Chapter 139 Behind the Hospital Doors
chapter one hundred and thirty nine
Valenticia’s POV
The hospital lobby was louder than I expected.
As soon as I stepped through the sliding glass doors, the bright lights and constant movement around me made my heart beat faster. Nurses moved quickly across the floor, pushing carts and carrying files. Patients sat in rows of chairs, some talking quietly while others stared at their phones.
But that was not what caught my attention the most.
The reporters were everywhere.
Cameras flashed near the entrance. Several journalists stood in groups near the reception desk, whispering to each other while checking their phones and recording small updates.
Some of them looked impatient.
Others looked excited.
It was clear they were waiting for something.
Or someone.
My fingers tightened slightly around the strap of my bag as I kept my head down.
Lucas had warned me about this.
I wore a dark jacket, simple jeans, and a black face cap pulled low over my eyes. A pair of glasses rested on my nose even though I did not need them. My hair was tucked into the jacket so it would not attract attention.
Lucas had insisted on the disguise during our phone call.
His voice echoed in my mind as I walked quickly across the lobby.
“Do not come here looking like yourself,” he had said firmly.
I had frowned at the time.
“What do you mean?”
“There are reporters already outside the hospital,” he explained. “They will recognize you immediately if you walk in openly.”
“So what do you expect me to do?” I asked.
“Wear something simple,” he said. “A hat. Glasses. Anything that hides your face. Just get here quietly.”
At the time I had not fully understood why it was necessary.
But now, seeing the reporters crowding the hospital entrance, I understood perfectly.
If they recognized me, the entire situation would explode into another scandal.
And right now that was the last thing I needed.
I walked past the waiting area without slowing down. My mind felt crowded with thoughts.
Too many thoughts.
The conversation I had with Lucas earlier kept repeating in my head.
“He attacked someone in a restaurant.”
My chest tightened again as I remembered the moment.
“What?” I had asked in shock.
“The situation is escalating quickly,” Lucas said calmly. “Security cameras and witnesses recorded everything.”
My mind had struggled to process the information.
“Wait,” I said quickly. “Who did he attack?”
There had been a short pause. Then Lucas answered.
“Me.”
I still remembered the cold feeling that spread through my body when I heard those words.
“What did you just say?” I asked him.
“He got out of control,” Lucas said quietly. “It happened very fast.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. “Where are you right now?”
“At the hospital,” he replied.
Those words had made my heart jump.
“Are you injured?” I asked immediately.
“Nothing serious,” he said. “Just bruises.”
But even through the phone I could hear the strain in his voice.
That was the moment I decided to come immediately. Now I was here. I crossed the lobby quickly and reached the elevators.
For a moment I stood there beside a few strangers waiting for the doors to open. No one looked at me twice.
The disguise was working.
When the elevator doors slid open, I stepped inside and pressed the button for the upper floors.
Lucas had told me exactly where to find him.
“Seventh floor,” he said earlier during the call.
“And the room?” I asked.
“Private wing,” he replied. “Room 712.”
The elevator doors closed and the quiet hum of the machine filled the small space.
As the elevator began moving upward, I felt a strange trembling inside my chest.
Stefan attacking Lucas.
Even now the idea still felt unreal.
I knew Stefan had a temper. I had seen it before.
But for him to attack someone in a public restaurant. That was something else entirely.
The elevator dinged softly as it reached the seventh floor.
The doors opened slowly.
This floor looked completely different from the busy lobby downstairs.
It was quieter.
More polished.
The hallway lights were softer, and the walls were decorated with simple paintings that gave the place a calm atmosphere.
This must have been the VIP section.
I stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway, checking the numbers on each door.
My heart began beating faster as I approached the end of the corridor.
Room 712.
Two security guards stood outside the door.
As soon as I walked closer, one of them stepped forward and blocked my path.
“Ma’am, this area is restricted,” he said firmly.
I hesitated for a moment. Then I slowly removed my glasses and lifted the cap from my head.
The guard’s expression changed immediately when he recognized me.
“Oh,” he said quickly. “Miss Dykstra.”
His posture straightened instantly.
“I’m sorry,” he added. “We didn’t realize it was you.”
“That’s alright,” I said quietly.
He stepped aside and opened the door.
“You may go in.”
I nodded slightly and walked into the room.
The moment I stepped inside, my eyes immediately found Lucas.
He was sitting on the hospital bed.
For a moment I froze.
Bruises marked the side of his face, dark and swollen against his skin. A cut near his eyebrow had been cleaned and covered with a small bandage. One of his hands rested against his ribs as if even breathing caused discomfort.
He looked pale.
And he looked like he was trying very hard not to show how much pain he was in.
My chest tightened.
Stefan had done this.
I walked quickly toward the bed.
“Lucas,” I said softly.
He looked up when he heard my voice. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“You made it.”
I reached the bed and carefully helped him sit up a little straighter.
“You shouldn’t move too much,” I said.
“I’m fine,” he replied.
But I could see the way his expression tightened for a moment as he adjusted his position.
My hands trembled slightly.
“I’m so sorry,” I said quietly.
His brows moved together slightly.
“For what?”
“For Stefan,” I replied.
The words felt heavy.
“I know he has a bad temper,” I continued. “But I never imagined he would go this far.”
Lucas waved his hand dismissively.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
Still, the situation felt strange. Lucas was usually a very controlled man. Seeing him sitting in a hospital bed felt almost unreal.
After a moment, another thought crossed my mind.
“Where is Stefan?” I asked.
Lucas did not answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back slightly against the pillows.
“I took care of it,” he said calmly.
My brows pulled together.
“What does that mean?”
He looked at me quietly for a moment before speaking again.
“My father heard about the situation.”
I felt my stomach tighten slightly.
“And?” I asked.
Lucas’s voice remained steady.
“He had Stefan taken into custody.”
For a moment I stared at him, trying to understand what he meant.
“Taken into custody?” I repeated.
Lucas nodded slowly.
“He’s currently in police custody.”
My mind went completely still.