The words hit Bella like bombshells, scattering her thoughts. Her mind went blank. "Stop!" she screamed, her voice filled with shock and disbelief.
The two policemen halted at the doorstep, their attention drawn to the commotion.
Bella dragged her aching body towards them. "What did you say?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Lionel.
Sensing Lionel was about to reveal a painful truth about Bella’s father, Theodore intervened. "Stop spouting nonsense," he growled. "Officer, take this man away. He has caused enough damage."
Bella stopped them. "Wait a moment. I am not done with him."
"Bella!" Theodore panicked, grabbing her shoulders. "You are injured," he pleaded. "Let’s go to the hospital first, okay? You’ll have plenty of time to ask him anything later."
But Bella was determined. "I don’t want to wait," she insisted, shrugging off his hands. Turning her unwavering gaze to Lionel, she added fiercely, "You hate me so much that you’re now slandering my dead father. Do you have any shame?"
"Dead!" Lionel scoffed bitterly. "You believe in that lie your mother told you. He is not dead. He is very much alive – maybe having a good life with his family."
Bella’s breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding. She felt Theodore’s supportive hand on her shoulder, but her focus was entirely on Lionel.
"What do you mean?" she demanded, her voice barely a whisper, but filled with a desperate need for the truth.
Lionel smirked, sensing her turmoil. "Your so-called dead father is alive and well. Your mother lied to you. He abandoned you both, and now he is out there living his life, pretending you don’t exist."
Theodore’s grip tightened on Bella’s shoulder, trying to ground her amidst the emotional storm. "Bella, don’t listen to him. He is just trying to hurt you."
But Bella’s eyes were locked onto Lionel, seeking answers. "Is it true?" she asked, her voice breaking.
Lionel laughed cruelly. "Go find out for yourself. But remember, I’m the one who took you in, despite everything."
Bella stood frozen, her mind reeling from the revelations. Theodore gently turned her to face him, his eyes filled with concern and love.
"Bella, let’s get you to the hospital," he said softly. "We’ll deal with this later."
But Bella stood numbly. She refused to leave. Her heart ached as she wondered if there was any truth in Lionel’s words. Part of her still didn’t want to believe it.
Theodore watched her with apprehension, unsure how she would react. A surge of fury coursed through him. He longed to silence Lionel forever, to rip the man’s tongue out.
"All these years, you have known that he is dead, but he is not," Lionel continued with contempt. "He abandoned your mother after getting her pregnant."
"You are lying," Bella shouted, lunging at him and grabbing his collar. Her face turned red in anger, her chest heaving.
The two policemen intervened, pulling her away from Lionel.
"Calm down, Bella," Theodore coaxed her, holding her in his arms.
Bella shrugged him off, too furious to be calmed down. "Stop spewing lies about my father. Do you understand?" She trembled with a mix of pain and fury.
"If you don’t believe me, go ask your mother," Lionel retorted. "Back then, Selena begged me to keep this secret forever. As her husband, I promised her not to reveal it to you. I raised you, but you never showed respect to me..."
Bella’s fury was palpable, her eyes blazing with a mixture of disbelief and rage. "You expect me to respect you?" she spat. "You’ve done nothing but hurt us."
Lionel sneered, his expression triumphant. "Whether you like me or not, I raised you. That father of yours doesn’t care about you and your mother."
Bella’s hands clenched into fists, her mind racing with the implications of Lionel’s words. Could it be true? Had her mother lied to her all these years? The thought was almost too much to bear.
The shock of the revelation was overwhelming. Her belief that her biological father had died in an accident had been a carefully constructed lie. Her mother had deceived her for all those years. How could she have done such a thing?
Her anger transformed into unbearable agony. Bella’s knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, her ears ringing with disbelief. Tears streamed down her face.
"Take him away," Theodore growled.
The two policemen dragged Lionel out of the house.
"Tristan, make sure he can’t escape prison ever," Theodore commanded.
With a curt nod, Tristan left.
Theodore turned his attention back to Bella. He crouched beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Let’s get out of here," he murmured softly. "You’re injured. I’ll take you to the hospital."
He started to lift her, but she stopped him. "Wait... I need to find Mrs. Green first. She is not well."
"I’ll have Tristan take care of her, alright?" Theodore promised.
Bella nodded slowly, her mind still reeling.
Gently hoisting her into his arms, Theodore carried her out of the dilapidated house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day...
Bella remained unconscious. Her injuries were superficial, but a concussion had rendered her unresponsive. The doctor had assured Theodore she would recover, but his words offered little solace. Fear and worry gnawed at him. He would only find relief when she opened her eyes.
Theodore hadn’t left her side for a moment. Regret consumed him. He should have answered her calls and should have returned home earlier. If he had, she wouldn’t have endured this ordeal.
Guilt gnawed at Theodore as he held Bella’s hand gently in his own. Her face, bruised and pale, only deepened his remorse. He pressed his lips to the back of her hand.
"Bella, please wake up," he whispered. "I need you here. Your mom will start asking about you. How am I going to answer her?" He knew Selena would soon start asking about her.
He hadn’t told her about the kidnapping yet. "And what about Mrs. Green? She has been asking for you. Don’t you want to see her?"
Bella remained still, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. Disappointment washed over him. He hung his head down in defeat. He had no idea how long she would remain unconscious.
Meanwhile, the door was pushed open and Tristan entered. Observing his solemn look, Theodore realized there was bad news awaiting.
"Speak," he commanded, sounding weary.
"Mrs. Green’s report is out," Tristan said, his voice heavy. "She is suffering from stage four lung cancer. Her condition is critical. She doesn’t have much time, maybe a few weeks."
Theodore sighed, rubbing his forehead. He had not slept since last night and a dull ache throbbed in his head. He glanced at Bella, wondering how she would react to this bad news.
"Any update on Lionel." He changed the subject.
Tristan nodded. "He confessed to the cops that he was paid to kidnap Bella and torture her. But he doesn’t know who the man is."
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