CHAPTER 90: HOPE YOU LIKE MY PRESENT?
CHAPTER 90: HOPE YOU LIKE MY PRESENT?
NIKOLAI’S POV:
I left Lily with my mother since she said she had something to chat about with Lily and because I have to call Lev, he sent a message about something urgent.
I went to our room and dialed his number but it wasn’t connecting, I sat on the desk still dialing Lev’s number and trying to reach him.
‘What is it he wants to tell me?’, I asked myself. I know Lev too well and when he says there is something really urgent, it was an emergency he couldn’t deal with.
Five minutes later, I redial his number and it connected.
“Boss”, He uttered.
“What is it Lev?”, I asked.
“Something happened to the detective, Joe Williams”, Lev said and I frowned.
“What is it?”.
“He was involved in a shootout and got shot. He is currently in the ICU”, Lev explained.
My mind drove back to Lily and how she will feel if something happens to her father. I couldn’t help but blame myself for separating her from him.
“What’s his condition?”, I asked Lev as my eyes grew darker with each second.
“Very critical boss, I managed to get information from the doctor and he said the detective might not have that much time left… You have to tell Lily boss”, Lev said and the thought of breaking the news to Lily about her only family left, broke my heart.
‘How will she feel? Would she blame me for keeping her away from her father? would she hate me?’, all sort of thought ran through my head.
“I can’t tell Lily about this, it will completely shatter her…”, I said, pinching the spot in between my brows.
“Why not boss, it’s her father we are talking about here”, Lev pressed on.
“I know Lev– but how can I tell her that her father is injured and might die?”, I said to him.
“What?…”, I heard an all-too familiar voice behind me and I abruptly turned around to see a dejected looking Lily. She heard it.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
‘Fuck! When did she come in?!’.
“Lily”, I called out to her, moving towards her but she moved backwards. I frowned at her behavior.
“What did you say about my dad? Wh–what happened to him?!”, She asked, her voice breaking as tears poured down her eyes.
I could not bring myself to say it to her even though I know she heard it.
“Why don’t you sit dow–“.
“NO! What happened to my father?”, She demanded, roughly cleaning away her tears.
I clenched my teeth, staring right into her eyes and at her expression. It was as if she was truly blaming me for her father’s state. The thought of it scared me but I wasn’t a weakling, I put my hands into my pocket.
“He got shot. He is currently in surgery and…”, I paused and looked away. No matter how tough and wicked I can be, this is Lily we are talking about and I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her, not even with my words.
“And what? what Nikolai?”, She asked.
“He may not make it”, I said, she lost her balance and almost fell to the ground if not for my quick wit, “LILY!”, I dashed to her and caught her.
She started hyperventilating then she passed out.
“FUCK!! Lily? Lily wake up!”, I tried by shaking her but she didn’t wake up. Fear consumed me and I started panicking, “Mother!! Galina!! Anyone?!”, I roared at the top of my lungs, forgetting that the room was soundproofed.
I picked Lily up in bridal style and placed her gently on the bed. I took my phone and dialed for a doctor.
“You’re okay. You are going to be okay Lily, I’ve got you”, I said, partially telling myself as I was touching her face and kissing her forehead. I would go completely mad if something happens to her.
***
As I sat by the bedside, holding Lily’s tiny hand, I watched as the doctor tended to her.
“What’s going on uncle?”, I asked Dr. Nathan Benson II, Nate’s father.
Nate isn’t here in Russia, his father was the next closest person I could trust.
His eyes met mine, and he said, “It’s not just the shock, Nikolai. She’s been pushing herself too hard. Her body is exhausted. She needs rest and she needs to process this news about her father”.
I felt a pang of guilt, knowing I’d been the one to deliver that news.
“Will she be okay?” I asked, feeling a sense of responsibility for her well-being.
Dr Benson turned to me and said,
“Yes, she will. Lily needs complete rest and relaxation. No stress, no excitement. She needs to process this news about her father… I’m prescribing her some medication to help her sleep and calm her nerves. Make sure she takes it as directed”, He looked me straight in the eye and said.
“Thank you”, I said to him and stood up to see him off.
Mother and Galina were outside my door, waiting. They rushed to us when I opened the door.
“Is she okay? What happened to her? is it serious?”, My mother bombarded me and Dr Benson with series of questions. I was in no mood to reply any, Lily was still unconscious and I was worried.
“There is nothing wrong Ksenia, she just needs to process the news of her father. She will be fine”, Dr Benson replied.
“Thank goodness”, Galina sighed in relief.
“Thanks again for coming all the way uncle”, I said to him and he smiled, patting my shoulder.
“It’s no worries Nikolai. Just take care of Lily and yourself”, He said and left.
I went back into the room, paying no attention to my mother and Galina. Lily needs me the more.
I walked to her side and sighed, I sat by the bedside and took her hand without the drip in mine, kissing it softly.
“I’m so sorry Lily. It’s all my fault”, I whispered to her, the detective might die without getting to see Lily for the last time and it’s all because of me.
I adjusted the blanket over her and kissed her forehead.
I got a beep on my phone, it was a photo message. I checked who the sender was but it was an unknown number, I furrowed my brows but I still opened it.
[Hope you like my present baby brother ?]
As I stared at the photo message on my phone, my vision began to blur with rage. The image showed Lily’s father, weak and helpless, lying in a hospital bed. But it was the smug face of Roman that sent my anger boiling over.
That cowardly, manipulative… I couldn’t even form words. He was the one who had put Lily’s father in that bed and now he was taunting me with it? I felt my heart racing with a desire for revenge. “How dare he”, I said to myself.
I knew right then that I would stop at nothing to make him pay for what he had done. Lily’s pain, her father’s suffering – it all rested on Roman’s shoulders. And I would be the one to make him face the consequences.
I looked at Lily one more time before leaving the room. I went to Galina’s room to ask for a favor.
“Kolya! H-how is Lily?”, Galina quickly stood up when she saw me.
“She’s fine, still haven’t woken up… I need to ask for a favor”.
“What is it?”, She asked with her brows furrowed.
Galina might be the youngest of the Vladimirs and sometimes childish but I could always count on her for certain things.
“I need you to take care of Lily for a while. Don’t let anyone into her room, not even mother”.
“Wait what–“.
“No one is allowed near her except you. I will station some guards outside the room”, I instructed.
“But why? Where are you going to?”, She asked in confusion.
“Just call me when she wakes up or anything… I need to punish someone or some people”, I said and she immediately understood.
I left as she didn’t ask anymore questions, I grabbed the car key and dialed Lev and Ivan as I sped off.
“Yo! What’s up my man!”, Ivan’s annoying voice came first. I don’t have time for his plays and jokes. He is currently in The US, gallivanting and fucking around but he was the nearest to Lily’s father right now.
“Book me the quickest flight to US, Lev”, I instructed Lev.
“Okay boss… For just you? or with Lily?”, He asked and my mind went back to the sleeping beauty in our bedroom.
“No, just me… book for yourself too”.
“Ay! What’s going on? What did I miss?”, Ivan asked. From what I could hear at the background, he was somewhere partying.
“Ivan, I need you to send our strongest men to a hospital to keep watch, I will send you the address”, I said.
“What’s the matter boss?”.
“Seriously man, what is it?”.
Lev and Ivan asked in unison.
“I will tell you guys when we meet, but for now… do as instructed”, I said.
“Okay boss”.
“You got it man”. They both said and I disconnected, speeding to the airport.