Chapter 35 I will do anything
A few days ago, Van returned from taking Karen to Dublin. He miraculously made it on time for the press conference, and everything went as planned.
When Roger planted a tracker on him, Van received the signal but was not surprised. Roger would go to any extent to locate Karen.
Van was relieved that Karen was safe and he didn't have to see her anytime soon.
However, things took a different turn when he came home from work the next day. Delanie was sitting in the living room looking shattered, exhausted, and sorrowful.
She didn't greet him with her usual signature smile and immediately addressed him.
"Dad, Roger hasn't eaten in two days," she said.
Giovanni froze. Everything was fine yesterday, and Roger was at the office today. "He must have eaten at work. Let him be," he replied, half-worried. But Delanie insisted, "No, he hasn't, dad, and he doesn't want anyone in his room."
"He'll eat when he's hungry," Giovanni casually replied, though he was internally disturbed.
The next day, being a weekend, Roger not only missed breakfast but also lunch and dinner. Things were escalating, and Molly couldn't bear it any longer.
Knocking on his door, they found it locked, and Roger refused to see anyone. "Son, open up. We need to talk," Giovanni urged, but Roger remained silent. Something was wrong.
"Roger, if you don't open this door, I'm going to have to break it down," his father warned. Molly had already alerted security, and without a response, they proceeded to break down the door.
They found Roger unconscious on the fluffy rug near the bed. Molly was in tears, kneeling beside him. "Roger, wake up." Her voice was drowned in tears.
Giovanni lifted him and placed him on the bed, but Delanie's tears were uncontrollable. "Dad, I told you he wasn't okay," she accused, making Giovanni feel guilty.
Perhaps it wouldn't have escalated to this point if he had taken her words seriously. Declan quickly called the family doctor as Giovanni and Molly tried to revive Roger.
First aid was necessary, but they decided not to call 911 since they had a hospital under the Dawson group. Roger disliked hospitals, so it was decided to treat him at home. When the family doctor arrived, everyone remained calm.
After examining Roger, he revealed, "He's dehydrated and malnourished. Has he not been eating?" As he spoke, he started connecting IVs, and Giovanni fell silent.
He couldn't believe that things had gotten so bad for Roger to resort to starving himself.
"He hasn't," Delanie replied, gazing affectionately at her brother. The doctor waited for an explanation, but none was forthcoming, and he was too hesitant to ask.
Giovanni Dawson had kept a low profile for a few years, but that didn't mean he had changed. A leopard never changes its spots, and likewise, a lion would never eat grass, regardless of the jungle's economy.
Don Gio would always remain ruthless to those who knew him in the past. "I'm afraid he'll have to eat if you don't want to lose him," he warned.
His gaze swept across the room as he continued, "Roger's condition is critical, and without proper care, he may develop other serious complications.
Food and water were essential daily needs, and no matter how resilient Roger was, he couldn't survive without them. The doctor left after stabilizing his condition, but it took a few hours before his eyes opened groggily.
"Kitten?" Roger mumbled, mistaking Delanie for his wife.
"No, Roger, it's me, Lani," Delanie corrected him, feeling a pang of sadness.
Roger had always been the strong one, assigning tasks, protecting, and caring for them. But because of Karen, Delanie felt like she was losing her remarkable big brother.
Roger furrowed his brow and tried to remove the IV, but Giovanni intervened. "Stay put, Roger. You fainted from dehydration," he instructed firmly.
Roger's vision was still blurry, but the voice was clear in his ears. "Food tastes bitter without Karen. I can't go on like this. The guilt is overwhelming," a tear rolled down his cheek.
Molly wiped her own tears and pulled Giovanni aside, unable to bear the situation any longer.
"Vanni, it's too much. We can't keep hiding her. Roger has learned his lesson. Give him a chance to make amends," Molly pleaded.
Giovanni hesitated, especially considering that Karen wasn't prepared to reveal herself yet. He had intended to train her for at least a year before allowing them to meet.
“And what if Karen doesn’t take him back? Won’t it hurt even more?" The sooner Roger gets over Karen, the better for him. In his next relationship, he would learn to apply his brain and not just his heart.
Molly was not in on his plan. "That shouldn’t be our problem. Please allow them to fight their own battles," she advised. Giovanni pondered. Only Molly could make him change his mind, and that wasn’t new.
"Then I have to make a few calls."
"I don’t mind, but it’s either you bring Karen, or I blow the whistle," Molly warned seriously before returning to Roger. He was so pale, and the sight of him ached her heart.
Roger was always strong and healthy, and she never saw him sick. Love has humbled the little proud boy she raised.
"Alright, Roger, your dad will bring Karen, but there are conditions," Molly revealed. Roger rose to a sitting position. Strength had already found its way to him, and the paleness was slowly dissolving from his face.
"What are they? I will do anything."