The guards hauled Keith and Claudia away but didn’t touch Gina. They shoved them inside a van.
"Where are you taking my daughter?" Claudia asked frantically, alarmed to see that Gina wasn’t with them. "Why is she not with us?"
Skyler chuckled, sarcasm dripping in his eyes. "She won’t come with you."
"Don’t hurt her," Claudia exclaimed, her gaze pleading. "She is innocent. She is not a part of any scheme."
"I know. That’s why she is not with you." Skyler gestured for Gina to get into his car.
A pang of guilt pinched her heart as Gina saw the worry in Claudia’s eyes. But she quickly masked that emotion under the façade of a stern look. She couldn’t forget Claudia’s cruelty.
This woman, who had abandoned her when she was a baby and married another man, didn’t deserve to be her mother. Bitterness rose to her throat.
She walked over to the van with calculated steps. "Do you think your fake tears can move me?" she hissed. "I’ll never forgive you for what you did to me."
"Gina..." Claudia’s voice trembled, tears stinging her eyes. "I was wrong. Forgive me if you can."
Gina’s heart was heavy to see tears in her eyes. But she reminded herself she couldn’t become weak at this point. She couldn’t entangle herself with the criminals. "It’s too late," she said sternly. "You had the chance to tell me the truth, but you didn’t until I uncovered the secret on my own."
"Sorry," Claudia sobbed. Shame, guilt, and sadness overwhelmed her.
But Gina was cold. Claudia’s apology meant nothing to her. "Don’t say sorry. I’m not going to accept it."
"Ungrateful brat," Keith roared, unable to control his temper. "She is your mother."
"Mother?" Gina shot back. "She only gave birth to me, but she was never my mother."
"You..."
"Enough," Skyler shouted, interrupting them. "I am not interested in listening to your family drama. Take them away." With a wave of his hand, he signaled the driver to drive.
"Wait a moment," Gina interjected before the driver could ignite the engine. She set her stern gaze on Keith. "Do you know how they come here right at the moment you are leaving?" she smirked. But the next minute, her face hardened. "Because I informed Theodore about your nasty game. I told him everything that you had done to his family."
"You...How could you do that?" Keith exclaimed with shock and disbelief.
Claudia was stunned too. She hadn’t expected Gina would go against her own parents.
"You put your parents into this predicament," Keith grumbled, his eyes ablaze. "Why?"
"You don’t deserve to be my parents," she snapped. "You are criminals. I can’t associate myself with you. I can’t ruin my life because of you."
"Gina!" Claudina scowled at her, anger flashing in her eyes. "Everything we did was for you, to secure your future."
"I am securing my future," Gina cut her short. "I can’t go to jail."
"You, moron," Keith shouted, stretching his hands outside the window to strangle her. "I’ll kill you."
Before his hands could reach her, Skyler pulled her back by her arm. "Take them away," he commanded fiercely.
The driver started the engine and pulled away.
"This is not the end," Keith shouted menacingly. "I’ll destroy everything. I’ll destroy Theodore." His voice faded as the car disappeared from their sight.
"Are you okay?" Skyler asked, his eyes narrowing at her.
Gina’s heart still trembled as she looked in the direction from where the car disappeared. She nodded curtly.
"Let’s get out of here. Mr. Reid is waiting for you." Skyler ushered her into the car and drove off.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day...
Bella’s eyelids fluttered open, her gaze unfocused as the room’s dim light filled her vision. A sharp, throbbing pain radiated from her head, making her let out a soft whimper. Her body ached all over, and a raw dryness in her throat forced her to swallow with difficulty.
She licked her cracked lips and managed to rasp, "Water."
Zack, who had been sitting vigil by her bedside, straightened instantly. Relief washed over him like a tide, softening the tension in his shoulders. "You’re awake," he whispered. Leaning forward, he gently helped her sit up against the pillows, cradling her carefully to avoid causing more pain. "Here, take a sip," he said, reaching for the glass of water on the nightstand and holding it to her lips.
Bella took a small sip, the cool liquid soothing her parched throat. "My head... it hurts," she groaned, her eyes squeezing shut as a wave of pain shot through her temples.
"Don’t move," Zack said quickly. He set the glass aside and reached for his phone, dialing Nathan’s number with urgency. The phone barely rang before Nathan’s voice came through.
"She is awake," Zack said with urgency. "But her head is hurting. Can you come check on her?"
"That’s a good sign," Nathan replied briskly. "We can rule out internal bleeding. For the pain, just give her the prescribed painkiller. I’ll be there as soon as I can."
The call was disconnected abruptly, and Zack realized Nathan might be busy. He set the phone down with a sigh, relief still mingling with the edge of worry. He opened the drawer of the nightstand and retrieved the packet of tablets. Popping one out, he handed it to her.
"Here, take this. It’ll help with the pain." He passed her the glass of water again, supporting her as she swallowed the tablet with a small sip.
Bella handed the glass back, her brow furrowing as she tried to piece together the foggy fragments in her mind. "What... happened to me?" The effort of speaking made her wince, and she pressed a hand gingerly to her temple.
Zack’s gaze softened, a mix of longing and tenderness in his eyes as he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. "You had an accident," he said quietly. "Don’t you remember?"
"Accident?" Bella searched his face, her expression a blend of confusion and vulnerability.
"You’re safe now," he added softly. "That’s all that matters."
"Um..." Bella groaned, shutting her eyes against the pounding in her head. Every movement seemed to magnify the pain, and she whimpered again.
"Lie down," Zack said gently, guiding her head back onto the pillow. His movements were careful, almost tender, as he adjusted her position for comfort. He pulled the blanket up to her chest, tucking it around her securely.
"The doctor will be here soon," he added reassuringly. "Everything will be fine."
Bella’s gaze flickered to his face, her expression tired but grateful. "You’re very kind," she murmured. "Thank you for taking care of me."
Zack’s lips curved into a soft smile, his chest swelling with warmth. "Don’t thank me. I’ll take care of you. Always." For a moment, he felt a flicker of hope. Bella’s calm, appreciative tone was unexpected, but it filled him with joy.
Bella returned an awkward smile, her brows knitting slightly. "But... I don’t even know you," she said hesitantly. "Why would you take care of me? Do you... know me?"
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