of Lizzy getting anywhere near Bella or her father made my jaw tighten. My hands balled into fists as I paced the hospital corridor, glancing at the door to Bella's father's room.
Lizzy knew. How she found out, I wasn’t sure, but I knew her games better than anyone. We had played them together once. My lips curled into a humorless smirk. You think you can outplay me, Lizzy? Try me.
Pulling out my phone, I punched in the number for my head of security.
“I need ten bodyguards here. Now,” I ordered, my voice as cold as the polished floor beneath my feet.
“Yes, sir,” came the immediate reply before I ended the call, my grip on the phone still tight.
BELLA
The soft click of keys stirred me awake. Squinting against the morning light, I turned to see David sitting beside me, his face illuminated by the glow of his laptop screen.
“Good morning,” I murmured, my voice still heavy with sleep.
His head lifted, and a slow smile spread across his face. God, that smile. It was the kind that belonged on magazine covers, all charm and perfection.
“Good morning. I asked the head maid to bring you clothes and some breakfast,” he said, his voice calm, as though he hadn’t spent the entire night working by my side.
I blinked at him, momentarily caught off guard by this unexpected sweetness. The David I knew was distant, cold. But here he was, arranging meals and clothes for me.
“Thank you,” I said softly, my gaze lingering on the striking blue of his eyes.
His gaze shifted back to his screen, but not before he caught me staring.
“Are you done admiring me?” he teased, his lips quirking into a smirk.
Heat rushed to my face as I looked away, burying my embarrassment in the folds of the blanket.
David stood, stretching his tall frame. “I need to go, but remember…” His voice dropped, and his hand reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from my face. “Don’t go anywhere without the bodyguards.”
As I walked him to the door, the sight of men in dark suits standing in formation made my stomach flip.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice tinged with unease.
“It's safer this way,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
My chest tightened as his words sank in. He knew something. Did Lizzy…? No, she wouldn’t dare would she?
David’s hand cupped my cheek, his touch grounding me for a moment. “Stay safe, Bella,” he murmured, his thumb grazing my skin before he stepped away.
David’s car disappeared down the driveway, the bodyguards stationed at the entrance like statues. The tension in my chest didn’t ease as I walked back into the hospital room. My father lay unmoving, the faint beeping of the monitors the only sound in the room.
I sank into the chair by his bedside, staring at his pale face. “Please, just wake up,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
Needing to hear a familiar voice, I pulled out my phone and dialed Elowen’s number. The line rang twice before her energetic voice burst through the speaker.
“Bels, are you coming to work today?” Elowen’s voice, high-pitched and impatient, blasted through my phone speaker.
I shifted in my chair, glancing toward my father’s still figure on the hospital bed. “My dad had surgery yesterday.”
Her gasp was loud enough to make me wince. “What? Oh my God, how is he?”
“He’s stable, but he hasn’t woken up yet.” My throat tightened as I said it aloud, the weight of it settling heavily on my chest. “I just… I just want him to open his eyes, you know?”
“He will,” Elowen said, her voice softening. “I’ll come by after work. I need to see you.”
“Thanks,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “How’s the project going?”
“Good! I’ll send you the draft later so you can check it out.”
I smiled faintly. “I’d appreciate that.”
As I hung up, my phone buzzed again. My stomach sank at the sight of an unknown number.
David may have tightened security, but that won’t stop me. If he won’t see me, be prepared, Bella. Tonight, I’m coming for you and your father.
The phone slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the floor. My breath hitched as a wave of panic surged through me.
Lizzy.
She wasn’t just crazy. She was dangerous.