Chapter 7
When Eileen woke again, she was met with a blinding white light.
Julius was sitting by her hospital bed, eyes closed, trying to rest. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his jaw was rough with stubble–he looked utterly worn out.
The moment he saw Eileen’s eyes open, he lunged forward, wrapping her tightly in his arms. “Eileen, you’re finally awake!”
She froze, then struggled to push him away.
There is no greater sorrow than a heart that’s given up hope. Every time she remembered how these hands had rejected her desperate calls for help, despair crashed over her like a wave.
Eileen didn’t say a single word to him. Her eyes were empty as she stared up at the ceiling, mind racing with plans to escape the hospital and contact the police.
But over the next few days, Julius seemed possessed–he stayed glued to her side, never leaving for a moment.
He wiped her down, fed her, read to her, and told her jokes, trying everything he could think of to make her smile again.
But she never did. Her heart was already dead.
She looked up at him, her gaze icy. “You don’t have to stay here. I’m fine.”
Julius paused, his voice rough and hoarse. “I’m sorry, Eileen. I was in a meeting that day–I didn’t get your calls…”
Eileen laughed, and as she laughed, tears spilled down her cheeks.
Didn’t get them? He just never wanted to answer!
“Oh?” She wiped her tears away. “So, how exactly are you planning to make it up to me? What about Paula?”
At that, Julius’s brow creased in discomfort. “Paula’s just new to the real world–she doesn’t know any better.
“Eileen, please, for my sake, let her off this time, okay? I promise, she’ll never hurt you again.”
Eileen stared at him in disbelief, as if she’d just heard the world’s cruelest joke.
She’d nearly been killed because of Paula, and her husband was still pleading for her attacker?
“So,” Eileen’s brow furrowed, “you’ve been sitting here all this time just waiting to plead for her?”
Julius flinched, quickly denying it.
But Eileen knew the truth–this was all he really cared about.
“Get out!” she shouted, her voice raw with rage. “I don’t need you here. Get out!”
Julius rushed forward, trying to pull her into his arms again, but she shoved him away with all her strength.
The effort tore open her wounds, and blood immediately seeped through the gauze, dripping down.
Pain wracked her body, sweat pouring down her face as she collapsed on the bed, unable to move. But even then, she kept yelling, “Get out! Leave
Chapter 7
me alone!”
Helpless, Julius finally left the room, deciding to wait and try again late
Now, Eileen was alone. She lay slumped on the bed, gasping for breath. her heart clenched so tightly it felt like it might bleed.
After a long while, she finally managed to reach for her phone, hands. trembling, and dialed the police to ask about her child’s case.
Just then, her phone rang–it was the police department. “Hello, Ms. Greymoor? We have some good news. We’ve located your child’s probab whereabouts and are preparing a rescue operation!”
“Really?!” Eileen wiped away her tears, her voice trembling with hope.
That call hit her like a shot of adrenaline, pulling her back from the edge of despair.
Ignoring her pain, she immediately called the embassy and Victor.
She needed the embassy to help secure an emergency passport for her child.
And she needed Victor to help gather evidence of Paula’s kidnapping…
