Chapter 5 She’s Gone
“Just hold on, okay?” I whispered, brushing Lily’s damp hair back as she clutched her stomach and cried in the ambulance. “We’re almost at the hospital. You’ll be fine:
ng with the baby”
Lily whimpered. I hurts so much, Gabriel. I think something’s wrong
My jaw clenched. Everything happened so fast.
One second, I was holding Faye in my arms, bleeding, the next, I was carrying Lily out the front door.
“You’ll be alright,” I said again, trying to calm her. “The doctors will help. Just stay strong “2
As soon as we amived, nurses rushed over with a stretcher. They carefully lifted Lily and rolled her into the hospital
I took a few steps back. “I have to go back for Faye. She’s-“}
“Dad, no!” Ace cut in.
“You can’t leave now,” lan added, his face
“She needs you” Ace said.
added, his face serious. “Lily’s in pain. You can’t abandon her like this.
I looked toward the emergency y entrance, tom.
“She’s in the ER now. Just weit, please” lan insisted.
I hesitated, then followed them inside X
Minutes later, Lily was rushed into a ward. I sat down with the twins in the waiting area, my
mind still reeling.X
I turned to them sharply. “What happened back there? What were you two thinking? You shot someone!”
Both boys looked down, guilt flashing on their faces.
“We didn’t know it would actually hurt her,” lan muttered
“We were just trying to scare her,” Ace said quietly. “She came out of the storage room.. tried to run… fell into the pool… then we found the gun and just-”
“I thought it was a prank, lan added. “We didn’t think it was loaded.
“You shot someone over a prank?” I said, shocked. “Do you even understand what could’ve happened? She could’ve died!“%
“We’re sorry, Dad,” they said together”
I sighed and rubbed my temples. “I need to go get Faye now
“But Dad, Ace interrupted, “Grandma Stella’s there with her. She’s probably helped her already”
“Yeah,” lan nodded. “You need to be here for Lily. What if something happens to her?”
I paused. They were right. But I still felt uneasy.
“Fine. But we’re going to talk about this again,” I said firmly. “You two better apologize to Faye when we get back. You’ve been treating her horribly lately, Killing her cat? Shooting her? This ends now.“.
The boys nodded slowly.
true will
Il still be the one looking after you. Don’t
“She takes care of you,” I continued. “And when I take Lily
ly overseas for her treatment, Faye forget that.”
“Yes, sir,” they mumbled.
A doctor walked over. “Ml. Gabriel?”
I stood. “Yes. How is she?
“She and the baby are fine. Just a little stressed. There’s nothing physically wrong, but she needs rest. No stress or exertion, or it might Ingger another episode ”
1 exhaled in relief. “Thank you”
“You can go see her now Room 305.7%
I nodded and walked in E
Lily was sitting up in bed, pale and fragile–looking
“Gabriel” she said softly, her eyes glassy!
“You scared me,” I said, taking her hand. “You need to stop working so hard.”
She gave me a sad smile. “I just I wanted to help. Faye does so much around! the house. I don’t want her to feel like I’m useless. 1 thought if I showed I could help, she wouldn’t get mad at me again.”
“Lily” I sighed. “Faye isn’t mad at you.”
“She was shot, right?” Lily asked. “We should take her to the hospital ”
“I’ll go.” I said “You should rest”
“No,” she insisted. “The ambulance that brought me was meant for her. I feel so guilty”
“Lily please–t
“Im line now Lef’s go get her Please“:
hesitated, but seeing the sincerity on her face, I gave in
“Alright. Let’s go.”
The hospital discharged her within the hour, and we rode back in the same ambulance.!!
I kept thinking about Faye, Was she still at home? Did Stella really help her? Why hadn’t she called me?
As we pulled up to the courtyard, I jumped out first-
And froze X
Blood!
So much blood.
the ground, soaked through and abandoned.
The towel I had wrapped around Faye’s shoulder lay on th
“Faye?” I called out, panicked.
“Faye!”
No answer
The house was quiet when we rushed inside.
I checked every room. The living room Kitchen, Guest rooms. Even the bathroom. Nothing.
“Where is she?” I asked the maids. “Did anyone see Faye?“!
They all shook their heads.
“No, sir… we haven’t seen her since earlier today”
-She was hurt!” I shouted. “Bleeding! How did no one see anything?
No one answered.
My heart pounded harder as I stepped outside again.
The courtyard was still smeared with blood. The towel hadn’t moved
“Where the hell did she go?”
Just then, Stella strolled in through the side entrance, holding a cup of tea.
“Stella!” I ran over. “Did you see Faye? Where is she?”
She looked at me, unimpressed.
“Oh, her?” she scoffed. “Some guy took her.”
I blinked. “What guy?“%
She shrugged. “Some man. I don’t know.“!
I felt my blood run cold.
“Faye doesn’t know anyone but me, I said slowly “Who took her?”
Stella sipped her tea, uninterested.
“You’re asking the wrong person.”
Faye didn’t just disappear
Someone took her
And I had no idea who