Chapter 100 The fall
CHAPTER 100
The fall
Blake didn’t drive slowly. The city blurred past them in streaks of light and motion, horns echoing faintly in the distance as he maneuvered through traffic with sharp precision. His grip on the steering wheel was tight, his jaw set, his mind racing through possibilities, damage control, medical concern, media containment.
Beside him, Leo sat unnaturally still.
His phone rested loosely in his hand, the screen lit up with notifications that kept pouring in relentlessly, messages, calls, alerts and headlines.
Blake glanced at him briefly. “Leo…” he called.
No response.
Leo’s eyes were fixed on the screen, but it didn’t look like he was reading anymore.
It looked like he was… stuck.
“Hey,” Blake tried again, softer this time.
Still nothing. Blake exhaled sharply.
“Just hold on,” he muttered, more to himself now.
By the time they arrived at Blake’s house, the tension had thickened into something suffocating. Blake parked quickly and stepped out, moving to Leo’s side immediately.
“Come on,” he said, opening the door.
Leo stepped out slowly this time, his movements delayed, almost mechanical.
Blake noticed and it worried him. They walked inside without a word. The house, usually quiet and orderly, suddenly felt too loud with silence..Blake dropped his keys on the table.
“Sit,” he said, gesturing toward the couch.
Leo didn’t argue, he sat but even then he knew something wasn't right. Blake moved quickly, grabbing a glass of water and placing it in Leo's hand.
“Drink.”
Leo didn’t move. Blake frowned.
“Leo.”
Still nothing. That’s when Blake reached for his phone.
“If you won’t check it, I will,” he muttered.
He opened one of the trending articles and there it was again, The headline.
He skimmed through it quickly, his expression darkening with every line.
“They’re not even verifying anything…” he muttered.
He looked back at Leo. “You can’t believe this,” he said firmly. “This is clearly manipulated—”
Leo suddenly let out a quiet, broken laugh.
Blake froze. “Manipulated…” Leo repeated under his breath.
Blake stepped closer. “Look at me.”
Leo slowly lifted his gaze and for the first time Blake saw it.
“My dad…” Leo started, his voice barely above a whisper.
Blake shook his head. “No.”
“You don’t know that,” Leo said.
“And neither do they,” Blake shot back.
Leo ran a hand through his hair, his breathing uneven now.
“She died…” he said. “She actually died.”
Blake’s expression softened slightly.
“I know.”
“And now they’re saying—” Leo stopped, his voice catching.
Blake stepped closer. “Listen to me,” he said firmly. “We don’t jump to conclusions.”
Leo shook his head again. “But what if—”
“No,” Blake cut in sharply. “Don’t go there.”
Leo stood up suddenly, pacing a few steps before stopping. His chest rose and fell rapidly. “This doesn’t make sense,” he muttered. “Why would anyone—”
Blake’s phone buzzed again, another alert.
He ignored it. “Sit down,” he said.
Leo didn’t move.
“Leo.”
Slowly Leo turned and everything went wrong, his vision blurred, the room tilted and before Blake could react, Leo collapsed.
“Leo!”
Blake rushed forward, catching him just before he hit the floor completely.
“Hey—hey!” he called, his voice sharp with panic.
Leo didn’t respond. His body had gone completely limp. “Damn it…”
Blake quickly checked his pulse. “Okay… okay…” he muttered, trying to stay calm.
Without wasting another second, he reached for his phone and dialed.
“Get the car ready,” he snapped the moment the call connected. “Now.”
Within minutes, Blake had Leo in the car again, this time with far more urgency than before.
“Stay with me,” Blake said, glancing at him repeatedly as he drove.
Leo’s head rested against the seat, his face pale, his breathing shallow.
Blake’s grip tightened. “Don’t do this right now…”
The hospital wasn’t far but every second felt longer than it should.
They pulled in sharply. Blake didn’t wait for help. He stepped out, pulling Leo’s arm over his shoulder, half-carrying him inside.
“Emergency!” he called.
Nurses rushed forward immediately, recognizing Blake. They wondered why he didn't rush the patient to his hospital but that didn't matter right now.
“What happened?”
“He fainted,” Blake said quickly. “Shock—stress—just take him!”
They didn’t ask for more. Leo was moved onto a stretcher, wheeled away swiftly.
Blake stood there for a moment, his chest rising and falling as adrenaline still coursed through him.
“Sir, you’ll need to wait here,” one of the nurses said.
Blake nodded, but his eyes never left the direction they had taken Leo.
Minutes passed, then more. Blake paced the hallway, running a hand through his hair repeatedly, his mind spinning. “This wasn’t supposed to happen…”
He pulled out his phone again. The news had only gotten worse. More outlets, speculation and chaos.
“Whoever did this…” he muttered.
His jaw tightened. “They’re not just targeting Richard.” They were targeting Leo, directly and it was working.
Back inside the room, doctors worked quickly, monitoring Leo’s vitals, stabilizing him. His body was reacting to the shock.
Blake finally stopped pacing, leaning against the wall as he exhaled slowly.
He allowed himself to feel the moment and accept what was coming.