Chapter 5 — The Heiress They Never Stopped Searching For

Marcus’ POV

That image kept coming to me, again and again.

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The hurt in her eyes when I raised my hand at her.

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My stomach clenched.

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I tried to focus on the meeting, but every effort to concentrate was futile.

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My mind kept going back to her, to the tears that dropped from her eyes.

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To the way she withdrew from my touch.

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I should have explained things to her; I should have just told her the truth.

What happened between Alicia and me that night was a mistake.

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All I wanted was for her to be our surrogate. But when we went to the hospital to check if she was healthy enough to carry our child, that was when we found out that she was already having a baby.

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I wanted to scold her for keeping our hopes high when she knew she was already pregnant, but she reminded me of the night we got drunk while celebrating her return, and then we had sex.

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“I didn’t want to bring up what happened that night cause I was scared of what it would do to your marriage,” Alicia said with sadness in her eyes.

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“It’s not your fault; we both messed up.”

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I honestly had no plans to hurt Serena.

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I already told myself that I was going to explain everything to her at the right time. But I didn't know what got over me in that instant.

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Once the meeting was over, I sent for my secretary.

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“Sir? You called for me.” Anna said when she got in.  

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“Order me a bouquet. White roses only.”

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White roses, Serena’s favourite.

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All I have to do is explain myself.

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Let her know what really happened.

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She deserves to know that Alicia and I are no longer a thing. And once our son is born, she won't need to worry about Alicia again.

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And then she can finally forgive me like she always does.

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***

Serena's POV

Shit!

My head hurts.

And my body?

It felt like something heavy had been dropped on me.

I tried to move, but it felt like punishment.

And then when I tried to open my eyes, I almost went blind thanks to the brightness of the lights above me.

I shut my eyes back quickly.

Then I tried again, opening much more slowly than the first time.

When my eyes finally fell open, my gaze remained on the ceiling for a moment too long.

I could hear the rhythmic beeping of a machine somewhere close to my ears.

I felt so disoriented, trying to piece together how I had ended up here.

Just then, a heavy masculine cologne hit me.

So heavy that one could almost choke on it.

This doesn’t smell anything like Marcus.

It smelled like a different kind of expensive.

I couldn't even move my head well enough to see whoever it was in that hospital room with me.

I strained my eyes, but my vision was still very blurry and hazy.

“She's awake.” I heard a deep baritone voice echo, followed by the sounds of footsteps.

Not one, not two.

I struggled to sit up, but someone quickly rushed to stop me.

“You should stay back down; you haven't fully recovered yet.”

“Get the doctor!” I heard another voice say.

Curious me refused to stay down.

I struggled till the bones in my body finally cooperated to let me sit up.

My eyes moved from the several faces in front of me.

It was as though I was seeing four copies of one person.

For a moment, I thought my vision was playing tricks on me once again.

The only difference was their dresses.

My eyes went over them as I took in their features.

Everything about them screamed expensive, money, wealth.

I winced, holding my head.

One of them tried to brush my hair off my face. But I flinched.

“Who are you, people?” My question came out in one weak and hoarse voice.

“Why do you have me?”

“Where am I?”

A man in a white lab coat burst in, causing everyone to look towards the door.

“Your condition is still very bad, so please don't get up; you might only worsen things.” The doctor said calmly.

I held my head as the banging continued.

“I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's all my fault.”

The doctor soon finished what he was doing and then left us all alone again.

They all looked at me with a mixture of joy and sadness. Eyes fixed on me like guards that were assigned to make sure I didn't run away.

But then I noticed tears rolling out of one’s eyes. The same one that had apologised earlier.

He stepped closer.

I had never seen a grown man like him cry before.

“Baby sis.” He muttered.

“I'm sorry we had to find you this way.”

“I promise you, we never stopped searching.”  

It took me more than ten seconds to grasp what he had just said.

My eyes widened.