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Chapter 9 - The Silent Promise

he long corridor of the hospital was quiet, filled only with the faint sound of machines beeping somewhere in the distance. The faint scent of antiseptic and the soft echo of their footsteps made the air heavier than usual.

Isabella walked beside Adrian, her hands clasped tightly together. Her heart was beating fast, not out of fear, but out of the longing to see her father. 

As they reached the door of the private ward, Adrian stopped for a second. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings instinctively. The bodyguards stationed outside straightened the moment they saw him.

The nameplate on the door read Mr. Lawrence Grace. Isabella's eyes softened when she saw it. Adrian pushed the door open, letting her walk in first.

The room was silent, only the rhythmic sound of the heart monitor filled the air. Mr. Lawrence lay on the bed, his face pale but peaceful, with tubes and monitors attached to his body. Isabella's eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Dad…" she whispered, rushing to his side. She sat down and held his hand carefully, afraid her touch might hurt him.

While Isabella was lost in her emotions, Adrian's attention shifted elsewhere. There was something off about the room. His senses were sharp — too sharp to ignore the faint, lingering scent that hung in the air. It wasn't the sterile smell of the hospital. It was faint but distinctive, like an expensive perfume mixed with metal — something foreign.

He frowned. That scent didn't belong here.

Adrian silently stepped back and exited the room without disturbing Isabella. The guards outside stood at attention.

"Who visited this room before us?" he asked in a low, commanding voice.

One of the guards replied immediately, "Sir, no one. Only the doctor came around two in the afternoon for the routine checkup. After that, the room remained closed. We received your video call at four and let Miss Isabella see her father. That's all, sir."

Adrian's expression hardened. "You're sure?"

"Yes, sir. We've been here the entire time."

Adrian looked through the small glass panel of the door again, his eyes narrowing slightly. He knew what his senses told him — someone had been there just minutes before they arrived.

He ordered one of his men, "Get me the CCTV footage from the last two hours."

Within minutes, the footage was brought on a tablet. Adrian watched carefully, frame by frame. The camera showed exactly what the guards had said — only the doctor's visit in the afternoon, and no one after that.

Still, something didn't sit right. The air had shifted too recently for it to be old. It was fresh. Whoever had entered must have done it using a method clever enough to leave no trace behind.

He turned to his head of security. "Double the guards. No one enters this room — not even hospital staff — without my approval."

"Yes, Mr. Frost."

Adrian went straight to the doctor's office. The moment he entered, the doctor stood up nervously.

"Mr. Frost! Is there any issue?"

Adrian's voice was calm but carried an authority that made people uneasy. "Has anyone from your staff entered Mr. Lawrence's room after you?"

The doctor quickly shook his head. "No, sir. Only I attended him today. The nurses haven't gone inside. His condition is stable but unchanged."

Adrian nodded, though his thoughts were far from settled. Whoever came to that room had done so with precision. And that worried him more than anything.

He thanked the doctor and headed back to the private ward.

Inside, Isabella was still sitting by her father's side, her soft voice filling the silence.

"Dad, get well soon… please," she whispered, brushing her thumb gently over his knuckles. "I miss you so much."

She smiled sadly through her tears, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "You know, I had a surprise for you on my eighteenth birthday."

Her eyes sparkled faintly as she continued, "I wanted to tell you that I'm the unknown owner of Blackridge Holdings. I started it last year in secret. I didn't want Victor or Aurelia to know. I wanted to tell you first — to see your face when you found out that your little girl managed to build something from nothing."

She chuckled faintly, remembering how her father used to tease her. "You're too stubborn, Isabella. But that stubbornness will take you far someday."

"See, Dad?" she whispered, looking at his calm face. "You were right. I did it. I earned twenty-five percent shares of Grace Group through my work. And I did it all on my own. You would've been proud of me."

Her smile faded slowly. "But now, everything's in ruins. Victor and Aurelia took everything from us. And I don't even know who I can trust anymore."

She rested her forehead against her father's hand. "But I promise you, Dad… this is not the end. I'll take back everything that belongs to us. I'll rebuild Grace Group with my own hands. I'll make you proud again. So please… please, just wake up soon."

That's when Adrian reentered quietly. He had heard her faint whispering when he opened the door, but didn't heard clearly what she was talking. 

He walked toward her slowly. "He's lucky to have you," he said softly.

Startled, Isabella quickly wiped her tears and turned to him. "You're back?"

Adrian nodded. "Yes. I just checked with the doctor. Your father's condition is stable. He's holding on."

"That's good," she whispered, still looking at her father.

Adrian crouched beside her chair. "He'll recover. I've seen men fight through worse. You just keep believing."

Isabella looked at him for a moment and gave a faint smile. "I will. I have to."

Silence filled the room again. Adrian's eyes wandered over the monitors and the still form on the bed. For a moment, he thought about telling her what he sensed earlier — the strange scent, the missing traces — but decided against it. She had enough to worry about.

Instead, he gently touched her shoulder. "It's getting late. The doctor will need to check him soon. Let's go, Isabella."

"Just a few more minutes, please," she said, her voice small.

He nodded. "Alright. I'll wait outside."

As he turned to leave, her voice stopped him. "Adrian…"

He looked back.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For bringing me here."

Something in her tone made his heart tighten. "You don't need to thank me," he replied softly. "This is where you belong."

He left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Inside, Isabella leaned closer to her father once more. "Good night, Dad. I'll come again tomorrow. Don't worry about me, okay? 

Outside the room, Adrian stood still for a long moment. His eyes were fixed on the corridor, but his mind was racing. That strange perfume still lingered faintly in his memory, teasing his instincts.

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to his head of security:

"Get background checks on all hospital staff. Including cleaning and maintenance teams. Someone was here."

Then he slipped his phone back into his pocket and exhaled quietly.

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