it was my fault

it was my fault
Dominic’s P.O.V. (Continued)

Stem cell transplant…
The words felt like a hammer hitting my brain and my chest.
I wasn’t familiar with medical terms and stuff but knew about this term very well.
Nicholas didn’t speak instantly but gave me the time to process the severity of these words.
His eyes held sympathy, but more than that, they held worry.
Worry for my poor daughter.
I was still having a hard time believing that Natasha, who was filled with sparks of life, was literally dying inside.
Not because she was born frail.
But because I failed her as her father.
Violet not only gave birth to her but also saved Natasha’s life so many times in the past.
And now….
“It’s not that bad, Dominic. She still has time, an…. And I brought this matter up now because Violet is pregnant.”
I instantly shot up my brows when he mentioned it.
“What do you mean?” I asked him in a serious tone.
He took a deep breath and then looked at me with a serious gaze.
“In simple words, the umbilical cord of her sibling is the best way to get cord blood or stem cells for her. If… if we plan her transplant on the very same day as Violet’s delivery, her chances will be far better.”
I just blinked, processing everything that he said.
“You… you mean to say that you want to use the umbilical cord of her future sibling to save her?” I asked him in shock.
He nodded slowly, his gaze still serious.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
“I assure you that it’s not going to hurt your future child or Violet, okay? In normal delivery procedures, the umbilical cord is nothing but medical waste after the delivery. So, no harm to the newborn or to the mother.” He explained further.
I understood every word that he told me.
But I still felt worse.
Even now, saving Natasha fell on Violet and our future child.
I, once again, felt useless in every way.
“What are you thinking so hard about? Aren’t you relieved that Natasha can be treated?” Nicholas asked me in a confused tone.
“I am, Nick. I am glad that ….. that Natasha still has a chance to live a normal life. I….. I just….” I couldn’t complete my sentence as my voice cracked.
I closed my eyes and rubbed my hand on my face.
Nicholas was a good friend, and he had seen me breaking down so many times already.
So, I didn’t need to keep a mask of indifference or strength in front of him.
“No one can erase the past, Dominic. We should think about making the present better so that we can get a better future.”
“Natasha is still a child. She will forget what she has endured till now when she grows up.”
I knew that Nicholas was trying to comfort me, and I appreciated his gesture.
I was lucky that I had friends like Nicholas and now Gordon in my life.
“Yeah. You are right.” I replied with a sigh.
“What do you want to do with Natasha now?” I asked him after a short pause of a few seconds, removed my hand from my face, and looked straight into his eyes.
He clicked his tongue and jerked his head a little.
“I have prepared a detailed treatment plan for Natasha, and this is in the file,” he replied to me, pointing towards the file in front of me.
I looked down and tightened my grip on the file as if it were the only lifeline left to me.
“For now….. let her body heal of its own accord, but we need to be cautious about her surroundings. She shouldn’t get hurt more, nor should she fall sick – not gravely, I mean,” he clarified and took a deep breath in the end.
“And you also need to talk to Violet’s OB. She is in her second trimester, but because of what happened in her first pregnancy, her body is also fragile.” He continued, and I just nodded.
We paused when we heard a soft knock on the door.
I grimaced because I had instructed Emily not to disturb us until something urgent came up.
I controlled my emotions because I was sure that Emily was the one who knocked.
Emily peeked inside first after opening the door.
I gave her a curt nod, keeping my face expressionless.
She entered, her tablet laid straight into her hands.
“We just received an email from Hawthorne Corporation, Mr. Whitemore. Ms. Amber Hawthorne requested a formal meeting with you and our team after three days. She will be here that day.”
I groaned in frustration.
“Didn’t we already refuse to work with them?” I asked her irritably.
Nicholas looked at me questioningly.
But I didn’t need to explain things to him.
“We did, Mr. Whitemore. They stated in the email that Ms. Hawthorne wants to have a face-to-face conversation with you.” She answered and took a deep breath.
This Amber was now getting on my nerves.
“We….. we should give this partnership one last chance, Mr. Whitemore,” Emily said to me in a cautious tone.
I don’t like changing my business decisions midway.
But it didn’t mean that I would create enemies recklessly.
She asked for a formal meeting, not a personal one.
I still couldn’t let go of the fact that she tried to intimidate and threaten Violet.
So, I could use this opportunity to make Amber understand one thing clearly.
She is not invincible.
And Violet is not someone with whom Amber could mess with at any time.
“Call for a departmental meeting in half an hour,” I instructed her after some time.
“Yes, Mr. Whitemore. I have also forwarded the mail to you,” Emily answered me, and I gave her a curt nod.
She walked out of the door while doing something on her tablet.
Nicholas also stood up and buttoned his suit jacket.
“I am getting going now, Dominic. Go through the file and call me when you are free,” he said to me calmly.
I took a deep breath and nodded in affirmation.
He gave a curt nod and then walked towards the door.
He stopped when he grabbed the knob.
I was about to open the file when I looked at him.
“Don’t forget to talk to Violet’s OB, Dom. It’s really important,” he reminded me, looking at me over his shoulder.
“I will,” I assured him calmly.
He opened the door and walked out.
I still stared at the closed door for several seconds before moving my gaze back to the file.
The file had everything that my daughter needed to live a good life.
I took a deep breath and was about to press the intercom button to call Emily when the door opened abruptly.
"Mr. Sand is at the mansion, Mr. Whitemore," Emily told me sternly while entering the room before I could ask her why she didn't knock.