Chapter 24 – A Huge Secret
Rachel’s Pov
Tears blurred my vision as I pulled Xavier out of the house.
He tried to stop me, to calm me down, but I couldn’t even form words.
My heart was pounding in my chest, fear consuming me whole.
I barely managed to order the driver to take us to the hospital before burying my face in my hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Rachel, talk to me,” Xavier urged, his voice laced with concern.
I sucked in a shaky breath. “It’s my grandparents,” I finally choked out. “The hospital just called. They were in an accident.”
Xavier stiffened beside me, his expression shifting to one of sympathy. “I’m sorry,” he
murmured. “We’ll be there soon.”
The car ride felt agonizingly long. Every second that passed only added to my panic.
My hands trembled as I clutched my phone, waiting for another call–praying it wouldn’t be bad news.
Xavier held my hand the entire way, squeezing it reassuringly.
When we finally reached the hospital, I jumped out of the car before it fully stopped, rushing inside. Xavier followed closely behind me.
“My grandparents,” I gasped to the nurse at the front desk. “John and Linda Blake. Where are they?”
The nurse’s face softened. “They’re in surgery. The accident caused some internal bleeding, but the doctors are doing everything they can.’
”
I let out a strangled sob, my knees almost giving way beneath me. Xavier caught me before I could collapse.
“They’re strong, Rachel,” he whispered. “They’ll pull through.”
I clung to him, tears soaking his shirt. “I can’t lose them, Xavier. They’re the only family I have left.”
He held me tighter, rubbing soothing circles on my back. “You won’t lose them. Just have faith.”
Minutes turned into hours as we waited outside the emergency ward.
My mind raced with worst–case scenarios, but Xavier never left my side.
He kept whispering words of comfort, grounding me when the fear threatened to consume
- me.
Finally, the doors to the surgical ward swung open, and a doctor stepped out. I shot to my feet.
“Mrs Blake?” he asked, pulling down his mask.
He Broke Me First. Now I’m The Queen of His Ruins
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feet
“Mrs Blake?” he asked, pulling down the mask
“Yes,” I said breathlessly. “How are they?”
He offered a small smile. “They made it through surgery Theyre stable now
A wave of relief crashed over me, and I exhaled shakily, “Can’t see me?”
The doctor nodded. “They’ve been moved to a private room Follow me
I practically sprinted down the hallway, Xavier keeping pace beside me
The moment I stepped into their room, my eyes filled with tears agains
My grandparents were lying on their hospital beds, looking exhausted but alive. “Rachel,” my grandmother said weakly, a soft smile on her lips. “You’re here
I rushed to her side, gripping her hand tightly, “Of course, I’m here! You scared me half to death!”
She chuckled, “It was just a minor accident, surethet
Tears streamed down my face. “That doesn’t mettent I was so scared”
My grandfather reached for my hand. “We’re fine, Rachel. You don’t have to cry
But I couldn’t stop. Seeing them like this, covered in bandages, made my heart ache
Xavier cleared his throat, stepping forward. “I’m glad you’re both okay?”
My grandmother smiled at him warmly. “Xavier, dear. How long have you been walking? And why didn’t Rachel tell us?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Xavier spoke first. “I should explain.”
He took a deep breath, his expression darkening. “Three years ago, I was in the same accident that killed my mother. I should have died that day too. But I survived–barely.” My grandparents‘ expressions turned somber.
Xavier continued, “The injuries left me crippled. The doctors said I wouldn’t walk again, and my brain was affected. I… I wasn’t myself for a long time.”
My grandmother squeezed his hand. “Oh, sweetheart..”
“It took a year before I started recovering,” Xavier admitted. “And once I did, I realized that I had to keep pretending.”
“Pretending?” my grandfather echoed.
Xavier’s eyes darkened. “Whoever killed my mother wanted me dead too. If they knew I had recovered, they would have finished the job. So, I continued the act while searching for the truth.”
My grandparents exchanged a troubled glance before looking back at him with sympathy. “We’re so sorry, Xavier,” my grandmother said gently. “You’ve been carrying this burden alone for so long.”
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truth.”
དསཅས ་་དཎྜ བ༦་ yདད་ད༤ p¤བ་ཅ་དད་་་ དཔ་ ་་་༤
My grandparents exchanged a troubled glance before looking back at him with sympathy. “We’re so sorry, Xavier,” my grandmother said gently. “You’ve been carrying this burden alone for so long.”
Xavier gave a small smile. “Not anymore.” He glanced at me, and I felt my heart tighten.
I reached for his hand, squeezing it. “We’ll find the truth together.”
The next morning, after the doctors confirmed my grandparents were stable, they were
discharged.
I insisted on paying the hospital bills, so I headed to the billing department while Xavier made arrangements for their return home.
As I walked past the doctor’s office, I heard voices.
I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but one voice
Susan.
dde me freeze.
My heart pounded as I stepped closer, pressing myself against the wall.
“If you don’t give me something to make me bleed, I’ll kill your family,” she hissed.
My eyes widened in shock.
A male voice–probably the doctor–spoke up, sounding nervous.
“Miss, this is dangerous. You’re not even pregnant. Taking something like that could harm you.”
Not pregnant?
My breath hitched. Susan had been flaunting her supposed pregnancy for weeks, acting as
if she carried Michael’s heir. But if what the doctor was saying was true…
She had been lying this entire time.
I pressed a hand over my mouth to stifle a gasp.
“What I do with my body is none of your concern,” Susan snapped. “Just give me the damn medicine.”
The doctor hesitated. “Miss, I strongly advise against-”
“Now!” Susan snarled.
I clenched my fists. So, this was her game. She had never been pregnant in the first place.
But why fake a pregnancy? And why was she so desperate to pretend she was having a miscarriage?
Anger and disgust swirled in my chest. Susan was a liar–a manipulator. And now, I have proof.
I needed to tell Xavier.
But as I turned to leave, my foot accidentally brushed against a cleaning cart in the hallway.
Chapter 24 – A Huge Secret
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16:49 Sat, 22 Mar
Not pregnant?
༢.53%–
My breath hitched. Susan had been flaunting her supposed pregnancy for weeks, acting as if she carried Michael’s heir. But if what the doctor was saying was true…
She had been lying this entire time.
I pressed a hand over my mouth to stifle a gasp.
“What I do with my body is none of your concern,” Susan snapped. “Just give me the damn medicine.”
The doctor hesitated. “Miss, I strongly advise against-”
“Now!” Susan snarled.
I clenched my fists. So, this was her game. She had never been pregnant in the first place. But why fake a pregnancy? And why was she so desperate to pretend she was having a miscarriage?
Anger and disgust swirled in my chest. Susan was a liar–a manipulator. And now, I have proof.
I needed to tell Xavier.
But as I turned to leave, my foot accidentally brushed against a cleaning cart in the hallway.
The wheels squeaked.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Silence.
Then-
“Who’s there?” Susan’s voice rang out.
I didn’t wait to find out if she would come looking. I spun around and hurried away, my heart racing.
I had to get out of here before she realized I had overheard everything.
16:49 Sat, 22 Mar
