CHAPTER 167
CHAPTER 167
“Mr. Laurent, your recovery is nothing short of a miracle.”
Xerxes glances up at Dr. Martin, who reads from his chart, and he gives the doctor a tight-lipped smile. “I’m not easy to kill.”
Dr. Martin needs it. “You are one strong man, and this is a case we have never had before; we took it upon ourselves as a challenge. I'm so glad Mr. Reid came to find a doctor when he did. I believe I should offer my congratulations, now, Mr. Laurent. In a couple of days, you will finally be discharged and back to your normal life again.”
Xerxes's lips twitch into a smile. He's certainly looking forward to that. He has disappeared from the world for a very long time., People might assume he's dead, but it's time he gets back to the buzz. Enough of lying on the bed, staring at the pale white ceiling of a hospital. “I want to be discharged immediately,”
Before Dr. Martin can respond, the doors of his room push open, revealing Mael and Gabriel as they step inside, their expressions tense as they stare at their Don.
Xerxes raises a questioning brow. “What happened?” he inquires.
Mael exchanges a look with Gabriel, then steps forward. “It’s Tina. She’s in the hospital. She gave birth,”
Xerxes' eyes instantly darken, and he rises to his feet. “Take me to her,”
They lead, and Xerxes follows. He follows them towards the maternity ward. There are so many things in his head, and all of them circle the fact that he's going to strangle the life out of her.
They stop first at the nursery. Xerxes stands outside the viewing glasses; he has never seen so many tiny creatures in the same room, being attended by the nurses.
“Which one?” He asks as he looks at Mael, who immediately points a finger and his gaze follows, finding two babies sleeping side by side. He frowns.
“She gave birth to a pair of boys, Sir,” Mael reveals.
Xerxes's eyes curl into an evil smirk. The stupid bitch.
“Are you their father?”
The questions make him snap his head so fast that it cracks to find a female doctor, who looks at him with a warm smile. “You have nothing to worry about; they are two healthy boys, but I can't say the same for their mother. She suffered severe internal bleeding; we managed to stop it for now, but her body is still weak.”
Xerxes's jaw clenches. His head snaps back to the babies, wrapped in a soft blanket. “I want you to run a DNA test, and I want it immediately.”
The doctor looks at him strangely. “Are you perhaps having doubts that they are not yours? You should talk to their mother first.”
Xerxes looks at her sharply, his gaze piercing through. “Their mother won't be alive to speak to me. So now you are going to run along and do that DNA test with no questions asked, do you understand?”
“Y-yes, sir,” the doctor stutters, then she turns and walks away.
~
Ciel stands outside Tina's room for a very long time before the door finally opens, and he steps inside.
The machine beeps softly around her, her face pale and eyes barely open. There are tubes connected to her arms, and her breathing is shallow. Ciel steps closer, and she sluggishly turns her head to look at him.
“Mr. Reid,” she whispers, her lips dry and cracked. “Is… is Mr. Laurent here?”
“He went to see the babies. I think he's going to want a DNA test.” He answers, crossing his arms over his chest.
Tina lets out a painful breath. “M-Mr. Reid, don’t let him hurt them… please.”
Ciel frowns. “He won't hurt a baby, Tina.”
“You don’t know him like I do…” she rasps. “If they’re his… he’ll hate them. He’ll punish them for being born from me… I know him… Ciel, promise me. I know I can never be forgiven for what I did to him; he will want to kill me the minute he sees me, and I don't think I'm going to live long.”
“Tina, they’re innocent—”
“Exactly!” she cries weakly, her hand trembling as she tries to lift it. “They’re innocent. They don’t deserve this life; it's my fault for bringing them to suffer. Please… don't let him hurt them; give them to a good family. Let them grow up safe. Far away from hate.”
“Tina…” Ciel sighs. “I can assure you that I won't let him hurt them, but now, you need to rest. We can talk later—”
“There is no later,” she proceeds with tears running down her temples. “I know my body… I’m dying, Ciel.”
“No, you’re not,” he says quickly. “The doctors are doing everything they can—”
“I know I do not deserve to ask anything from you. I know I have wronged you and Xerxes. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but please, just promise me,” she says, reaching out for his hand. She clutches his hand with what little strength she has left. “Promise me… you’ll protect them…”
Ciel's throat tightens, and then he sighs before giving a little nod. “I promise.” As long as the babies are innocent, he will protect them.
“Thank you,”
Suddenly, the monitor begins to beep loudly. Ciel watches as the lines on the secret spikes and Tina gasps for breath, her eyes widening.
“Doctor!” Ciel shouts at the top of his lungs. “Nurse! Somebody!”
Instantly, the door flies open as a medical team rushes in, shouting instructions and moving fast. Ciel is pulled back and out of the room. He watches through the glass. He watches helplessly as the doctors try everything, but her body doesn't respond. The lines on the screen straighten before they go flat, and her hands fall limp at her side.
“Time of death: 3:42 PM.”
Ciel’s breath hitches; he immediately turns his back and leans against the window, shutting his eyes immediately as his heart pounds in his chest. Maybe it's better this way because Xerxes will certainly not let her go a moment longer if he sees her.
Shame, she never got to name her babies or see them ever again.