Noah’s brow furrowed as he heard the desperation in Sadie’s voice. “What’s happening, Sadie?”
Sadie’s words sounded hollow and distant, and Noah felt a flicker of concern. But before he could press further, Kyla suddenly gasped, coughing violently, and she tried to tear the oxygen mask off her face.
“Kyla!” Noah’s voice rang out, his tone full of urgency. He quickly grabbed her hands and tried to soothe her. “It’s okay. I’m here. Just breathe.”
Noah turned his head toward his phone, his voice taking on a sharp, frosty edge. “Kyla can’t be left alone. Sadie, enough with these childish games.”
The word “childish” echoed, tightening an invisible grip around Sadie’s heart, the pain almost suffocating her. Words failed her as she struggled to respond.
Then, with a harsh beep, the line went dead. The relentless busy signal hammered in Sadie’s ears, each tone driving deeper into her dwindling hope.
Her gaze dropped. She was utterly crushed, her phone slipping through her trembling fingers. Even if she were gasping for her last breath, she would never hold a place in Noah’s heart like Kyla did.
How the hell could he be this cruel? After all these years, it dawned on Sadie that her love had been tragically misplaced.
As her consciousness began to fade, a silhouette darted through the encroaching flames toward her.
“Sadie!” The voice, urgent and laden with profound concern, pierced the chaos.
Sadie’s eyes fluttered shut.
When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying in a hospital bed. Opening her eyes, Sadie was greeted by the stark, blinding whiteness of the ceiling above, the acrid scent of disinfectant assaulting her nostrils.
She attempted to shift her position, but a sharp sting from her injuries made her grimace painfully.
“Stay still. You’re hooked up to an IV.” A stiff, uneasy voice broke the silence beside her.
Turning toward the source, Sadie saw Alex. Strands of his hair were burnt at the tips, his face was smudged with grime, and the collar of his shirt was charred.
There was no doubt-he had walked through hell itself for her. A rush of warmth flooded Sadie’s heart at the realization.
“You came for me, didn’t you?” she asked, her voice laden with certainty.
Catching a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, Alex nodded, his voice soft. “Yes, I did.”
He paused, as if he had more to say. “Noah must be caught up in something urgent; don’t think too much about it.”
“You don’t need to cover for him,” Sadie said, a gentle shake of her head dismissing his excuse as she let her eyes drift closed once more.
She had reached out to Noah, yet at her most desperate hour, he had chosen Kyla. The pain of that realization was sharper than any physical wound.
A moment of panic touched her features as she gingerly felt her abdomen. “Thank you for saving me,” she murmured, anxiety threading through her voice. “Is my baby…?”
The thought of harm coming to her child was unbearable, the weight of potential guilt as a mother heavy on her soul.
Alex leaned in, his eyes alight with concern as he gently reassured her. “Your baby isn’t seriously injured, thankfully, but your pregnancy is somewhat precarious right now. You’re on medication to help stabilize things. The doctor mentioned that a few days of bed rest should set things right.”
Sadie exhaled, her shoulders dropping as the weight of her worry lifted slightly.
The baby was safe-that was all that mattered.
As she opened her mouth to express her gratitude, the abrupt ring of Alex’s phone cut her off.
He answered swiftly, his face contorting with concern, his eyebrows knitting together in a mix of confusion and frustration as the conversation unfolded.
Feeling a knot form in her stomach, Sadie watched him closely, sensing the gravity of the call.
“What happened?” she questioned, unable to contain her anxiety.
After ending the call, Alex faced her, his voice thick with unease. “It appears there’s more to the crash than bad luck. The self-driving car that hit you-it showed clear signs of external tampering. Someone hacked its system, causing it to veer off course at the intersection and collide with your car.”
He paused, letting the words sink in, his gaze intensifying as he studied Sadie’s reaction. “It seems like this wasn’t just an accident, Sadie. It was orchestrated.”
“Orchestrated?” Sadie repeated, her voice barely above a whisper as a cold shiver raced down her spine.
First, the unnerving incident with Laura-so close to being catastrophic-and now this. Someone was clearly after her. But the haunting question remained.
Who the hell would go this far just to hurt her?
Fear gripped Sadie’s heart, her entire being encased in its icy hold. “Who is the hacker? Have you found out yet?” Her voice quivered, barely masking the panic beneath it.
Alex exhaled heavily, the weight of the situation clear in his drooping shoulders. “We’re still digging, Sadie, but it’s like chasing shadows. Nothing solid yet.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.
A heavy silence filled the hospital room.
Sadie’s restless fingers wandered to her belly, tracing the faint, reassuring pulse of the tiny heart within. The reality of her pregnancy-her fragile secret-made her all the more anxious.
It had been a miracle that both she and the baby had emerged unscathed from the harrowing car crash. With the stakes higher than ever, she resolved to keep her pregnancy a secret, fearing it could be used as leverage against her.
Turning her earnest, worried eyes toward Alex, she made a bold request. “Alex, could you do something for me? Can you change my medical records to show that I had a miscarriage?” Her gaze was resolute, a stark contrast to the fragility of her condition.
Alex paused, considering the gravity of her words, then nodded slowly. “I’ll take care of it, don’t worry,” he assured her, his voice firm.
He rose, his tall frame slicing through the lingering tension as he exited.
Moments later, the door creaked open again.
Kyla stepped inside, her presence like a gentle breeze, carrying a basket brimming with fresh fruit. A smile, tinged with concern, played on her lips.
“Is it done?” Sadie murmured, her eyes still closed against the dull throb in her temples, mistaking Kyla for Alex.
“Done what?” Kyla’s voice floated softly, tinged with confusion.
Sadie’s eyes flew open to find Kyla standing beside her bed, her expression unsettlingly sweet as she held a fruit basket.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Sadie’s voice was frosty, her brow furrowing in suspicion.
Unperturbed, Kyla perched on the edge of the mattress, gently setting the basket on the nearby table.
“I came to see you,” she replied, her tone dripping with feigned concern, which only deepened Sadie’s unease.
Sadie hadn’t mentioned her car accident to anyone. How on earth had Kyla found out?
Her fingers twitched beneath the quilt, curling into a fist.
Could Kyla have orchestrated this crash?
Kyla’s light, eerie laugh cut through the tension. “When you called Noah for help, guess what? I was right there with him. He was too busy taking care of me to talk to you.” The realization hit Sadie like a cold wave.
Kyla had been with Noah when she had desperately called him for help.
A shiver of fear trickled down Sadie’s spine as the implications of Kyla’s words chilled her to the core.
In her darkest hour, when she needed help most, Noah had turned his back on her-all for Kyla.
The bitter truth gnawed at her as Sadie found herself glancing at the hospital room door, foolishly wishing Noah would come.
“Don’t waste your time looking,” Kyla remarked, her voice tinged with a mirthless chuckle. She casually draped a hand over her mouth, her smirk evident. “Noah had to rush back to his company for some urgent business.”
The words stabbed at Sadie’s heart, spreading a cold, numbing pain throughout her body.
Yet, beneath her composed exterior, Kyla was far from the triumphant figure she portrayed.
The moment her condition stabilized, Noah had rushed back to his responsibilities, not sparing another moment by her side.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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