Chapter Thirty-Seven: Some Bad News

LEONARD’S POV.

I sat at my desk in the private section of my office, going over some documents, but I lost focus when thoughts of Evelyn barged into my mind.

I had planned to take her shopping after her meeting. She needed something classy and beautiful for her birthday. I couldn’t quite explain why I was so invested in it, but I felt compelled to make sure everything was perfect.

I picked up my phone and began searching the web for birthday dress ideas.

“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath, realizing how impatient I was being. We could go to the store together and find something that suited her better, rather than me scrolling through the internet.

I set my phone aside and tried to get back to work.

Moments later, my phone rang. I picked it up, expecting it to be one of my colleagues—or maybe even Evelyn. But instead, it was my watchman, Alex.

For a while now, I had assigned him to ensure Evelyn’s safety and well-being wherever she went.

"Sir, I have some bad news," he said, his voice low and serious.

My heart sank. I knew it was about Evelyn. A wave of fear washed over me.

“What is it?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Evelyn has been rushed to the hospital. She fell unconscious during the meeting, sir,” he replied. “I followed her, just like you instructed. I didn’t notice anything suspicious, but I thought I should call you right away.”

It felt like I’d been punched in the gut. Evelyn was in the hospital. I had just seen her minutes ago.

I didn’t know what was wrong with her, but I knew I had to get there as quickly as possible.

“Where is she?” I asked Alex, already getting up from my chair and rushing out of the office, my mind racing with fear.

He gave me the address of the hospital, and I drove there as fast as I could, my thoughts spiraling. What happened to Evelyn? Was it an accident? Was she hurt? Was she...

I pushed the dark thoughts aside and focused on getting to the hospital—safely but swiftly.

When I arrived, I approached the receptionist and asked for Evelyn's room. She searched and gave me the room number in the emergency unit. Without wasting a second, I rushed in.

Evelyn's dad was sitting in the ward. His face was etched with worry, tears streaming down as he stared at his unconscious daughter. He looked utterly defeated, with little hope left.

I walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," I said softly. "We'll get through this together. Everything will be fine soon.”

He looked up at me, his eyes red and swollen. “Thank you, Leonard,” he said, his voice trembling. “I’m just so scared. We don’t know what’s wrong with her yet. She didn’t complain about anything before the meeting. Then, out of nowhere, she said she felt dizzy, and the next moment, she collapsed. The tests are still pending.”

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

I looked over at Evelyn lying on the bed, unconscious. I took her hand in mine and gently rubbed it, as if to reassure her that everything would be okay, even though I knew she couldn’t hear me.

She didn’t seem to be in much pain; she just lay there peacefully, as though she were asleep. The sight, however, brought back a painful memory—a flashback of my mother at the hospital.

I remembered holding her hand as she lay peacefully in her sickbed. I called out to her, pleading for her to wake up. But her eyes never opened. I became frantic, shaking her and screaming her name, only for the doctor to walk in and confirm what I feared most—she was gone.

I shook off the memory and looked back at Evelyn. I said a short prayer, hoping it wasn’t something serious, though my mind couldn’t help fearing the worst.

Just then, my phone beeped. It was a call from my personal guard. I answered, trying to keep my voice calm.

“Yes?” I said.

“Sir, we’ve found the person responsible for Evelyn’s project termination,” he said. “We need to meet you to handle this.”

A surge of anger coursed through me, but I kept my cool. I didn’t want Evelyn’s father to suspect anything.

“I’ll talk to you later,” I said.

There was a pause before he responded, likely surprised at my lack of urgency. He knew how much I had been waiting for this moment.

“Sir, I can see the culprit right now. I can bring him to you if you want,” he offered.

I gritted my teeth, torn between my desire for revenge and the need to stay focused. Evelyn’s health was my priority. I couldn’t leave the hospital—not until she woke up.

“I’ll talk to you later,” I repeated firmly. “Keep an eye on him, gather all the necessary information, and find out who he’s meeting and why.”

I ended the call and turned my attention back to Evelyn. I sat down beside her, holding her hand and watching her face. She was so still.

A pang of fear hit me as I wondered what the future held for both of us. But I pushed those thoughts aside. I had to focus on the present. I would do everything in my power to help her through this.

My attention shifted to her dad, whose face was etched with worry. He looked at me and must have noticed the change in my expression after the phone call.

“You okay?” he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, sir. Everything is fine. Just work problems.”

He nodded understandingly and added, “Thank you for being here for my daughter.”

“Evelyn deserves to be cared for,” I replied earnestly. “As long as she’s my friend, I’ll make sure of that.”