Chapter 7
"Shut up." I moved to shield Bella. "Say one more word about her, and I swear I'll rip your tongue out."
"Oh, so protective?" Lillian laughed coldly. "Which rich boy's mistake is she, anyway?"
She walked to the foot of the bed and grabbed the chart.
I tried to stop her, but her bodyguards blocked me.
"RH-negative blood... heart failure..." Lillian read aloud, then her face suddenly changed.
She whipped her head toward me, shock flickering in her eyes. "RH-negative? Nathan has the same blood type..."
She stared at Bella's pale face. Even through the sickness, she could see traces of Nathan.
"How old is this kid?" she demanded.
I clenched my jaw and said nothing.
Lillian flipped through the chart herself.
Then the chart slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a thud.
Six years old.
We broke up seven years ago. A six-year-old girl.
The timing was perfect.
"I see... I see it now." Lillian suddenly started laughing, a wild, twisted sound.
"Hannah, you've been hiding this well," she spat.
"What are you going to do?" I asked, my eyes locked on her.
"What am I going to do?" She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "If Nathan finds out about this kid, what do you think happens? He takes you back? Treats this little bastard like a princess?"
"Let me tell you something. Dream on." A flicker of madness crossed Lillian's face. "This secret dies here. Or else..."
She glanced at the tubes connected to Bella's respirator and reached for them. "I'll make sure she dies right now."
"Don't you dare," I screamed.
I broke through the bodyguards' grip and shoved Lillian away with all my strength.
Lillian stumbled backward and slammed into a cabinet.
"Crazy woman." She clutched her side, wincing. "What are you idiots waiting for? Hold her down."
The two guards exchanged a glance and started toward me.
"Stop." A cold voice cut through from the doorway.
Nathan stood there. Behind him were Cameron Hunter, the hospital director, and a few specialists.
"Nathan." Lillian's face went pale instantly, but she recovered fast, quickly putting on her victim act.
"I heard Hannah's kid was sick, so I came to check on them. And she just... went crazy and attacked me," she whined.
Nathan's gaze swept over the messy room, finally landing on the bed I was guarding.
His eyes lingered on Bella's face for a few seconds. His brow furrowed slightly.
Something about her tugged at him, a strange familiarity.
"Whose child is this?" he asked, his voice low.
"She's... mine. From a client." I scrambled for a lie, my voice shaking. "You know how I am, Mr. Collins. I sleep around."
Nathan's expression darkened. Anger flickered in his eyes.
He said, "If you know you're dirty, keep it away from me."
He turned to Lillian, his voice softening slightly. "Are you hurt?"
"My side hurts so much..." Lillian's eyes welled up. "Nathan, let's go. The smell of disinfectant here is making me sick."
She grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away.
She was scared that if he looked too long, he'd figure it out.
But Nathan didn't move.
He bent down and picked up the chart from the floor.
"RH-negative blood?" His head snapped up, staring at me. "That's a coincidence."
"Not really. I have the same type." I forced myself to stay calm.
"Is that so?" Nathan flipped through the chart. His eyes landed on the birth date.
The air in the room seemed to freeze.
Lillian had a strange look on her face, like she was plotting something.
"Six years old," Nathan murmured to himself. Then he snapped the chart shut and strode toward me.
"Hannah. Look me in the eye." He stared at me, his voice tight with barely controlled fury. "Whose child is this?"
"She's not yours," I shouted. "Don't flatter yourself, Nathan. I left you for money. Why would I ever have your child?"
"For money?" He laughed coldly. "Then why are you selling yourself to me now? To save whose kid?"
"My ex-boyfriend's," I blurted out, desperate.
"Fine. Good." Nathan laughed, furious. He reached down and pulled a few strands of hair from Bella's head. "If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself."
"Nathan, what are you doing?" I tried to stop him, but he shoved me away.
"If I find out you've been lying to me..."