Alex glanced at his wrist for what seemed like the tenth time.
Several minutes had passed, and more pressing was the fact that he couldn't tell what the situation was like anymore.
His heart thumped violently against his ribs.
The mantra he had continued to chant nonstop now dissolved into a silent symphony of dread screaming inside him.
The child cannot have an accident.
Not now.
Not ever.
But now even the words felt hollow.
Traffic crawled forward inch by inch. Every second stretched like punishment so was Kelvin's silence across the phone.
When the silence stretched longer and no message came through, Alex's lips parted slowly, almost trembling.
"Please?" he whispered again, though he didn't know who he was pleading to anymore—Kelvin, God, fate… or the universe that had begun to tilt against him.
~Elsewhere~
Kelvin's hand tightened around his phone; that pleading was raw and unfeigned.
Kelvin felt something twist painfully inside him.
He hated Alex.
He hated him for the sort of man he had become.
He hated him so much because he didn't let her go when he knew he never wanted her.
He hated that he had always been selfish—always needing more, always taking, never giving.
And the worst part? That he never, not even once, appreciated her sacrifice.
Yet he was damn terrified. Terrified of losing a child born of a mistress.
A child conceived through betrayal.
A child he had gotten by cheating on his wife?
In that moment, whatever faint illusion he once had about Alex being a morally just man shattered completely.
That title, that reputation people casually attributed to him, was nothing more than polished deception.
He was never just in his life.
There was never any ounce of morality in him.
If only he had made this plea on behalf of her?
If he had shown just as much of this pain when she was ill?
If only he had shown even half of this desperation when Sonia lay unconscious.
If he had trembled this way for her.
If he had looked this broken.
Maybe, just maybe Kelvin would believe redemption was possible.
Maybe he would hope Alex could still change.
Maybe he would believe he could still love her right.
But just a few hours ago, his wife breathed her last, and now he is pleading for another woman's life.
The woman who made sure to have his wife killed.
Was he stupid or just being blind?
His gaze softened as it trailed down the face of the unconscious lady who was barely surviving because of several life-saving pieces of equipment attached to her body.
His gaze softened; his lips curled into a cruel smile.
"I will go and attend to her," he clipped.
"Really?" Alex breathed, his voice tinged with relief as he exhaled.
Kelvin clenched his jaw, his eyes frosty…so frosty as ice, his knuckles almost white from the pressure of clenching his fist tightly and hard.
"Send me the address," he said finally.
Relief flooded Alex's voice instantly. "Thank you."
"I'm not doing this for you," Kelvin added coldly and ended the call without giving him a chance to speak further.
He was already at the brink of losing his sanity hearing his voice.
His hand slowly and gently traced the smooth face of the woman lying helplessly on the bed. Slowly he brushed her cheeks gently but it was cold…too cold to believe.
Her skin was paler than usual, so pale that it could be mistaken for a ghost.
A ghost?
That would probably be an understatement.
Kelvin's gaze trailed to the two lines of IV fixed to her body…one red and the other a clear liquid.
He swallowed.
This should be the fourth blood bag since she was taken away from the hospital earlier.
And the intravenous solution hanging overhead? The tenth.
His lips parted to speak to her.
"Sonia," he whispered, his voice cracking with the weight of the situation before him. "You will be fine…definitely and at all cost."
A smile curved his lips. "Don't be in a hurry. Take your time to heal…I will keep you safe and keep them all alive."
He exhaled sharply and with resoluteness. "I will keep them long enough till when you wake up…I believe you would so much want to teach them what it means to be betrayed?"
He tilted his head to the side in a brief thought.
"Let her die now…?" he shook his head. "It wouldn't be fun. Or what do you think?" He pressed, but he was only met with silence.
The thick silence of an upgraded private ICU with just the faint hum of the machines.
A silence that had always been her response for the past six months…
Gone was that cheerful and lovely voice, gone was the optimistic girl who never bothered about what she faced.
Gone was the chatterbox who talked endlessly about random things—sunsets, recipes, books she never finished.
Kelvin felt bitter and heartbroken.
If only he hadn't gone on that trip, he would have known about her illness or even before she was admitted.
And even if she refused to speak to him, yet he came back way too late…too late to save her from the chaos.
To keep her from falling asleep.
For months, he had adjusted his schedule to spend time with her.
It was during those visits that he noticed subtle changes in her body; weakness that didn't align with diagnosis, fatigue that lingered unnaturally.
A telltale that she was under someone's hand.
And laying in the hospital was just an excuse.
But then who had such an evil intention?
What was the purpose?
Kelvin exhaled slowly, his eyes brimming with fierce determination.
He gently tucked her hand beneath the sheet. Adjusted the blanket, checked her temperature.
He walked to the air conditioner and reduced it slightly, ensuring the room was neither too cold nor too warm.
Just the right degree for her frail body.
His gaze snapped back to the IV stand. He adjusted the drip rate carefully. He checked the monitors and verified the oxygen levels.
His gaze swept around the room, making sure everything was in order.
"Sleep calm," he whispered. "Sleep tight until I'm back."
And just like before, he was met with silence.
Kelvin's eyes dimmed slightly with hurt.
Sonia had always been a chatterbox…bright and lively.
One never got bored in her presence whenever she wanted to talk, but that was never the case when she was moody.
"Mr. Thunder, I am dead furious. And I might have to skin you alive to quell my anger," she had once said.
Kelvin chuckled softly. "Sonia. I really want to see how you skin one alive when you wake up."
With that said, he walked out of the room, and the door clicked shut behind him with a soft click.
Outside the door, his cold gaze glued to the two hefty guards before him.
"No entries and exits."
"Any mishap, you pay with your life," he instructed coldly.
"We understand," they answered robotically as though they were just customized as such.
Kelvin nodded once and began walking down the corridor.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, he already had a guess in mind. Slowly. He pulled it out.
Sure enough, it was a message from Alex.
{She's not picking up. Please hurry.}
Kelvin stared at the screen, his lips curled into a cold arc while his expression remained impassive.
He typed slowly.
(On my way.)
With a click of the send button, the message was delivered displaying two ticks.
Without any rush, he stepped out of the house.
If she survives, good.
If she doesn't… he would have said good but no…not yet.
He had promised Sonia. He would keep them alive.
Long enough.
Long enough for her to open her eyes and decide their fate herself.
Besides, revenge tastes better when served by the wronged.