Chapter 81 Stay
The nurse’s expression grew more solemn, her eyes filled with pity. "The pregnancy is unstable due to the trauma and smoke exposure. The situation is… delicate."
Each word cut into him like a blade. Derek turned his head away, staring blankly at the wall as tears welled in his eyes. His hands trembled slightly against the sheets.
This was his fault. All of it. He had insisted on the trip, he had pushed her when she was already fragile.
He had attacked her with accusations instead of simply listening. Instead of protecting her, he had hurt her.
If he hadn’t brought her here, she would be safe. She would be at home. She wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. A sob escaped him before he could stop it.
As the nurse quietly stepped away, giving him privacy, Derek squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t remember the last time he had cried, or prayed, but now he found himself doing both. Silently, but desperately, he begged whoever was listening.
'Please.' he whispered brokenly.
He didn’t care anymore. About pride. About suspicion. About the baby’s paternity.
He would accept anything. He would live with the pain. He would live with the guilt. He would live with unanswered questions.
Just let her live. Just let the baby live.
"I’ll take it all," he whispered brokenly. "Just don’t take them. Please."
The door opened quietly, pulling him from his thoughts. Richard stepped inside.
He looked older, like the weight of the past few hours had aged him years. His shoulders were slumped, his eyes red and rimmed with exhaustion and grief.
"Derek," Richard said softly.
Derek turned toward him, relief and fear mixing in his expression. "What happened? Where's Vanessa?" he asked hoarsely. "Tell me everything."
Richard pulled a chair closer and sat down slowly. "The police arrested Vanessa," he said. "She’s in custody. The men she hired too."
Derek swallowed hard. "She tried to kill her," Derek said quietly. "She was going to shoot Rebecca. I saw it in her eyes."
Richard nodded, pain flashing across his face. "I know. The officers told me."
Silence stretched between them. Then Richard sighed, heavier this time, his gaze briefly dropping to the floor.
"You’re lucky," he said quietly. "The bullet barely missed anything vital."
Derek barely reacted. Something in Richard’s tone shifted subtle, but unmistakable. A weight hung in the air.
"And… a lot has happened," Richard added absently.
Derek’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at him, there was something Richard has still not told him, he thought.
"What do you mean?"
Realizing his mistake, Richard hesitated for a moment, "Nothing," he said quickly. "Just… stress."
Derek knew better, the only other person that would be affected by him getting shot was his grandfather.
He narrowed his eyes, seeing that old man Edward was nowhere in sight. That was so unlike his old man.
“Where’s my grandfather?” he asked suspiciously.
The look in Richard's eyes when he mentioned his grandfather made his heart skip, and wave of worry passed through him.
"What happened to my grandfather?" he asked suddenly.
Richard froze. The silence that followed was all the answers he needed.
"What happened?" He demanded, trying to sit up again despite the pain.
Richard closed his eyes briefly before sighing. "He——he collapsed when he heard about you and Rebecca," he admitted softly. "They brought him here earlier."
Derek’s heart sank. "Why didn’t you tell me?" he asked, his voice breaking.
"I didn’t want to worry you," Richard said honestly. "You were unconscious and hurt."
"I need to see him," Derek said firmly.
Despite Richard’s protests and the nurses’ warnings, Derek insisted. With assistance, he was wheeled into his grandfather’s room.
The sight broke him. His grandfather lay unconscious, pale, surrounded by softly beeping machines. The man who had always been strong, unyielding, commanding, now looked fragile, small, still.
"Grandpa," Derek whispered, tears streaming freely now. "I’m here."
The doctor spoke gently beside him. "He suffered a severe stress-related attack. He’s stable for now, but another episode could be fatal. He needs rest. As little stress as possible."
Derek nodded slowly, guilt crushing him from every direction. In just a few hours, his actions have affected just the two people he loved.
After a few moments, he was taken out. There was only one place he wanted to be.
Rebecca’s room. The moment he saw her, his heart shattered all over again.
She lay motionless on the bed, pale and fragile, tubes and wires attached to her body. An oxygen mask covered her face, rising and falling with shallow breaths. Bruises marred her skin, silent proof of what she had endured.
Derek approached slowly, afraid that even breathing too loudly might hurt her at this rate.
He reached for her hand, gentle and careful, his fingers trembling as they wrapped around hers.
"I’m here," he whispered, voice breaking. "I’m not leaving. Not ever again."
"I’m so sorry, Rebecca," he murmured. "I failed you. But I’m here now. And I’ll stay… until you wake up."
He leaned forward, resting his forehead against the edge of the bed, tears falling silently onto the sheets praying that this would not be the end.