Ch-51

•~•Third Person POV

Melissa stepped out of Davian’s hospital room, letting the glass door slide shut behind her.

Her expression shifted—tightening with unease. She lifted a hand subtly, signaling Dominic, who stood a few feet away, to follow.

He fell in step behind her without question.

Her phone buzzed. The name Dr. Alfred lit up the screen. She answered quickly and brought the phone to her ear.

“Dr. Alfred, what is it?” Her tone was sharp, clipped.

“Mrs. Grant…” The doctor’s voice trembled. “I’m very sorry, but—there’s a problem.”

Melissa stopped in her tracks. A cold dread stirred in her chest. “What kind of problem?”

There was a pause. Then, in a cautious tone he continued, “It’s your son… Mr. Grant. He’s gone missing.”

————

The tires gave a soft screech as the car pulled to a stop in front of the private hospital.

Melissa pushed the door open before the engine had even fully died.

Her heels struck the pavement in quick, sharp clicks as she made for the entrance. Dominic followed close behind, matching her pace.

“The last update you gave me,” he said, his voice low but edged with confusion, “you said the doctor saw some hand movement… and said that he might wake up soon. So how does someone in a coma run away from a hospital?”

Melissa didn’t look at him. She didn’t slow down either.

“Use your head, Dominic. How else could he have run away if he hadn’t woken up already?” she snapped. “It’s been over two weeks.”

Oh fuck!… This was going to be a problem for Aziel. A big one, Dominic thought to himself.

———

Inside the hospital, Dr. Alfred stood nervously outside the ICU wing.

Melissa didn’t bother with pleasantries—how could she, when her precious son was missing?

“How the hell did you lose my son?” Her voice cracked like a whip. “Isn’t this supposed to be a high-security hospital?”

The doctor’s shoulders sagged. “He dressed as one of our male nurses. Had a face mask on, so when one of the staff crossed paths with him during the search, they didn’t realize it was him…”

“...I’m really sorry, Mrs. Grant. I only called to ask—do I have your permission to contact the police?”

“No.” Her tone was sharp. Final. “I don’t want the cops involved.”

Nathaniel had just woken up, and she wasn’t ready to risk too many people knowing—not yet. Not with the chance Aziel could find out.

She turned to Dominic, desperation flashing in her eyes. “You can find him, right?”

Dominic gave a single nod.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Then he turned to Dr. Alfred. “I’ll need access to all your CCTV footage—every entrance, hallway, inside and outside the hospital. Immediately.”

———

•~•Nathaniel’s POV

The taxi rolled to a slow stop in front of the Grant estate. I stepped out, tugging off the face mask and shoving it into the pocket of the scrubs I had forced my assigned nurse to give me.

I looked up at the gates. Same towering black iron, same imposing grandeur. Nothing had changed.

Gravel crunched beneath my shoes as I took a few steps forward, but then a sharp pain suddenly sliced through my skull.

It felt like a dagger had been driven into my head, twisting slowly with every second.

My vision blurred, the world tipping sideways as I staggered, gripping the gatepost to steady myself.

I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing through the pounding until it finally subsided.

When I opened my eyes again, everything was still a bit blurry—but at least the pain had faded.

I was about to push open the side gate when it creaked and swung open on its own.

A man stepped out—he looked like he was in his mid-thirties, uniform sharp and neat, his brows furrowed as he stared at me like I was some kind of ghost.

“Mr. Grant…” he choked out. “You… you’re walking.”

I blinked at him, frowning. I didn’t recognize his face. Had he always been here, or perhaps he was hired after my accident?

Also what the hell did he mean by ‘You’re walking?’ Did he expect me to float in?

He looked like he was about to say more, but I cut him off. “Get the fuck out of my way,” I muttered, brushing past without sparing him another glance as I headed toward the house.

Every step felt heavier than the last, but I pushed forward—across the stone path, up to the main entrance. My hand shook as I reached for the doorknob.

I exhaled, muttering to myself, “Come on, Nathaniel… Just open the damn door.”

I steeled myself and pushed it open a few seconds later, stepping inside.

The living room looked different from what I remembered. Unlike the exterior, this place had changed.

The only thing that still felt familiar was a family portrait my mother had placed on the wall. 

I wanted to move closer to get a better look, but as I took a step closer, the sharp pain in my head returned, blurring my vision.

I gripped my head, letting out a low groan, trying to push back the pain, but it wasn’t working.

It was in that moment, as the pain overwhelmed me, that I saw her. 

Standing in the hallway—so real, so alive, eyes wide with shock.

“Irene,” I breathed, just before my knees buckled beneath me.

The last thing I saw before the darkness took over was her rushing toward me as I collapsed to the floor.