"So the last time you saw her was when the flight landed?" Chris asked, his voice like ice.
"Yes, sir. That was the last time," Yetty whispered.
Chris dragged a hand furiously through his hair. "And you just assumed she left with me? Jesus Christ."
The crew exchanged nervous glances, silent under the weight of his fury.
"I'll deal with you later. For now, I need to find her." His tone cut like steel, and he turned sharply on his heel, Elliot hurrying behind him.
At the airport, Chris stormed into the security office, flashing his ID and authority.
"We need the CCTV of today's arrivals. Now."
The officers hesitated until one recognized his name. The screens flickered to life, footage playing in fast-forward. They checked every angle, every corridor, every exit.
No Bella.
Chris's chest constricted. "She hasn't left the airport. She's still here."
He spun and strode for the apron, his steps echoing with urgency.
Within minutes, Chris was back at his private jet. He lowered the air stairs himself, his pulse hammering in his ears.
"Ella!" he called as he entered, voice echoing through the cold silence of the cabin. Nothing.
He reached for his phone, dialing again. Somewhere faintly, a ringtone buzzed. His eyes darted across the empty seats until he found it her handbag resting neatly in a corner.
Cold panic crashed through him. She hadn't left.
A scrap of paper lay partly visible under the lavatory door. He crouched, tugged it free, then froze. The door was locked from the inside.
His breath caught. "God, no."
With practiced force, Chris unlocked the door from the outside. The sight inside nearly undid him.
Bella sat slumped on the floor, arms locked around her legs, shivering violently. Her lips were pale, her breath shallow, her pulse weak under his fingertips.
"Christabella," he choked, using her full name. He pulled off his winter coat, wrapping it tightly around her.
"Babe, please. Look at me." He shook her gently, desperation cracking his voice.
Nothing.
Chris scooped her into his arms, bridal style, holding her as if the world might snatch her away if he loosened his grip. He sprinted down the stairs.
Elliot's eyes went wide. "She was in there the whole time?"
Chris's glare was murderous. "Does it look like I'm carrying a ghost?"
They slid into the waiting car. Chris pressed her icy hand against his cheek. "She's freezing. Elliot your jacket, now."
"She'll make it," Elliot murmured, though his voice wavered. "She's strong."
Chris held Bella against his chest the entire ride to the hospital, whispering prayers he hadn't uttered in years.
The moment they arrived, doctors rushed Bella into the emergency room. Chris tried to follow but was held back.
Inside, chaos erupted.
"She's hypothermic."
"Get an oxygen mask on her. Move her to ICU."
Suddenly, the EKG flatlined.
"V-fib." Dr. Lisa barked.
"No pulse." Dr. Anthony confirmed.
"Defibrillator. Two hundred joules."
"All clear."
Bella's body jolted violently as the current surged through her. The monitor stayed flat.
"One more."
Shock. Beep. Then finally the steady rhythm of a heartbeat returned.
"She's back," Lisa breathed, relief flooding her tone. "Stabilize her. Warm IV fluids. Humidified oxygen through nasal tube. Let's raise her core temperature."
Outside, Chris was unraveling. His tie was gone, his shirt unbuttoned at the throat, sleeves rolled up. His perfectly styled hair was a disheveled mess, fingers raked through it again and again. He couldn't sit he paced, his fists clenching, jaw locked tight.
When the cabin crew arrived, panic on their faces, Elliot stepped forward before Chris could explode.
"You left her," Elliot spat. "Six hours. Alone. Freezing in that jet. If anything happens to her, you're finished."
The crew shrank back, their throats dry.
Chris didn't look at them. His entire focus was on the doors of the emergency room. Every second stretched like eternity. Every breath felt like it might be the one where he lost her forever.
Bella wasn't just a woman he cared about anymore. She was his weakness. His heart. And he knew in that moment if she didn't make it out of this hospital alive, neither would he.
Chris was still pacing the waiting room like a lion trapped in a cage when the doctors finally stepped out.
"Comment est-elle ?" Chris asked, his voice rough, switching to French without a thought.
"Elle est stable maintenant," Dr. Lisa replied gently. "She's stable now."
Chris exhaled the breath he'd been holding, shoulders sagging in relief.
"Puis-je la voir ?" he pressed, desperate.
"Oui... tu pourras une fois qu'elle aura transféré." Yes once she's moved to the ward.
Chris nodded, turning sharply to face the cabin crew still clustered nervously by the wall. His eyes were colder than ice.
"Whose idea was it to lock her in the lavatory?" His tone was calm, but the deadly undercurrent made everyone stiffen.
No one answered.
"Are you all deaf or just cowards?" Chris's voice rose.
"Sir, honestly, it wasn't anyone's idea," Lola stammered.
"We didn't even know she was in there," Yetty added quickly.
"I asked of her when I noticed she wasn't with us," Tricia whispered. "But... Yetty said she left with you."
Chris's glare was deadly. "Then hope she confirms your story when she wakes. Because if she doesn't... pray to whatever god you serve." His words dripped with venom.
He turned his fury on the pilots. "And you how could you be so careless?"
"With all due respect, sir," Desmond said stiffly, "it isn't the pilots' duty to check the lavatory. That falls on the attendants."
Chris's eyes narrowed. "I've heard it said that after 'with all due respect' comes disrespect. You're fired."
Gasps rippled through the crew.
"And so are the rest of you," he added coldly. "Except Prince. The rest of you are finished."
Before anyone could protest, a nurse approached. "Tu peux entrer maintenant," she said softly. You can go in now.
Chris didn't wait. He followed the nurse down the hall to the VIP ward, his heart pounding.
Bella lay curled under hospital sheets, a nasal tube fixed to her nose, the steady beep of the EKG filling the room. Even pale and weak, she looked heartbreakingly beautiful.
Chris sank into the chair at her side, taking her icy hand in both of his, closing his eyes with relief.
It was past nine. He knew Vera and the family would expect Bella back by tomorrow, so he pulled out his phone and called. Vera didn't pick up. Kayden answered instead.
"Hello?"
Chris forced calm into his voice. "Hey. Is everything alright there?"
"Depends," Kayden shot back. "Is my sister alright? Because it seems something bad always happens around you."
Chris's jaw tightened. "Are you hoping something bad would happen?"
"No," Kayden said, his tone sharp. "But last time she nearly drowned in a bathtub. And now you're calling instead of her. Why?"
"She's fine," Chris said quickly. "She... won't be able to return to London as scheduled, that's all. She'll call you herself when she's free. She's just out with her colleagues right now."
There was a long silence. "I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling," Kayden murmured.
"You worry too much." Chris forced a smile into his voice.
"Tell her to call me. Please."
"I will. I promise."
Chris ended the call, staring at Bella's hand in his. Kayden's protectiveness struck him it was the same fierce love he felt for her. It made him respect the boy even more.
In her hospital bed, Bella stirred faintly. Memories flickered like broken glass.
The cramped lavatory. The cold seeping into her bones. The sound of her own voice screaming for help, banging on the door until her knuckles ached. Then silence. Her body folding in on itself as she shivered uncontrollably, tears burning her frozen cheeks.
The terrifying moment when she truly thought this is it. I'm going to die here.
Her fingers twitched against Chris's palm.
His head snapped up instantly. "Christal? Babe it's me. I'm here."
The monitors kept beeping steadily, but her lashes fluttered, her lips parted, the faintest whisper escaping.
"C...cold..."
Chris's heart clenched. He pressed her hand to his lips, his voice breaking for the first time that day.
"You're safe now. I've got you. And I swear on everything I am no one will ever leave you like that again."
******
Here's the translation of each French phrase into English:
"Comment est-elle ?"= "How is she?"
"Elle est stable maintenant." = "She's stable now."
"Puis-je la voir ?" = "Can I see her?"
"Oui... tu pourras une fois qu'elle aura transféré." = "Yes... you can once she's been transferred."
"Tu peux entrer maintenant" = "You can come in now."