Chapter 80 Pain
CHAPTER 80
Pain.
Leo stepped out of the doctor’s office with a heaviness that refused to leave his chest. The words he had just heard echoed repeatedly in his mind, refusing to fade, refusing to soften. He died immediately. It didn’t feel real. Nothing about it did.
For a brief moment, Leo paused in the hallway, his hand brushing against the cold wall beside him as though he needed something solid to steady himself. He wasn’t used to feeling this way, lost, uncertain, unable to fix what was already broken.
He straightened slowly, forcing himself to move. Each step felt heavier than the last as he made his way back toward her room. But as he turned into the main corridor, something else began to shift. People were staring. At first, it was subtle just a glance here and there. Then whispers followed.
“Is that him?”
“I think it’s Leo…”
“What is he doing here?”
Phones began to lift discreetly. A nurse paused longer than necessary. A man sitting nearby nudged the person beside him.
Leo’s jaw tightened of course he wasn’t just anyone. He was known. Recognized everywhere he went.
And right now, in a place like this, he stood out even more. The last thing he needed was attention.
Leo lowered his gaze slightly, his steps becoming quicker, more controlled. He ignored the whispers, the stares, the quiet curiosity that followed him like a shadow.
But it didn’t stop.
A nurse approached him hesitantly.
“Sir—are you—”
“I’m busy,” Leo cut in firmly, his voice low but commanding.
She stepped back immediately. Still, the attention lingered. He could feel it pressing in, suffocating, unnecessary.
And at that moment, he made a decision.
He turned sharply and walked straight back to Ruby’s room, pushing the door open and stepping inside before closing it firmly behind him.
The noise disappeared instantly, replaced by the quiet, steady sound of the monitor beside her bed.
Leo leaned against the door for a brief second, exhaling slowly as though he had just escaped something far more draining than he expected.
But the moment he looked up everything else faded. She hadn’t moved; she lay there, fragile and still, her face pale against the white sheets, her breathing soft but steady.
Leo walked toward her slowly this time, the tension in his body shifting into something deeper, something heavier.
He reached the side of her bed and stopped, his eyes fixed on her face as if searching for reassurance that she was still there.
His hand reached out almost instinctively, finding hers again. He held it gently, carefully, as though afraid that even the slightest pressure might hurt her.
“You don’t even know yet…” he murmured under his breath.
His thumb brushed lightly over her fingers, grounding himself in her warmth. For a moment, he said nothing. He just stood there, holding her hand, his gaze never leaving her face. And then slowly, he pulled a chair closer and sat down beside her. The room felt smaller now. Like the outside world no longer existed.
Leo leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees as he held onto her hand with both of his.
“I should have been there,” he said quietly. “You shouldn’t have gone through that alone.”
Minutes passed, stretching into something longer. And for the first time in a long while Leo allowed himself to feel it fully. He lowered his head slightly, his grip tightening around her hand as his composure began to crack.
“I almost lost you today,” he whispered.
That thought alone was enough to shake him.
Because it wasn’t just an accident. It wasn’t just her father. It was everything combined with the shock, the panic, the way her body had reacted. It had all come too close.
Leo ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply before looking back at her again.
“You don’t get to leave like that,” he said softly, his voice strained now. “Not after everything.”
His eyes lingered on her face, tracing every detail as if committing it to memory.
“I’m not ready for that,” he admitted quietly.
The room fell into silence again and then
a small movement. Leo’s attention snapped back immediately. Ruby’s fingers shifted slightly in his grasp.
His heart tightened. “Ruby?” he called softly.
Her brows furrowed faintly, her breathing changing just enough to show she was coming back.
Leo leaned closer, his grip gentle but firm. “Ruby…”
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.
At first, they were unfocused, distant, but then they found him. “Leo…” she whispered weakly.
Relief washed over him instantly, but it didn’t last because the moment awareness returned so did memory. Her expression changed and fear crept in.
“Leo…” she said again, her voice trembling now. “My dad… I saw him… there was blood…”
Her breathing quickened, her body tensing. “I saw him… why wasn’t he moving?”
Leo’s chest tightened. “Ruby, calm down,” he said gently.
But she shook her head immediately. “No… something was wrong… I need to see him again… maybe they moved him, maybe he’s okay.”
Her words came faster now, panic building rapidly. “Leo, tell me,” she said, gripping his hand tightly. “What happened to him?”
There it was the moment he had been trying to delay.
Leo went still. Her eyes widened slightly, fear deepening.
“Leo…” she whispered.
He swallowed hard, his hand gently cupping her face as he leaned closer.
“Ruby…” he began carefully.
“He has an accident,” Leo said quietly.
Her breathing hitched. “And?” she asked quickly.
Leo closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. This time, there was no hesitation. “He didn’t make it.”
Ruby stared at him, her mind refusing to process it.
“No…” she whispered. Her head shook weakly. “No, that’s not true… I saw him… he was there… he just needed help…”
“Ruby.”
“No!” she cried, pulling her hand away as pain took over completely. Her breathing became uneven, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“He can’t be gone… he can’t just leave me like that!”
Tears streamed down her face as her body trembled. “I need to see him… I need to go.”
“Ruby, listen to me!” Leo said firmly, holding her shoulders.
But she couldn’t hear him. “I want my dad…” she cried, her voice breaking.
That one sentence broke something in him. Without hesitation, Leo pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she collapsed against him, her sobs uncontrollable.
“I’m here,” he said softly, his voice steady despite everything. “I’m here.”
She clung to him desperately, as though he was the only thing keeping her from falling apart completely.
And maybe he was. Leo held her close, one hand supporting her head, the other wrapped securely around her. His eyes closed briefly, his jaw tightening as he fought to hold himself together.
Because even as she cried,her pain filled the room. He felt it too and yet, he didn’t let go.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered again.
But as he held her, one thing became clear in the quiet, painful stillness of that room. No amount of power, wealth, or control could protect her from this.
Leo felt completely, utterly helpless.