The drive to the hospital was a blur of flashing streetlights and screeching tires. Theodore’s eyes darted back and forth between the road and Bella, whose labored breaths and pained expressions tore at his heart.
His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white with tension. Anger churned within him—not just at O’Neil, but at himself for failing to protect Bella.
"Just hold on," he mumbled. "We’re almost there."
Bella’s vision was fading, the pain becoming a distant echo. She barely registered Theodore’s voice, feeling a strange calm as her consciousness ebbed. The throbbing ache seemed to dull, replaced by a heavy numbness.
Finally, Theodore screeched to a halt outside the hospital, barely waiting for the car to stop before he scrambled out. With a desperate urgency, he lifted Bella from the backseat, carrying her toward the emergency room. Nurses and doctors rushed to meet him, their faces transforming from concern to alarm as they wheeled her away.
Theodore watched helplessly as they pushed Bella into the emergency room, his heart breaking. He pulled out his phone, hands trembling as he dialed Skyler’s number.
When Skyler answered, Theodore growled harshly, "What the hell are you doing, Skyler? I told you to handle O’Neil, and now he has gone after Bella!"
On the other end of the line, Skyler was at a loss for words. "S-Sir, I’ve already taken action against him," he stammered. "His assets are frozen, and he has been charged with fraud. He owes restitution to the victims he swindled, and if he can’t pay, he’ll be imprisoned."
"I don’t care about his legal troubles," Theodore barked with fury. "He attacked Bella and tried to kidnap her. If I hadn’t stepped in, I shudder to think what he would have done. She is hurt because she protected me. If anything happens to her, I swear I’ll burn this city to the ground."
"What? Bella is injured!" Skyler gasped, the shock evident in his tone.
"Find him," Theodore growled, his teeth clenched in rage. "I don’t care if you have to drag him out of hell, bring him to me."
He ended the call with a snap, his hand trembling as he turned toward the closed doors of the emergency room. The fire in his eyes slowly gave way to something else—deep, gnawing worry. The memory of Bella taking the knife for him flashed in his mind, and his chest tightened with guilt.
"Why did you do that, Bella?" he whispered with pain and disappointment. "Do you want me to live with this regret forever?"
Minutes crawled by, each one an eternity, until finally, the doctor emerged from the ER. Theodore jumped to his feet, heart pounding. "Is she okay?"
The doctor met his gaze, his expression solemn. "She is stable," he said, pausing before continuing, "but we couldn’t save the child. I’m sorry."
Theodore froze. "Child?" His mind struggled to process the word. "What child?"
The doctor hesitated, surprised by the reaction. "Your wife... she was eight weeks pregnant."
Theodore staggered back, his world crumbling around him. "Bella was pregnant," he whispered. His knees buckled, and the realization hit him like a punch to the gut—he had just lost their child.
"Mr. Reid, gather yourself," the doctor said firmly, gripping Theodore’s arm to steady him as he swayed on his feet. "Your wife is young. You’ll have the chance to have more children in the future. But right now, she needs you—your support."
Theodore blinked, his mind racing, the doctor’s words slowly settling in. He realized that he had to be strong, no matter how hard it was. Bella was alive, and that was all that mattered at this moment. He took a deep breath, trying to push aside the crushing grief.
"Thank you, doctor," Theodore said with sincere gratitude.
The doctor gave a brief nod, noticing Theodore’s own injuries. "You’re hurt as well. I’ll have a nurse tend to your wounds." He called over a nurse and instructed her to take care of Theodore.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The night dragged on in a haze, the hours blurring together until morning light filtered into the room. Bella slowly stirred awake, her eyes adjusting to her surroundings. As she turned her head, she saw Theodore slumped in a chair beside her bed, his head resting heavily on the edge of the mattress. The sight of him made her heart ache with tenderness. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
She tried to reach out and run her fingers through his disheveled hair, but a sharp pain in her waist made her wince, her breath catching in her throat.
Theodore stirred instantly at the sound, his eyes snapping open. "Bella!" he called out, immediately on his feet, hovering over her with concern. "Are you in pain? I’ll call the doctor."
"No... stop," she said softly, her hand gripping his. She looked up at him, her expression full of fear and desperation. "The baby—how is the baby?"
Theodore’s face darkened, his heart sinking. He hesitated, the words sticking in his throat. "We can have more children later," he mumbled, hanging his head down, unable to meet her eyes.
The silence that followed was heavy. Bella’s expression froze in disbelief. Her hand slipped from Theodore’s hand. The implication of his words made her heart drop.
"What do you mean? Is my baby okay?" Fear gripped her heart, bringing tears to her eyes.
Theodore’s shoulders slumped, his gaze dropping to the floor. "You miscarried," he said quietly, his voice choked with sorrow.
Bella’s world seemed to tilt. Aghast, she didn’t even flex a muscle. She had only just discovered her pregnancy; the idea of losing the baby before she had even shared the news with her husband felt like an unbearable blow. Her mind raced with denial. "No, no, this can’t be true." She shook her head vehemently. "The baby has to be fine. I was going to surprise you. How could the baby be gone? You must be mistaken. I need to talk to the doctor."
Despite the pain in her back, Bella tried to get out of bed, but Theodore gently restrained her. "Bella, Bella...listen to me. The baby is gone. I know it’s devastating, but this is the reality we have to face."
"No, no..." Bella’s voice broke as she began to sob, her tears flowing freely. She felt an overwhelming sense of loss and failure. "It was only eight weeks," she choked out. "I found out just the day before. I wanted to give you a surprise."
Theodore’s heart ached for her. He wanted to offer comfort, but the pain and helplessness left him struggling for words. He enfolded her in his arms, murmuring, "It’s okay. We’ll have children in the future. For now, focus on recovering."
"Why did this happen?" Bella cried. "I couldn’t even protect my baby."
"Don’t blame yourself," Theodore said with grim resolve. "Sometimes, things are beyond our control. We can only accept the truth, no matter how painful." He stroked her hair gently, trying to offer solace. "I’ll make sure that O’Neil pays for this. He won’t escape justice."
Theodore’s eyes blazed with fierce determination. He vowed silently to make O’Neil pay for the suffering caused, his resolve hardened by the anguish he saw in Bella’s eyes.
Later that day...
Willow heard about the attack on Bella and came to meet her. But Bella was fast asleep. "How is she doing?" she asked in a hushed tone, approaching Theodore.
Theodore’s face was etched with exhaustion and sorrow. "She couldn’t handle the news of the miscarriage. She cried a lot. It’s hard to watch her like this." His gaze dropped to Bella, who lay motionless and pale, and a deep sense of failure and helplessness gnawed at him. "She took a blow for me—twice. I can’t believe she was hurt because of me."
"Gather yourself, Theo," Willow whispered, clasping his arm. "Now is not the time to break down."
Theodore, fighting back tears, nodded and said, "Let’s go outside." He was keen to avoid disturbing Bella’s rest. They walked out of the ward together, finding a pair of chairs in the quiet corridor.
As they sat, Theodore leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, his shoulders sagging with the weight of his grief. Memories of Bella’s selfless act replayed in his mind—the image of her jumping in front of him, blocking the knife with herself.
"She took the blow without a second thought," he mumbled. "I can’t get it out of my head. She risked her life for me." He turned his head toward Willow. "I owe her this life. Anything I’ll do for her will not be enough to repay the favor."
Willow listened intently, her expression softening with empathy. "Theo, don’t think of her sacrifices as something you need to repay. She acted out of love, not to be repaid. What she needs now is your love and support. She needs you more than ever."
"I’ll be by her side always," he said, his throat tightening. "It’s just—I can’t bear to see her like this. It hurts too much..." He paused, his thoughts drifting back to a time before Bella.
"Before I met her, my life was so monotonous. My only focus was to gather evidence against my stepmother and half-brother—to oust them from the family and make them pay for the misery they caused our mother. I never imagined I’d fall in love or start a family. But Bella—she changed everything. I can’t picture my life without her now."
Willow put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Her smile was warm and comforting. "Mom always wanted you to find someone who truly loved you. She knew you needed that love in your life. Bella is the one who brings that love. She’s yours, Theo. Don’t ever disappoint her. If you do, you will lose her."
"I promise," Theodore said solemnly. "I’ll always cherish her."
Zack, who had rushed to the hospital upon hearing about the attack on Bella, stopped abruptly when he saw Theodore and Willow together. The way Willow leaned over to Theodore with her hand on his shoulder seemed quite intimate.
Zack clenched his fist. He couldn’t believe Theodore was with his lover while his wife was injured. If Theodore was so deeply involved with Willow, why hadn’t he ended his marriage to Bella?
"You don’t deserve her," Zack muttered. "I’ll take her away." With a hardened expression, he turned on his heel and left.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
