Chapter 68
The news of Iris’s pregnancy and memory loss spread quickly among the men assigned to guard her.
They knew their boss wouldn’t be pleased, and fear rippled through the group as they prepared to deliver the news.
In the dimly lit warehouse, one of the men, a burly figure with a scar across his cheek, dialed a number on his burner phone. His hands trembled slightly as he waited for the call to connect. When the line clicked open, he cleared his throat nervously.
.”Boss, we’ve got a situation,” he began, his voice shaky. “The girl, Iris… she’s pregnant. And she’s lost her memory. The doc confirmed it.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. The silence was deafening, the kind that made a man’s skin crawl. When the voice finally came through, it was cold and measured.
“Pregnant, you say? And her memory?” The boss’s voice held a dangerous edge, the kind that sent shivers down the spines of even the toughest men.”Yeah… she doesn’t remember anything. Not even her name,” the man continued, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. “What should we do?”
The boss took a deep breath, considering the implications. “Keep her under wraps for now. No one is to touch her, you hear me? If anything happens to that her or her child you’ll all pay dearly.”
The man nodded, even though the boss couldn’t see him. “Understood. We’ll keep her safe.
” Good. I’ll deal with the rest later,” the boss replied before the line went dead.
The man exhaled, relief flooding through him. But he knew this was just the beginning of their problems.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Bella lay in her bed, tears streaming down her face. The physical pain from the miscarriage was nothing compared to the emotional devastation she felt.
She had called Ryan, but he hadn’t come. Her heart ached, not just for the child she had lost, but for the cold realization that Ryan hadn’t cared enough to be there.
As she stared at the ceiling, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Bella reached for it, hoping for a message from Ryan, something to show that he cared.
But when she saw Mrs. Rose’s name on the screen, a wave of nausea hit her.
She answered the call, her voice trembling. “Mrs. Rose… I lost the baby. I called Ryan, but he never showed up.”There was a pause on the other end, and then Mrs. Rose’s voice came through, laced with distress.
“Bella… Ryan was in an accident.”Bella’s world tilted. “What? When? How bad is it?”
“Right after you called him,” Mrs. Rose explained, her voice breaking. “He was rushing home when he… he collided with another car. He’s in the hospital now, in critical condition.”
“No, no, this can’t be happening,” Bella whispered, her hands trembling as she gripped the phone. “Where is he? Which hospital?”Mrs. Rose told her, and without another word, Bella hung up and scrambled out of bed, ignoring the pain that shot through her abdomen.
She needed to see Ryan, to be with him. She couldn’t lose him too.
At the hospital, Mrs. Rose was pacing the hallway outside the intensive care unit.
Her usually composed demeanor was shattered, her face pale with worry. The doctors had given her little hope; Ryan’s injuries were severe, and he was fighting for his life.
As she waited, Dr. Parker emerged from the room, his expression grave. Mrs. Rose rushed to him, clutching his arm. “Parker, how is he? Is he going to be alright?”
Dr. Parker hesitated, his eyes filled with concern. “Rose, it’s bad. Ryan suffered significant trauma to his head and internal organs. We’re doing everything we can, but… you need to prepare yourself.”
Mrs. Rose felt her legs go weak, and she clung to Dr. Parker for support. “He’s my only son, Parker. I can’t lose him. Not now, not like this.”Dr. Parker gently guided her to a chair, his hand resting on her shoulder.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
“We’re going to do our best, Rose. But you need to be strong, for Ryan’s sake.”Just then, Bella burst into the hallway, her face pale and stricken with grief. She saw Mrs. Rose and hurried over, tears streaming down her face.
“Mrs. Rose, how is he? Is he… is he going to make it?”Mrs. Rose looked up at Bella, her tears welling up. “I don’t know, Bella. The doctors are doing everything they can, but it doesn’t look good.”
Bella felt the room spinning, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She sank into a chair, her mind racing. How had everything gone so wrong? First the baby, now Ryan… it was too much to bear.
Dr. Parker knelt in front of Bella, his voice gentle. “Bella, I need you to stay calm. Stress isn’t good for you right now, especially after what you’ve just been through.”Bella nodded numbly, but the pain in her chest was overwhelming. She couldn’t lose Ryan too. Not after everything they had been through.
The Kendrick family was in shambles. With Mr. Kendrick in a coma and Ryan fighting for his life, the weight of their secrets threatened to crush them all.
Bella sat beside Ryan’s bed, her hand resting on his. His face was bruised and battered, and the machines around him beeped steadily, monitoring his fragile state.
Bella’s heart ached as she looked at him, her mind flashing back to all the times they had shared. She couldn’t lose him. Not now, not ever.
As she sat there, a nurse quietly entered the room, checking the monitors and adjusting the IV. Bella watched her, desperate for any sign of improvement, but the nurse’s expression remained neutral.
“Is there any change?” Bella asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The nurse shook her head. “He’s stable, but still critical. The next 24 hours will be crucial.”Bella nodded, her eyes never leaving Ryan’s face.
She had never felt so helpless in her life. All she could do was wait and hope that he would wake up.
In another part of the hospital, Mrs. Rose sat in the waiting room, her hands trembling as she tried to process everything that had happened.
Dr. Parker had insisted she take a moment to rest, but there was no rest for her now. Not with her son lying in a hospital bed, and her husband in a coma.
As she sat there, her phone buzzed with a call. She glanced at the screen and saw an unknown number. Frowning, she answered it.”Hello?”
“Mrs. Rose Kendrick?” a voice on the other end asked.”Yes, this is she,” Mrs. Rose replied, her brow furrowing in confusion.”This is Detective Harris. I’m calling about an ongoing investigation involving your family. I believe we have some information that might interest you
.” Mrs. Rose’s heart skipped a beat. “What kind of information?”
“I can’t discuss it over the phone. I need you to come down to the station. There are some things you need to see.”Mrs. Rose hesitated, glancing toward the door that led to Ryan’s room. “I can’t leave right now. My son is-” I understand, ma’am, but this is urgent. It concerns your husband as well. Please, come as soon as you can,” the detective insisted.
Mrs. Rose swallowed hard, fear tightening in her chest. “Alright. I’ll be there shortly.”As she hung up the phone, Mrs. Rose’s mind raced. What could the police possibly have on her family? And why was it so urgent that she come in now, of all times? She knew she couldn’t leave Ryan’s side for long, but something in the detective’s voice told her that this was important. Very important.
She stood up, smoothing out her dress, and took a deep breath. “I’ll be back soon,” she whispered to herself before heading out the door.
As Mrs. Rose arrived at the police station, Detective Harris greeted her with a somber expression. He led her to a small, private room where he closed the door behind them.”Thank you for coming, Mrs. Kendrick. I know this is a difficult time for you,” he began, his tone professional yet compassionate.”Just tell me what this is about,” Mrs. Rose replied, her nerves fraying with every passing second. The detective sighed, pulling out a file from his desk. “We’ve been investigating some unusual financial activity linked to your husband’s business accounts.
At first, we thought it was just a case of embezzlement, but the deeper we dug, the more we realized it was something far more serious.”Mrs. Rose’s heart pounded in her chest. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that your husband has been involved in some very questionable dealings, Mrs. Kendrick. And those dealings have put your entire family at risk,” the detective explained.