Chapter 47 Don't Mess With My Father
BELLA
The steady beep of the monitor was the only sound in the room, blending with the faint antiseptic smell that clung to everything. My father lay motionless on the bed, his pale face a ghost of the man I knew. The sight of him like this made my chest tighten.
The door creaked open, and the doctor walked in, his white coat swishing behind him.
“Ma’am,” he greeted, his tone professional but tinged with caution. “How are you feeling? We’re truly sorry about what happened last time. I assure you, it won’t happen again.”
I forced a small smile, more for my own reassurance than his. It won’t happen again because I’ll make sure of it, I thought, clenching my hands to keep steady.
“How’s my father?” I asked, turning to him.
He hesitated, his gaze flickering to the floor before returning to me. “He’s stable for now. We’ve flushed the poison out of his system, but... until he wakes up, we can’t say for certain.”
There was something in his tone something he wasn’t saying.
“Is there more? Don’t sugarcoat it,” I pressed, my voice firm.
He sighed, his expression grim. “The tests show significant damage to his bone marrow. Without a transplant... it doesn’t look good.”
“A bone marrow transplant?” My voice cracked, the words foreign and heavy in my mouth. “How how is that even possible?”
“It’s urgent. His bone marrow is severely compromised. We’ll need to act quickly if we’re to save him.”
I looked at my father really looked at him. The strong, commanding man who had always seemed untouchable was now so still, so fragile. The thought of losing him felt unbearable. My throat tightened.
“What about me? Can I donate mine?” I blurted, the desperation in my voice undeniable.
The doctor’s eyebrows shot up. “You’d be willing to do that?”
“Of course,” I said without hesitation. “When can we start?”
He offered a small, hesitant smile. “It’s not that simple. We’ll need to run tests to confirm compatibility and ensure your health won’t be compromised.”
“Then do it. Now,” I demanded, leaning forward as if sheer determination could will my father back to life. “I can’t sit here and do nothing.”
The doctor raised his hands, his voice soothing. “Ma’am, I understand how you feel, but you need to rest. We’ll do everything we can for your father.”
As he left the room, I let out a shaky breath and took my father’s hand. It was cold, unfamiliar.
“You’re coming back to me, Dad,” I whispered, my words both a promise and a plea.
The phone on the side table buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. I grabbed it and saw a message from Elowen: Have you checked the news? Your husband’s ready to destroy the Roy family.
Confused, I opened a news site, and the headline jumped out at me like a slap to the face: Mike Roy Exposed Human Trafficker, Drug Smuggler, and Embezzler.
The air left my lungs. A bitter laugh escaped me.
“Father and son in disgrace on the same day. Poetic,” I muttered under my breath, but it did nothing to soothe the storm brewing inside me.
My jaw tightened as another face flashed in my mind Lizzy. Her smug smile. Her deceit. She wouldn’t walk away from this unscathed.
I hit the call button for Elowen. She answered on the first ring.
“You saw it, didn’t you?” she said without preamble.
“Yeah, I did,” I replied. My voice was cold, steady.
“Honestly, they both deserve it,” she said, a hint of satisfaction in her tone.
I leaned back in the chair, a dangerous smile creeping onto my face. “I need your help.”
“Anything,” she said immediately.
“Find out everything about Lizzy. Her past, her secrets, everything. I want to know exactly who she is and what she’s hiding.”
Elowen laughed. “Looks like another bombshell’s about to drop.”
“Oh, it will,” I said, my voice dripping with quiet determination. “She’ll regret ever messing with my father.”