Chapter 14 Arms like Home
"If anything happens to her, I will have your head myself!”
A loud, furious voice cut through the darkness in her mind and Elara jerked up.
The words floated into Elena’s consciousness before she even understood where she was.
Her eyes flew open immediately.
Blinding white light flooded her vision, so bright it made her gasp.
Her head throbbed instantly, a sharp pounding that made her groan as she tried to lift herself.
The room felt strange and the sharp smell of antiseptic filled her nose.
Beside her, the monitor was beeping incessantly.
“What is this?” she whispered hoarsely.
She pushed herself upright, panic rising when she noticed the thin tube taped to her arm.
An IV.
Her breathing quickened.
“No. No, no, no…”
Without thinking, she yanked it out.
She hissed in pain as blood trickled down her arm, dripping onto the white sheets.
Her heart hammered violently as she swung her legs off the bed, dizziness hitting her so hard she had to grab the mattress to steady herself.
For a second, she had no memory of where she was.
“I need to get out of here,” she muttered, her voice shaking.
Her surroundings made no sense. This wasn’t her bedroom. This wasn’t the mansion. This wasn’t her father's home either.
Her bare feet touched the cold floor as she staggered toward the door. Her head spun, her stomach churned, but fear pushed her forward. She grabbed the handle and yanked it open.
She stumbled into a long white hallway.
“What’s going on?” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Where am I?”
She took a few unsteady steps forward, her heart pounding so loudly she could hear it in her ears.
And then she saw him.
“Daddy!”
The word came out as a sob when she saw a familiar face.
Her father turned sharply at the sound of her voice, shock flashing across his face before it melted into pure relief.
“Elena!”
She ran straight into his arms and he caught her just in time, holding her tightly, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other pressing her against his chest.
“You’re here,” she cried into his shirt. “You’re really here.”
“Easy, easy,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve got you. I came as soon as I heard you were brought here.”
He pulled back slightly, holding her at arm’s length, his eyes scanning her face anxiously.
“Darling, are you hurt? Does anything hurt? Tell me the truth.”
She shook her head, still trembling. “I don’t know. My head hurts. Everything feels fuzzy.”
Her eyes darted around wildly. “What’s going on? Where am I? Why am I not home? How did you even know about this?”
Her father opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak, a familiar voice cut in from behind her.
“You were in a serious accident.”
Elena froze.
Slowly, she turned and faced her husband.
“I got to you just in time,” he continued, his voice low but steady. “Before those men could take anything else.”
The memories came rushing back all at once.
The vans, the silicone masks and the bat slamming into her car.
“Oh my God,” she gasped, clutching her chest. “The diamonds. They took the diamonds. And the ruby necklace—”
“None of that matters,” Julian cut in immediately, gripping her arms firmly. “Do you hear me? None of it matters.”
She stared at him, stunned.
“I got them back,” he added. “But even if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t care. All that matters is that you’re alive.”
Her knees felt weak.
“You scared us half to death,” her father said hoarsely. “You’re lucky to be breathing right now.”
Julian guided her gently back toward the room. “Come on. You shouldn’t be standing. You ripped out your IV.”
“I’m fine,” Elena protested weakly. “I feel okay.”
“That’s exactly what people with concussions say,” Julian replied calmly.
A nurse hurried toward them the moment they stepped back inside.
“Ma’am!” she exclaimed, rushing to Elena’s side. “You almost hurt yourself. Why would you pull that out?”
“I didn’t know where I was,” Elena said defensively. “I panicked.”
“That’s understandable,” the nurse said, softening immediately. “But you need to rest. You might have a mild concussion from hitting your head on the windshield.”
“I feel fine,” Elena insisted.
“The symptoms don’t always show immediately,” the nurse replied firmly.
She began checking Elena’s pupils, shining a small light into her eyes.
“Follow my finger,” the nurse instructed.
Elena obeyed, blinking against the light.
“Good,” the nurse murmured. “Now squeeze my hands.”
Elena did.
“Alright,” the nurse said after a moment. “You’re stable, but you need to stay put.”
She turned to Julian. “Wake her at intervals and make sure she drinks fluids. No stress, no arguments, and absolutely no standing or walking around without assistance.”
Julian nodded. “I understand.”
Elena sighed but nodded reluctantly.
When the nurse stepped out, Julian moved closer to the bed.
“You should rest,” he said quietly. “I’ll speak to your father for a moment.”
“Wait,” Elena said suddenly.
He paused.
“When I woke up, I heard someone screaming,” she said slowly.
Julian hesitated just long enough for her to notice.
“There’s nothing for you to worry about,” he said carefully.
“That voice sounded like my father,” she pressed. “Was he blaming you for what happened?”
Julian exhaled slowly. “He was scared. Anyone would be.”
“You saved my life,” she said firmly. “He should be grateful.”
Julian gave a faint, tired smile. “He has every right to fear for your safety. Protecting you is my responsibility.”
She studied him closely.
“How did this even happen?” she whispered. “Who would want to kill me?”
The images from earlier flashed through her mind again.
“Was this about the diamonds?” she murmured. “Or Camille?”
“It's being taken care of, just rest, Julian insisted and tucked her into bed, pulling the covers over her.
She nodded and watched him walk outside the door.
As her thoughts wandered, her gaze dropped to her wrist and she saw the dried blood stained her skin where the IV had been.
And it reminded her of her paternity.
She really wasn't a child of Marcus.
But earlier, holding her father had felt safe and familiar, like home.
And yet, a deep, unsettling truth stirred inside her. He wasn’t really her father.
The secret pressed heavily against her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Somehow she wasn’t ready to share what she knew with her family. She wasn't ready to confront Marcus. Not now. Not after everything that had happened.
She wasn't even sure how true those records were. But something in her told her Julian would never lie to her.
And that scared her more than the truth itself.
She turned her face toward the pillow, closing her eyes slowly.
For now, she will rest.
The truth could wait.