Chapter 80 "Get In The Car"
Chapter 80 "Get In The Car"
Celene’s POV
“Take a deep breath for me, Celene.”
I sighed and did as the doctor asked, keeping my eyes fixed on the ceiling. The cold press of the stethoscope slid against my ribs, making me shudder slightly.
“I’m fine, Doc,” I told him for the third time since he’d walked into my bedroom. “Honestly. I feel completely normal. No nausea, no dizziness.”
“You feel normal because the antidote worked quickly, but your body still went through a massive trauma,” he replied smoothly, not even looking up as he checked my pulse. He noted something down on his tablet, his clinical, calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos that had filled the house just hours ago. “The toxin strips your hydration. You need to keep drinking fluids...water, broth, whatever you can handle...and you need to stay in bed for at least another twenty-four hours.”
“I’ve had three glasses of water already. I’m fine.”
“You’re stubborn,” he corrected, a small, knowing smile tugging at his mouth as he stepped back from the bed. “But my job is to make sure you stay alive, otherwise the Boss will have my head. So, please, just...”
The bedroom door clicked open, cutting him off.
Cole’s mother stepped into the room. There was no trace of the heavy sorrow that had weighed her down earlier; instead, she looked entirely gathered, her classic elegance firmly back in place as a warm smile lit up her face the moment her eyes landed on me.
The doctor immediately went rigid, inclining his head out of habit and respect.
“That will be all, Doctor,” she said, her voice soft, sweet, and entirely commanding as she walked further into the room. She didn't even look at him, her attention completely captured by me. “You can leave us now. I’ll be taking my new daughter out for some fresh air.”
The doctor hesitated, clearing his throat uncomfortably. He didn't move away from the bedside.
“With all due respect, ma'am, Celene’s health is still fragile. An hour ago she was on an IV. The sun, the movement—there are strict limits on what can be allowed right now if we want to avoid a relapse. She really needs to remain in this bed.”
Cole’s mother stopped walking. She tilted her head slightly, her warm smile never fading, though the air in the room suddenly felt noticeably tighter.
“Doctor,” she murmured, her tone dripping with gentle, motherly concern. “Are you implying that you mean well for Celene more than I do? More than her own family?”
The doctor’s face instantly went pale. The subtle, underlying threat wrapped in that soft question wasn't lost on him. He swallowed hard, looking between the two of us before taking a hasty step back.
“Of course not, ma'am,” he stammered, packing up his stethoscope with sudden urgency. “I only... a few minutes of light air should be perfectly fine. Just ensure she drinks her fluids.”
The doctor bowed to her, muttered a quick apology, and practically fled the room, leaving the two of us alone.
The moment the door clicked shut, the sharp edge in the room completely melted away. Cole’s mother rushed over to the side of my bed, her face softening into an expression of pure, adoring concern.
"Oh, my sweet girl," she murmured, taking my hands in hers. Her palms were warm, and she squeezed my fingers gently, looking down at me as if I were made of glass. "How are you really doing? How are you feeling? You gave us all such a terrible fright last night. I haven't been able to sleep a wink just thinking about you."
"I'm much better, really... I'm more said that you'venot been able to sleep... meanwhile I'm being put on bed rest ," I said, offering her a reassuring smile. Her intense doting was a little overwhelming, but it was hard to resist the genuine maternal warmth radiating from her. "The doctor was just being overly cautious. I'm ready to get out of this bed and get some fresh air"
"Good," she beamed, smoothing a stray piece of hair behind my ear with a tender touch. Then, a playful twinkle lit up her eyes, and she let out a soft, melodic laugh. "Because we are going to go get that fresh air. But you must promise to let me drive us safely. I heard from the boys that you are quite the rough driver, Celene, and my poor heart simply cannot take any more excitement today."
I nodded, giving in to the sheer force of her motherly enthusiasm. "Deal. You drive, I ride shotgun. No high-speed chases today."
Getting out of bed was an Olympic sport in itself. My legs felt like overcooked spaghetti, and my brain took a solid five seconds to register that the floor was actually beneath me. I managed to throw on some fresh clothes without collapsing, which I counted as an absolute win, and followed her out of the room.
As we walked down the grand hallway, the sheer silence of the mansion started to feel a little eerie. I scanned the corridors, fully expecting Cole or Jeffery to materialize out of the woodwork like the overprotective gargoyles they were. Usually, you couldn't take three steps in this place without bumping into a guy in a tailored suit holding a weapon.
"Isabella?" I asked, glancing over at her. "Where are Cole and Jeffery? And... where are all the guards?"
"Oh, don't worry about them, sweetie," Isabella said smoothly, her heels clicking rhythmically against the marble. "They're busy with work. No guards will be following us today. I gave them.some time off... they need it."
I froze mid-step, my internal alarm bells instantly fucking going off. Wait. Hold the fuck on...Is she saying what the fuck I think she's saying? Cole is going to fucking kill us and then roast our bodies in place of a fucking goat this time!!!
"Is it really okay for us to be leaving the mansion without a security detail?" I asked, looking at her like she’d suggested we go cliff-diving into a volcano. "Especially after everything that just happened? Someone literally just tried to delete me from the census yesterday."
Isabella stopped, turned to me, and just laughed. It was a beautiful, light, entirely unbothered sound, as if I’d just told a hilarious joke at a dinner party instead of questioning her about basic survival tactics that Cole would kill us for.
She opened the passenger door of a sleek sedan parked out front and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Oh, Celene, you worry too much," she beamed, her voice dripping with sweet nonchalance. "Get in the car, dear."