Chapter 18: Whispers in the Hospital.

ISADORA’S POV

I looked down at the brown envelope in my hands, holding it tight against my ribs while the estate burned behind us. 

Rafael was lying on the wet grass beside me, still groaning from the burn on his shoulder, and he could not get up. 

Marco helped me carry him into the back of the car, and we drove fast through the rain to the big hospital downtown. 

Immediately we got there, the nurses took Rafael straight inside, and I sat on a hard plastic chair in the waiting room with the envelope locked in my arms.

When the doctor finally let me go into the room, I sat on a small stool next to the bed as I saw Rafael had white bandages all over his shoulder, and a little machine was making a slow beep sound near his head. 

I looked at his face and felt my mind split into two as I felt pity for him.

A part of me was still angry with him for keeping secrets, but part of me was happy he was alive after that heavy beam hit his back.

Rafael moved his head on the pillow slowly and let out a long, weak breath as he fluttered his eyes and saw me.

"Isadora," he whispered, his dry lips barely opening as I leaned close to his face and held his cold hand. "I am right here, Rafael. We are at the hospital."

"I had to do it," Rafael said, his voice coming out soft and scratchy. "Three years ago, your grandfather Everett brought a gun to my room and he said he would kill you if I did not sign that paper contract and keep you quiet." He said sounding so weak. My throat went dry, and I sat shocked on my stool.

"Everett said he would end your life if I told you, I stayed in that marriage to keep you safe from him.”

Rafael whispered, closing his eyes as the sleep took him again. I sat back on the hard stool, my hand trembling inside his cold fingers as the breath left my lungs and my mind went completely blank, trying to swallow the terrible truth that he had suffered all these years just to protect my head from a bullet.

Rafael turned his face away, his chest rising and falling in deep sleep as the drugs took over his body and I leaned forward, resting my forehead against the side of his mattress, as I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears from falling.

Then while I was still there, reeling over my thoughts. The heavy door handle turned, about to open as I jumped up from the stool, my heart jumping straight into my throat and I spun around, ready to throw my body over Rafael if one of Everett’s bad men had followed us inside.

Then to my greatest surprise, Aunt Katie stepped through the door, her hands shaking as she pulled it shut behind her back. She stood there for a long moment with her back pressed against the wood, her was face pale and her eyes wide with fear as she looked at Rafael lying helpless on the bed. When her eyes met mine, she let out a quiet sigh and took three quick steps toward me.

I pulled the envelope closer to my chest, my legs stiff as I watched her come near us. "Aunt Katie? How did you know we were here?" I asked curiously as she reached out and took my arm, her fingers cold against my skin, and she looked back over her shoulder at the door to make sure no one was listening outside.

"I followed Marco's car from the estate," Aunt Katie whispered, her voice tight as she squeezed my elbow. "Isadora, you need to hear this before you do anything else."

I looked down at her shaking hand on my arm, then looked up into her worried face. "What is it Aunty? What happened?"

"Your father is not sick at all," Aunt Katie whispered, leaning in close so the sound would not wake Rafael. "He paid a bad doctor to lie that he was dying so Rafael would feel pity and stay with them."

I stood up straight, my knees knocking against the edge of the metal bedframe so hard the small machine shook. "He lied about dying?"

"Yes," Aunt Katie said, nodding her head fast as her eyes filled with tears. "He used that lie to trap Rafael, and now they are preparing to go to court with Everett to take your father's estate."

I looked back at Rafael sleeping quietly on the white bed, then turned to look at the brown envelope in my hands, and made up my mind to go to that court and end them.