As the mystery of Bella’s disappearance grew thicker, Theodore’s restlessness grew. He had looked for her every hospital in the city, but she wasn’t there.
"Where are you?" he choked out in emotion as he stared at her photo.
Theodore had thought he would bring her back soon, but the accident had derailed his plan. Now he had no idea where Bella was. Fear of losing her mingled with regret. He thought he wasn’t careful enough and failed to give her proper protection.
"Be safe for me," he whispered, his vision turning blurry.
Ring-Ring-Ring...
The sharp ringing of his phone echoed inside the silent room, jolting him out of his reverie. He looked down at the phone and saw Hugo’s name flashing on the screen. Putting the photo aside, he picked up the phone quickly.
"Did you find anything?" he asked urgently.
"We found a man who had caused the accident," Hugo said, "but the other two escaped." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
"Did you interrogate him?" Theodore grumbled through his clenched teeth.
"Yes, sir...He confessed that he worked for Keith Willis," Hugo replied grimly. "Keith instructed them to kidnap Bella."
"Where did they keep Bella? Did he say anything about her?"
Hugo let out a sigh as he said, "She is not with them."
"What?" Theodore barked, annoyance rising in his chest. "Then where is she?"
"Their initial intention was to stop the car, but they didn’t expect such a disastrous accident," Hugo explained. "They were scared and fled. They don’t know where she is."
Theodore’s nostrils flared, his anger mingling with his restlessness.
"Her belongings were inside the car," Hugo continued. "She was definitely in the car. Someone must have taken her away, but the thing is that she wasn’t rushed to the hospital. It’s quite likely that she has been abducted."
Hugo’s words clicked Theodore’s mind. They had been looking for Bella everywhere, but none of them had thought about this possibility.
"Maybe Keith sent someone to check on the accident site and found her injured," Hugo speculated. "After all, he intended to kidnap you."
"I want this man," Theodore growled. "Bring him to me."
"Consider it done, sir," Hugo said with determination. "He will be in front of you in no time."
As the call ended, Theodore grimaced, his fingers curling around the phone tightly. "Keith," he muttered, "you messed with the wrong guy. I will destroy you and your whole family."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zack’s worried gaze was fixated on Bella’s frail, unmoving form on the bed. Her face was a map of bruises and cuts. Her arms and legs were wrapped in gauze.
The room was silent except for the faint beeping of medical equipment brought in by the doctor Zack had trusted to keep this under wraps. The doctor worked with precision, inserting an IV needle into Bella’s arm, his face tight with concentration.
Zack’s heart clenched as he remembered the terror of seeing her collapse amidst the chaos, blood pooling around her. He had been at the hospital for a regular check-up, and he had overheard Keith’s sinister plan of kidnapping Bella. His stomach had twisted in fear for Bella. He had tried calling her repeatedly, but she hadn’t answered.
To save her from being kidnapped, he had rushed to find her, only to witness the drastic accident.
Zack was relieved that Bella hadn’t died, but he had brought her with him to his place instead of taking her to the hospital. He was afraid Keith would have someone at the hospital to kill Bella. But this was not the only reason he had brought her there.
When he saw Bella injured and unconscious, covered with blood, he remembered Rose’s predicament. His hidden desire to protect Rose and resurrect her arose within him and he brought Bella with him. He wouldn’t let anyone, especially Theodore find her. He looked at the doctor, who was busy treating Bella, inserting an IV needle in her veins.
"How long it will take for her to regain consciousness?" Zack asked.
The doctor sighed heavily before meeting Zack’s piercing gaze. "You should have taken her to the hospital. She has suffered a concussion, and without proper imaging, I can’t rule out internal bleeding or a blood clot in her brain. Keeping her here puts her life at risk."
Zack’s jaw tightened further, but he didn’t respond immediately. His eyes lingered on Bella, her shallow breaths barely perceptible. He knew the doctor was right—every second spent here added to the danger.
But Theodore would take her away from him as soon as he moved her to the hospital. He had already lost Rose. He wouldn’t lose Bella. This time, he’d protect Bella—no matter what it cost him. It was his chance to keep her with him.
"You know why I can’t take her to the hospital." Zack glanced at Nathan, the only person he could trust to help. "They tried to kill her once, and they’ll try again. They’ll hunt her down, Nathan. Taking her to the hospital is equal to handing her over to them."
Nathan straightened, his skepticism clear in the furrow of his brow. "Then go to the cops."
"I can’t," Zack said with a helpless look on his face. "These people—they have influence, money, power. They own the cops."
Nathan let out a heavy sigh, his gaze darting to Bella’s unconscious form. Concern darkened his features as he considered the dire reality of her situation. "But Zack, keeping her here isn’t a solution. If there is internal bleeding, I can’t save her. She could die."
Zack’s eyes turned stormy as he grabbed Nathan by the shoulders, gripping tightly. "Then don’t let that happen," he growled with desperation. "Do whatever you need to do, Nathan. I don’t care how much it costs. Just keep her alive. I can’t lose her."
Nathan jerked out of Zack’s grip, his own temper flaring. "I’m doing everything I can!" he snapped. "But I can’t work miracles. She needs hospital-grade care, Zack, and I can’t give her that here."
"We are not taking her to the hospital," Zace hissed with finality. "I’ll give you as much money as you want. Arrange things that are needed. Wake her up."
Nathan took a deep breath to steady himself. "She might wake up in the next twenty-four hours if there is no internal bleeding. But if anything changes, call me immediately."
Gathering his things, he stuffed them into his bag and stormed out of the house.
Zack sank onto the bed beside Bella, his heart pounding in his chest. He reached for her hand, his eyes softening as he studied her bruised face. His thumb traced the edge of her cheek.
"Rose," he whispered, his breath catching as memories of the past overwhelmed him. "This time, I’ll protect you. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you."
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