Chapter 254 Unable to Contact Selena

Katherine's POV

I sat quietly beside Anthony's hospital bed, watching his chest rise and fall with each labored breath. A homemade nutritional soup I'd prepared sat cooling on the side table, untouched.

Anthony's condition had deteriorated rapidly over the past few days, and I couldn't understand why. His doctors seemed equally puzzled. While watching him sleep fitfully, I couldn't help but worry about Garcia Group.

With both Anthony and Selena absent, the shareholders might see an opportunity to make moves that wouldn't benefit the family.

Sometimes I'd pause and marvel at how intertwined my life had become with Anthony's.

There was no biological imperative, no shared history from my childhood, yet the roots of my care for him ran surprisingly deep.

He possessed a natural, unassuming fatherly warmth that drew me in, offering a sense of security and acceptance I'd never found with Scott, the man who shared my DNA but little else. Scott's emotional distance had always been a given, a fact of my life.

Anthony, however, demonstrated what true paternal affection felt like, and in doing so, he'd earned a place in my heart far more significant than biology alone could ever dictate.

As I adjusted Anthony's blanket, a nurse appeared in the doorway.

"Excuse me," she said softly. "There's something I wanted to ask you."

I stepped away from the bed. "What is it? Please go ahead."

"Have you seen Ms. Garcia recently?"

"Not in the past couple of days. Is something wrong?" I asked, immediately alert.

The nurse shifted uncomfortably. "Nothing serious. It's just that Selena called last night asking about her father's condition. She promised she'd definitely visit today, but she hasn't shown up yet. The doctors have some updates they need to discuss with her." She hesitated. "She's always punctual when she schedules visits. This is unusual for her."

"Maybe something came up," I suggested, though I felt uneasy. "She'll probably arrive later."

"You're probably right. Please call me if you need anything."

As she left, my right eyelid suddenly began to twitch – an old superstition my mother had always said was a bad omen. I brushed the thought away, focusing instead on Anthony.

But a nagging inconsistency kept bothering me. The more I thought about Selena, the more the pieces didn't fit.

She'd promised to be here. Why wouldn't she show, or at least call? 

A knot of pure anxiety tightened low inside me, my pulse quickening. It was completely unlike her, especially with Anthony fading like this.

Could her absence be connected to the other strange things happening? The thought sent a chill through me, making the hospital air feel even colder.

Before I could pursue this line of thinking further, Anthony stirred restlessly in his bed, his eyelids fluttering open.

"Daughter!" he called out, his voice tinged with panic.

I rushed to his side immediately. "I'm here, I'm here," I assured him, taking his hand. "Another nightmare? Don't worry, I'm right here with you."

Relief flooded his face. "You're here, good, you're here." His eyes wandered the room before settling back on me. "When did you get back?"

My heart sank. His confusion was getting worse. "I just arrived today. How have you been? Why haven't you called me?"

"But I did call you..." he insisted, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm certain I called you."

"It doesn't matter," I said gently, reaching for the soup. "Let's have something to eat, shall we?"

His eyes suddenly widened with alarm. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Hurt? Of course not. I'm fine," I assured him, puzzled by his question.

"But I can see you injured..." he murmured, his gaze unfocused. "And you're fading away..."

I felt a lump form in my throat. Anthony's mind was now completely unable to distinguish between dreams and reality. I blinked back tears, forcing a smile as I helped him with his soup.

After he fell back asleep, I sat in the corner of the room with my laptop, searching medical journals for cases similar to Anthony's rapid cognitive decline. I found nothing that matched his symptoms exactly.

The doctors had diagnosed early-stage dementia weeks ago, but this sudden deterioration didn't fit the typical progression.

My phone rang, startling me from my research. Alexander's name lit up the screen.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Katherine, is Selena with you? Is she at the hospital?" Alexander asked without preamble.

I frowned. "Why is everyone asking about her today?"

"It's not what you think," he quickly clarified. "Garcia Group executives called Hudson Financial looking for her. There's an important shareholders' meeting she needs to attend, but no one can reach her. They only called me as a last resort. Katherine, please don't misunderstand – I'm not trying to contact her personally."

"I see," I said, surprised by his defensiveness. "Actually, the hospital staff has been looking for her too. She promised to visit Anthony today but never showed up. His condition is quite serious, and the doctors need to consult with her about his treatment plan."

"That's strange..." Alexander's voice carried a note of concern. "I haven't been able to reach her either. And the orthopedic specialist we found for her also hasn't been able to schedule the treatment."

A chill ran down my spine. "Alexander, you don't think something might have happened to her, do you?"

"What could possibly happen to her?"

"I don't know..." I glanced at Anthony's sleeping form. "We should check on her. Just in case."

"Good idea. Let's meet at her house."

"No need," I said firmly. "You wait at home. I'll pick you up."

"Alright," he agreed, a smile evident in his voice. "I'll wait for you at home."

As I ended the call, I couldn't explain the growing sense of dread I felt.

Perhaps it was Anthony's disturbing vision of me injured and disappearing, or my persistent twitching eyelid, but something felt very wrong.

Alexander's POV

As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but smile. Katherine was coming to pick me up – a simple thing that somehow made my heart race like a teenager's.

The thought of her concern, even if it was primarily for Anthony, warmed me from within.

"Dad, why are you grinning like that?"

I turned to find Emma looking at me curiously, with Ryan and Ethan watching from the couch.

"Is something funny?" Emma persisted.

"No, sweetie, I'm just happy. Your mom is coming to pick me up," I explained, unable to contain my smile.

Emma's face scrunched up in confusion. "Dad, is that really something to be this excited about?"

"Of course it is! Your mother is actually driving here to pick me up. Usually, I'm the one who goes to get her."

Ryan looked up from his tablet, eyebrow raised. "And that's something to be proud of?"

I chuckled, ruffling his hair. "You'll understand when you're older and have someone you love. When little things they do make you unreasonably happy." I straightened my jacket. "Ryan, you're in charge while I'm gone."

Ryan didn't respond verbally, but I caught the hint of an amused smile as he returned to his work.

I waited by the window until I saw a sleek red sports car pull into our driveway. Katherine behind the wheel of that powerful machine was a sight I wasn't prepared for.

She handled it with effortless precision, parking it perfectly before stepping out.

She was dressed in slim-fitting black pants and a crisp white blouse, her hair pulled back in a casual ponytail that somehow made her look both sophisticated and dangerous. I had to remind myself to breathe.

"Alexander, get in," she called, not bothering to come to the door.

I quickly made my way to the car, settling into the passenger seat.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, catching me admiring her profile as she adjusted the rearview mirror.

"Nothing. Let's go," I said, trying to sound casual.

She gunned the engine, the car responding instantly to her touch. As we pulled away from the house, she glanced over at me.

"Alex, would you please stop looking like you've never seen a woman drive before?" she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.