Chapter 71 Blood

Chapter 71 Blood
Chapter 71: Blood

Dianna.

I was walking faster than I should have, with one hand on my stomach like it would somehow steady me. My steps sounded too loud against the floor, echoing back at me that made everything feel more real than I wanted it to be.

It should have been easy.

But the closer I got, the harder it felt to move.

I stopped in front of the door and just stood there for a second. My hand hovered over the handle, like I needed to prepare myself.

Then I pushed it open.

And then I saw my beloved grandmother lying there too still.

“Grandma…”

My voice came out softer than I expected. Like I didn’t want to disturb anything.

I walked closer, slower this time, with my eyes fixed on her like I was waiting for her to wake up. Maybe her fingers twitching. Maybe her eyes opening. Anything.

But nothing happened. I received no response.

I stopped beside the bed and just stared at her for a moment. Then, I reached out and took her hand.

“Grandma…” I tried again, a little louder this time.

Still nothing.

My chest tightened, and before I knew it, my grip on her hand had tightened too.

“It’s all my fault…” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

My voice broke halfway through, my throat closing up as everything I had been holding back came rushing in. “It’s because I left… I let you take over everything while I ran away for my own selfish reasons.”

My vision blurred.

“I’m sorry… I really am,” I whispered, my shoulders shaking now as I tried to hold it together and failed. “Please… just be okay. Please wake up…”

My thumb brushed over her hand, like I was trying to remind her I was there.

“You’re the only one I have,” I admitted. “My own mother never wanted me…”

I swallowed hard, my voice trembling.

“So please…” I leaned a little closer, my grip tightening as if I could keep her here. “Stay a little longer, okay?”

My hand moved to my stomach without thinking.

“…You still have to meet your great grandchild,” I said, and that was when I broke.

The tears came all at once. I couldn’t stop them.

I didn’t even notice Theodore moving until his hands settled on my shoulders from behind, warm and steady.

“My love, please calm down,” he murmured near my ear. “You don’t want to strain yourself, not now…”

His voice was gentle. Careful.

But it was already too late.

A sharp pain hit me without warning.

I gasped, my body going stiff as my grip on the bed tightened.

“…Theo…!” I choked out.

He turned me toward him immediately, his hands steadying me as he looked down, his expression shifting fast.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked, his voice no longer calm.

I couldn’t answer.

The pain came again, stronger this time, stealing the air from my lungs.

My fingers clutched his arm.

“Help me… Theo… something’s wrong…” I whispered, panic creeping in.

His face changed instantly.

“Dianna…”

His hands moved quickly, checking on me, trying to understand what was happening.

Then he froze.

I followed his gaze.

Blood.

For a moment, everything felt distant.

My hand moved to my stomach without thinking.

No… not yet… please…

But Theodore had already acted.

He lifted me into his arms in one swift motion, holding me tightly as he rushed out of the room.

“Help! My wife needs help!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the hallway. “Please!”

Everything blurred.

Voices started to rise around us.

Footsteps rushed closer.

“Sir, put her down here.”

Hands reached for me, guiding me onto a stretcher. The cold surface made me shiver.

“No, be careful. She’s bleeding,” Theodore said, his voice shaking.

“Sir, we need space. Please step back.”

“No. I’m coming with her.”

“Sir, please.”

I tried to look for him, but my vision was starting to fade.

The lights above became too bright.

“No. Keep your eyes open, Dianna,” he said, his voice closer again.

I felt his hand find mine.

Warm. Unsteady.

“Stay with me. Please… stay with me.”

I wanted to answer.

I wanted to tell him I was trying.

But the words wouldn’t come.

The stretcher moved, wheels rolling fast against the floor as they rushed me down the hall. Voices overlapped, urgent, focused, but I couldn’t follow any of it anymore.

Everything felt heavy.

Fading.

And the last thing I heard before everything went dark was his voice.

Calling my name.

_Theodore_

Her hand slipped from mine.

It happened so quickly that for a moment, I thought I imagined it. One second she was holding onto me, weak but still there, and the next her fingers went loose, sliding away like there was nothing left in them to hold on.

“Dianna.”

I said her name, but it came out strained, unfamiliar even to my own ears.

The stretcher kept moving. The wheels rolled fast against the floor as the medical team rushed her down the corridor, their voices overlapping in sharp, urgent tones that I struggled to follow.

“Blood pressure dropping!”

“Prepare the operating room!”

“She’s losing too much blood!”

I stayed beside her, keeping pace no matter how fast they moved. My hand found hers again, gripping it tightly, as if I could anchor her with nothing more than that.

“Dianna, look at me,” I said, leaning closer, trying to catch even the smallest reaction. “Open your eyes.”

But there was nothing.

Her face had gone pale, far too pale, and the sight of it made something twist hard in my chest.

“Sir, you need to step back.”

“I’m not stepping back,” I replied immediately, my voice sharper than I intended.

“She needs space so we can work.”

“I’m staying.”

I refused to let go. I had already lost her once. I was not about to stand back and watch it happen again.

“Dianna,” I said again, quieter now, my voice tightening as I tried to hold myself together. “Stay with me. Don’t do this.”

The doors ahead opened, and they pushed her straight through.

“Pulse is weak.”

“We need a line now.”

“Get ready.”

I stood there for a moment, watching as they moved around her, each of them knowing exactly what to do while I could do nothing at all.

For the first time, I felt completely useless.

I had spent all that time searching for her, tearing through every lead, every connection, doing whatever it took just to find her again. I had dealt with my father, destroyed everything that stood in my way, and made sure no one could keep her from me.

And yet, standing there, none of it mattered.

“Sir, you need to wait outside.”

A nurse stepped in front of me, her tone firm this time.

“I’m her husband!” I franticay said.

“Please step outside. We need to focus on her.”

I clenched my jaw, my hands tightening at my sides. Every instinct told me to refuse, to stay right where I was, but I could see it clearly now. I was in their way.

And if I stayed, I might make things worse.

That thought alone forced my feet to move.

They guided me out, and the doors closed in front of me that made my chest tighten.

I looked down at my hands and only then noticed the faint stains left on them. My fingers curled slowly, as if I could still feel the weight of her hand in mine.

“She’ll be fine. I know she will be...If she won't be, then a life will have to pay the price.”