These words were the last blow. Malcolm’s pain worsened, the pressure in his chest unbearable as he struggled to breathe. His hand clenched over his heart.
With the last bit of strength he had left, he rasped, "Call Theodore." The words barely escaped his lips before his body gave out, collapsing to the floor with a heavy thud.
Claudia’s eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction as she watched him writhing in agony on the floor. She made no move to help, simply watching the scene unfold with a twisted sense of control.
A slow, calculated smile crept across her face as she murmured, "I truly want you dead, but I can’t let you die just yet. You’re the key to keeping Theodore in line."
She called the hospital.
"Hello, I am calling from the Reid mansion. My father-in-law has had a heart attack. We need an ambulance immediately."
The ambulance arrived swiftly. Paramedics rushed in and whisked Malcolm away to the hospital.
As the mansion fell into a tense silence, Gina stood trembling beside Claudia, her face pale with fear. This was far from what she had anticipated. If she had known earlier that Malcolm would have a heart attack, she wouldn’t have let him see those photos. She regretted her actions.
"Aunt!" Gina tugged at Claudia’s arm, drawing her attention. "Will he be okay?"
Claudia, however, remained calm and unbothered. "Yes, sweetheart, he will be fine. Don’t worry yourself over it." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
But Claudia’s cool reassurance did little to calm Gina’s rising panic. "What if something goes wrong?" she pressed, her fear bubbling to the surface again. "Theodore will be devastated if Grandpa dies. He won’t want to marry me—he’ll run back to Bella for comfort."
"You foolish girl," Claudia chided her softly. "Why would Theodore go to Bella? She is the reason the hod hag has a heart attack. Theodore will hate her for this."
"Are you sure?" Gina blinked in surprise, her wide eyes beginning to fill with hope.
"Yes, darling." Claudia nodded reassuringly as she stroked her hair. "This is your moment. Be there for him, comfort him in his time of distress, and he will be yours."
Gina’s fear slowly began to dissipate, replaced by a flicker of excitement and anticipation.
Claudia smiled, a calculating gleam in her eyes. She had other plans in motion to ensure that Theodore would have no choice but to leave Bella and marry Gina.
’This time, you won’t escape, Theodore,’ she thought darkly. ’You’ll have no choice but to bend to my will.’
The news of Malcolm’s heart attack reached Theodore like a thunderclap. He and Bella rushed to the hospital, their faces etched with worry and urgency.
Theodore rushed over to the reception. "I am here for Malcolm Reid."
The receptionist nodded, her fingers dancing over the keyboard as she checked the computer. Theodore and Bella stood by, their gazes fixed on her with palpable tension.
After a moment, the receptionist looked up and said, "He is on the third floor – room number 160."
"Thanks," Theodore replied tersely. He held Bella’s hand and headed straight to the elevator. They reached the third floor swiftly and made their way to room 160.
Inside the room, they found Claudia and Gina seated on the sofa. But Theodore barely glanced at them. His focus was entirely on his grandfather.
Malcolm lay motionless on the bed, an oxygen mask covering his face, his chest rising and falling with each steady breath. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor made the atmosphere heavy.
Theodore’s chest tightened, his eyes misting with a mix of fear and sadness. "Grandpa!" he murmured as he moved toward the bed.
"Grandpa!" he murmured, stepping toward the bed.
"Wait!" Claudia hissed, rising to her feet. Her gaze moved from Theodore to Bella. "Why did you bring her here?"
Theodore’s steps faltered, and he turned to Claudia, his face set in a grimace of frustration. "Can you stop with the personal vendettas, Claudia? This isn’t the time for it."
Claudia’s voice grew more insistent. "Theodore, can’t you see her for what she really is? Don’t let her manipulate you."
"Claudia!" Bella chimed in, her face darkening. "I know you don’t like me, but this isn’t the moment for your grudges. We’re all here for Grandpa. Show some respect."
"You will teach me how to respect my father-in-law!" Claudia sneered.
Gina, her face flushed with indignation, leaped from her seat and advanced toward Bella. "Get out of here, Bella," she snapped. "Your presence here is nothing but an embarrassment to Grandpa Malcolm. He is in this state because of you."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Bella scowled at her.
"Gina!" Theodore hissed, his teeth clenching. "You’re crossing the line. Don’t make me throw you out."
Claudia jumped in with righteous fury. "You can’t humiliate her like that, Theodore. Gina is right. Bella should leave. She is the reason father-in-law is in this state."
She pinned a hot glare at Bella. "We all know your little secret, Bella." With a dramatic flourish, she pulled out the incriminating photographs of Bella and Zack from her bag and tossed them to her.
Bella’s breath caught in her throat as she looked down at the scattered photos, her face paling. The images of her and Zack, smiling together, lay scattered at her feet.
Claudia continued with a venom in her tone. "When father-in-law saw these photos, he was devastated. He couldn’t believe you were deceiving Theodore."
Theodore’s hands shook as he picked up one of the photographs, his eyes locking onto the image of Bella and Zack. His heart ached, a fierce wave of pain gripping him at the sight. But despite the sting of betrayal, he wasn’t ready to accept that his wife had been unfaithful.
"Yes, Theo," Gina chimed in. "She has been cheating on you. You thought she went to see her mother, but she was actually with Zack."
"No, this is not true." Bella’s voice trembled with desperation as she turned to Theodore. "You have to trust me – nothing is going on between me and Zack. Our meeting was just coincidental."
"Coincidence!" Gina’s tone grew sharper. "Stop lying, Bella. You and Zack have a secret affair. Remember how furious Ivy was with you? She even tried to kill you. I can understand her frustration now."
"Enough!" Theodore’s roar cut through the commotion. "Grandpa is still unconscious, and you’re all arguing! I don’t want anyone here right now. Get out!"
Claudia and Gina shot Bella one last scathing look before storming out of the ward. Bella stood there, numb, the photograph in her hand trembling. She hesitantly looked at her husband.
"Theodore," she called out anxiously, hoping he would trust her. "I need to explain..."
"Leave," Theodore said coldly.
Bella’s heart sank, her desperation mounting. "But I want to stay. I..."
"I said leave," he yelled.
The sudden volume of his voice made Bella flinch, her heart aching at the thought that Theodore might truly believe that she was not faithful to him. Tears welled up in her eyes, her throat tightening with the sting of unspoken words. Without another glance, she turned and fled from the room, wiping her tears away.
Claudia smiled slyly as she watched her fleeting form. She was satisfied to see the first crack that appeared between Bella and Theodore.
"Why are you smiling?" Gina was surprised to see that smile.
Claudia nodded toward Bella’s retreating figure. "Look at her. This is just the beginning of their downfall. Their marriage is on the brink of collapse."
Gina’s eyes brightened with hope, her excitement barely contained. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely, darling," Claudia said with confidence. "Just follow my instructions, and Theodore will be yours. For now, you should contact Zack and let him know the dispute between Theodore and Bella."
Gina understood her intention. "I understand, aunt. I’ll meet him soon."
Inside the ward...
Theodore sagged on the chair beside the bed as soon as Bella left, a deep sigh escaping his lips. He stared at the photograph in his hand, his heart heavy with pain. Though he steadfastly believed Bella could never betray him, the sight of her with Zack still hurt him.
He knew it was Claudia’s plan to drive a wedge between them, but the photographs had triggered Malcolm’s heart attack.
Theodore’s thoughts swirled with fear and sorrow. He had already lost his parents. His grandfather was very close to his heart. The thought of losing him terrified him.
"Grandpa, please wake up," Theodore murmured, looking at Malcolm with pain in his heart. "I’m lost without you. I don’t know how I’ll handle Claudia on my own. Please... And Bella is innocent. She loves me."
He was confident about it. "I know this is all Claudia’s doing. She showed you these photographs to manipulate you against Bella. Don’t let her distort your judgment. Don’t forget Bella risked her life and even miscarried to save me. If she didn’t love me, she wouldn’t have done that."
He gently took his hand in his. "I know you’re hurt. Anyone would be after seeing those photos. But it’s not the truth. I’ll explain everything, but you have to wake up."
At the villa...
Bella stumbled into the bedroom and shut the door behind her with a muffled click. She leaned against the solid wood, sliding down to the cold, hard floor. Pulling her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them, seeking some comfort.
The image of Theodore’s cold eyes and the sharpness of his voice replayed in her mind. The way he had dismissed her was a harsh blow. He didn’t even give her a chance to explain.
Bella thought he loved her, but just a few photographs had shattered his trust in her.
"Why, Theodore?" Her tears fell silently, her heart aching with the realization that the man she loved seemed to doubt her.
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