CHAPTER 29 — FAMILY MATTERS

I woke up to Lennox's hand thrown over me, gloriously naked and lying on his stomach beside me. His breathing was slowed as he took calm, unhurried breaths, his eyes were closed, and he had such a peaceful, almost angelic look.

The man I was staring at cannot hurt a fly and my heart fluttered at the mere thought of him. Of everything he’d done in the past few days. Of everything he had shared. Of everything we had shared. Whether I was fully aware of it or not, but my heart was slowly losing itself to this beautiful man.

It was almost ten in the morning...on a weekday. And I had been awake since eight, just staring at him, watching him sleep. His dark hair had flopped over his face, and he was hugging a pillow with one hand and had thrown another arm over me, keeping me possessively to himself. He probably had important things to do today, but I was too content watching him sleep to wake him up.

Suddenly, my phone started ringing on the bedside table beside me, snapping me out of my creepy people watching.

I reached for the phone and stared at the screen. It was Mr. Covel on the line.

There was a drop in my stomach.

If I had just let the man sell the damn dance school, none of this would have happened. His wife would be administered treatment and he wouldn't have to worry about a mad man on the loose.

But now, the dance school, the money... Everything was gone.

My chest tightened around my heart.

I answered the call and his tired voice on the other line broke me to pieces.

I swallowed the lump hanging in my throat and tried to sound upbeat. "Hey, Mr. Covel. Everything okay?"

His tired sigh splintered what was left of my already broken heart. "No, Verity. Nothing's alright. My wife... She..." A sharp intake of breath that stabbed at my stomach. "She's not responding to treatment. I just... I just wanted to talk to someone that isn't my kids. It's all very hard for them too."

I sat up quickly, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. Fear trickled down my spine. Beside me, Lennox stirred.

"What... What do you mean she's not responding to treatment?" I asked, clutching a fist to my chest in an effort to steady my breathing.

"I mean," he sighed, "she has advanced to a greater stage in her diabetes. The treatment she's being administered have no effect on her. They have to ramp up her medicine and it's going to cost me more money." He let out another tired sigh that squeezed all the breath from my lungs.

If only... Fuck! If only I had let him sell the dance school when he still had the chance.

"I'm on my way to the hospital right now."

"I could use the company, V." Was his tired, heartbroken response before he hung up.

I shot out of bed immediately going for the en-suite. When I was done showering, I wrapped myself in my plush bathrobe and stepped out.

Lennox was rousing from his sleep, and he rolled unto his back, a sleepy grin on his face. "Hey," he murmured, sleepily, his eyes still closed.

He looked so happy and warm and well rested.

He stretched, every inch of him golden, beautiful, taut, firm, embodying the Greek God I'd always thought he was.

"You're up early," he murmured, lying back on his stomach and sighing peacefully to himself.

Despite the anxiety and dread cooking up in my stomach, I couldn't resist smiling to myself, moving unto the bed and brushing his hair out of his face. "Lennox." A stupid smile stretched my lips. "It's ten in the morning."

He froze. His eyes snapped open. "What?"

I bit my lip, worried that I must have done something wrong.

He was sitting up now and tugging on his shirt. "My assistant must be having a heart attack." He laughed good-naturedly. "I'm always awake by five in the morning." He explained when he saw the confused look on my face.

I scrunched up my face disgusted. "Ew. Five? Why?"

He chuckled. "Some of us have billion-dollar companies to run, sweetheart."

The sweet name made butterflies flap their happy wings in my stomach.

Now clad in his cotton pants and t-shirt from last night, he pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. "Are you going somewhere?" He asked, picking up the wine glasses and empty champagne bottles.

"Yeah. I'm going to the hospital to see Mr. Covel. His wife's not responding well to the treatment."

His face turned grim. "Alright. I'll try to finish up what I have to do and make time to meet you at the hospital."

I nodded and before he left the room, he pulled me back to himself and dropped protective kiss to my forehead, staring me softly in the eyes, he said, “Be safe for me, okay?”

I nodded and couldn’t help smiling a little. “I will.”

I left him to see to his corporate affairs and dressed quickly, then left the penthouse, taking a taxi to the biggest hospital in South Barton Groove. I was directed to Mrs. Covel's room and when I got there, all four of her kids were in the room, either gathered around her or perched at a corner, watching her worriedly.

"Ah, Verity! It's so good to see you!" Mr. Covel exclaimed from where he sat at her bedside, staring longingly and worried at her.

At the sound of my name, everyone looked up, happy smiles brightening up their faces.

"V! Is that my lovely Verity?" Mrs. Covel croaked from the hospital bed, looking around for me. I entered into her line of vision, and she laughed happily, stretching her arms out to me. "Come give me a hug, sweetie."

I hugged her gently and she enclosed me in a warm hug. I tried, I really tried not to feel horribly down but a devastated tear fell from my eyes. All these. All of these could have been avoided if I had just allowed Mr. Covel to sell the fucking Dance school.

The kids greeted me. Alex and Khloe,who were the oldest and closest to my age, fed me on the medical details of her complications. Ryan hung around his mother protectively, he was only sixteen but the burden he bore from knowing that his mother was fighting for her life and her body was fighting against treatments made him plaster on a grim look that made him look twenty-one.

Kitty was the youngest, ten years old and clutching on to her mother, lying on the bed with her and hugging her close, crying softly.

The entire atmosphere in the room clawed at my throat.

"I hope you don't blame yourself for what happened," Alex said out of the blue.

"Huh?" I blinked at him.

"My dad told me what happened to the studio. It's not your fault, V and he doesn't blame you for it. No one does."

My lips trembled but I sniffed and looked away before I broke into relieved happy tears.

"Bad things happen to good people. You had the best intentions. We're grateful for trying your best in your own big way, all we can pray for now is that the GoFundMe account fills up fast."

I swallowed noisily, anxiety ripping what was left of my heart to shreds.

"Does Mr. Covel know?" He had been so averse to the fundraiser; they must have fought tooth and nail to run this with him.

"Dad? He was the one that suggested it. We just went along with the plan."

I tried not to look too shocked.

Alex gave me a tired weak smile. "It hurt his ego, won't lie. But we have one life to live, one life to spend with those we love. We don't mind, she's our mum. It's best we try all we can to save her so that we have no regrets later."

I froze, his words digging a hole and lodging itself in my chest.

We have one life to live... one life to spend with those we love.

I looked at the Covels gathered worriedly around their matriarch, doting on her, praying for her, crying for her and a zing shot down my spine, realization hit me square in my chest.

My parents. They were alive. Healthy...but worried for me.

And here I was, postponing meeting them because I haven't had my big break yet.

One day, it could be them on this sick bed... Or one day, I may be too late, and I would have lost them when I finally had it all.

The truth is not a bitter pill to swallow like we've been forced to believe, instead this truth, the new realization brought me peace and closure.

I sighed and left the room, deciding to leave for the penthouse, compose myself and finally give my mother a call.

I bade the Covels goodbye and went on my way, leaving the hospital and standing by the sidewalk to hail a taxi that would take me home.

My phone started ringing in my purse and I began digging into the purse to get it out. I guess that was why I didn't see it when a big black van pulled up in front of me.

Two men in black t-shirts and pants jumped out of the van and I looked up immediately as big black boots stepped into my line of vision and strong hands gripped my arm.

Terror made me let out a scream, but a heavy, meaty hand pressed down firmly on my mouth, so hard that my lip caught in my teeth, and I tasted blood in my mouth.

I was lifted off the ground by a pair of arms and I struggled, punching and kicking, as I got thrown into the back of the van, the doors closing in behind me, intensifying my fear.

I tried struggling but someone was already putting a blindfold over my eyes, and another was tying me up at my wrists and ankles, reducing me to a wriggling worm. I tried screaming again but immediately quieted down when I felt something sharp and cold press against my cheek.

"Oh, relax, honey." The awfully familiar voice crooned into my ear.

I would recognize that annoying baritone anywhere.

King Wilder. Damn that man was definitely taking the cake for worst father of the year.

"Are you going to hurt me?" I hissed at him, my hands hurting from the rough cords bound too tight around my wrists, digging into my skin, restricting my blood flow and probably leaving permanent marks as I tried to wriggle and kick out of it.

"Me?" He asked amused. "Oh, goodness! No, sweetheart. I don’t hit beautiful women"

I recoiled at the sweet name, my heart punching out of my chest, my heart beating wildly in my ears. I hated the tiny relief that passed through me at his reply, but his next statement fixed it.

"I won't hurt you, Verity. But my men will." He chuckled. Right before strong, brutal fists smashed me on the face, effectively knocking me out.