She's Gone

Madam Claudia felt restless with Fabe’s situation. To clear Master Rafael’s name, she decided to call Bryce to explain everything and cover-up. He threatens to leave the mansion with his family if they keep secrets from him, and she cannot afford to lose her son.

“Bryce Fabe is in the hospital.”

“What?! What happened, mom?”

“She was gone mad and got hysterical. She tried to attack your father and….”

“Fabe attack dad? I’m sorry, mom, I don’t think she can do that. She is pregnant.”

“But it’s true. Because of that, she was bleeding heavily, so we rushed her to the hospital.”

“How is she? And my baby?”

“We are waiting for the doctor’s call. I will notify you after.”

“I’m going home.”

Thereupon, Fabe was inducted into the hospital and delivered a premature baby by a caesarian section. She was unconscious the whole time, so the doctor acted immediately, or the baby will die. Hours later, Fabe was transferred to the recovery room, and the baby stayed in the incubation room for further examination. His heartbeat was slow and low in oxygen.

Lyla didn't leave her side even if Master Rafael didn't ask her to stay. She stepped up and volunteered. Fabe suffered tremendous trauma; that is why she reacted that way. Lyla saw the picture on Fabe’s phone accidentally. She took it when the Master asked her to bring Fabe to the hospital, and it was still unlocked. The following day, Fabe woke up hysterically searching for her son.

"Calm down, Miss. Young Master is fine. He is in the incubation room," Lyla rubbed her back, comforting her as she wrapped her arms around Lyla.

"Incubation room?"

"Yes, he is premature. You gave birth at seven months, Miss. There is nothing to worry about. The doctor is doing their best for the young Master. "

"Is he okay?"

"He will be. He just needed to stay there."

The nurse came in to give her medicine. She saw Madam Claudia and Lady Sophie pass by.

 "They didn't even bother to check on me," she muttered, "I want to see my baby."

"But, Miss, your feet."

Fabe removed the blanket that covered her body and saw her feet wrapped with bandages. She remembered stepping on the broken glasses last night.

"Still, I want to see my baby."

“Very well."

Lyla assisted her in the wheelchair and pushed her to the incubation room. Madam Claudia and Lady Sophie were there looking at her son. She ignored them and proceeded inside. She was guided by the nurse and noticed the sign Hamilton outside her baby's incubator. He was sleeping peacefully.

"Look at his tiny hands," Fabe felt so warm holding her son that she didn't realize her tears welled from her eyes.

"I'm your Mommy, Liam,” she smiled in tears and approached the doctor.

“Why is my baby in oxygen? Is something wrong with him?”

“Mrs. Hamilton, he has a slow heartbeat and low oxygen. I’m sorry but rest assured that we are doing the best we can to save him,” the doctor replied. After spending time with Liam, Fabe asks Lyla to roll her back into her room.

A soft voice caught Fabe's attention before she entered inside. She leaned on the door and listened carefully. It was Master Rafael’s voice talking to her doctor about their plan to transfer her baby to the US. Lady Sophie even interrupted that she could be a mother to the child.

"To the child?" Fabe said softly, arching her brow.

"I'll make arrangements and get back to you," she heard Madam Claudia. Fabe quickly open the door so they won't suspect her listening to them.

"Mrs. Hamilton, how do you feel?" the doctor asked, but her face turned pale.

"I'm fine, doctor," Fabe acted normal as Lyla helped her back into her bed.

"I guess everything is going well here. We'll head back to the mansion. Lyla, stay here," Master Rafael nodded to Fabe and left with Madam Claudia and Lady Sophie. Lady Sophie flashed an insulting stare before they went out.

Three hours later, while resting, Fabe heard a commotion outside her room.

“Lyla, what’s happening?” Fabe took her dextrose to check outside. It came from the incubation room, which was now crowded with nurses, and she saw her baby aided by the doctor.

“My baby!” Limping, she forces herself to run into the incubation room.

“What’s happening to him?”

“Mrs. Hamilton, please stay here. You cannot go inside,” the nurse closed the door to the incubation room.

“Tell me what is happening to my baby?” she cried.

“There has been a complication to his heart. The doctor is trying their best to revive him. I’m sorry.”

“What? No,” she cried, watching her baby struggling for his breath.

"Lyla, where’s my phone?"

"Miss, here, I kept it. I am sorry I saw the photo last night," Lyla retrieved the phone from his sling bag and handed it to Fabe.

Fabe dialed a number while her tears welled up.

"I need you, please," she mentioned the name of the hospital and ended the call. Shortly, a group of men Lyla had never seen in her entire life came in and talked to Fabe.

"Lyla, come with me," Fabe pleaded.

"But Miss, the Hamilton," Lyla trembles in astonishment and fear.

"Don't worry. I’ll deal with them later. Please come with me."

As soon as Lyla nodded, the men moved quickly, transferred Fabe in a stretcher inside the ambulance, and drove off. Master Rafael then got a call from the hospital that the baby had suffered from cardiac arrest and died. Madam Claudia and Sophie rejoice in silence but the Master.

“Where’s my daughter-in-law?” the Master asked the doctor.

“In her room, Master.”

"Tell her she's on her own."

At the same time, Bryce arrived from London and went straight to the hospital. He was faced by the doctor, who told him everything, but Fabe was gone. She took off with the baby. The hospital records are the only thing left from them.

“Do you mean to tell me that my son died and let my wife go with his body?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Hamilton, but that is true. Mrs. Hamilton insists on leaving. We cannot do anything about it,” the doctor answered somberly.

“What did my father say?”

“The Master didn’t want to get involved now that your son died. I’m sorry again, sir.”

Bryce immediately went home to face Master Rafael but was greeted with broken glasses and curses echoing throughout the mansion. Lady Sophie was rushing out of the house.

“Sophie, what’s going on?”

“You know why. Dad is furious about the death of his only grandson. I have to go. I don’t want to be the target of his anger again for not giving him and grandchild!”

Bryce heard his mom’s voice calming the Master, but she was cussed out and ordered to leave him alone.

“Mom?”

“Oh, son! You’re dad….”

At times like this, Bryce's the only person who can calm the Master. She knows that. In her tears, she hugged him and kissed his cheek. Bryce nodded and went inside the Master’s bedroom.

“Dad,” Bryce saw the Master sitting in the corner of his room sobbing. He carefully steps onto the floor, avoiding the broken glasses scattered everywhere. Master Rafael turned to him without a word.

Bryce picked him up and led him to his bed. The Master willfully obeyed. He made him drink a pill to calm him and tucked him in bed.

“I’m sorry, son.”

“Shh, it’s all right, dad,” Bryce plastered a fake smile holding back his tears.

****

For years, Bryce burned his money to find Fabe, but she was nowhere to be found. She disappeared without a trace. Many times, Bryce checked the hospital records, but there was nothing he could see that would lead him to her. Fabe paid her hospital bill in cash the night she fled. She’s gone.

He wanted to see his son. What did he look like? He wanted to mourn his death, but without a body, a grave, Bryce felt hopeless.

Bryce hired an investigator to track Fabe’s record from the café where he met her and the previous school she attended, but nothing showed up. Not even her co-workers can point fingers at her location. It seems like she became a ghost. No records at all. All this time, he realized he knew a little about his wife. That in their two years of marriage, she is still a stranger.

Meanwhile, Fabe embraces life back in her own family. Two years of foolishness of being the wife of Bryce Hamilton hold back her life. She realized how much she misses the world outside the four corners of the Hamilton’s mansion, being their servant. For years, she wanted a happy family of her own, a normal life. Now, everything is clear to her; her marriage was a big mistake.

“What are you thinking, my princess?” Massimo Donovan found Fabe looking afar on the balcony.

“Nothing, dad.”

“Nothing? Or are you still thinking about him?”

“Dad!”

“You can’t lie to me, princess. I know you well, and I made myself clear that I don’t want any of those Hamilton to get near you again, or help me, God! You know what I could do if they hurt you again.”

“And I already decided not to get swoon again by Bryce Hamilton. It’s Liam I’m worried about.”

“Well, he needs to know, but I intend to keep it from him. He doesn’t deserve that family.”

“Indeed. Yet going back to Italy makes me think how vulnerable Liam would be.”

“Liam and you. I told you taking over that company was a big mistake. Let Cali take care of it.”

“What’s the use of naming that company after me if I cannot run the business? I can do it, dad.”

“I didn’t say you can’t do it. I never doubted you. The Hamilton, I want you as far from them as possible.”

“No, dad. Taking over the company is the right thing to do. Because as of now, all I want to do is crash them.”

“Careful, you might fall from your own trap. Anyways, Liam will stay. I will take care of him in your absence.”

“That would be great, dad.”

“So you finally decided to go back,” Stephen Donovan overheard them entering the living room on the second level of their house.

“Stephen!” Fabe approached him and wrapped her arms around him, “I didn’t know you were in the country. When did you arrive?”

“This morning. Dad told me to escort you back to Italy. Seems like he is worried to death.”

Massimo rolled his eyes, listening to Stephen. He took the bottle of scotch and poured it into his glass for another round.

“You don’t have to, dad. I can take care of myself,” Fabe reasoned, slouching herself on the couch. Massimo shrugged, drinking his scotch.

“You better get ready, Ava. Cali is waiting for you downtown. We can fly to Italy in less than an hour,” Stephen glanced at his wristwatch.

Fabe smiled at the two gentlemen and returned to her room to get her things.

*****

“Target on the move,” the man’s voice informed through a spy microphone.

“Copy that,” the woman answered, running fast to the roof of the building in downtown Barcelona, holding a sniper rifle. After finding a spot, she positioned herself and aimed the sniper at her target.

“In position…target lock.”

She fired onto the truck's wheel approaching south, making it stop. A few minutes later, they were gunfire everywhere. The woman went to the truck and released the teenagers inside, drawing them to the side.

In the distance, the police car races with its siren wailing. The woman stops by the truck and throws the grenade blowing it off. As soon as the police reached the kidnapped teenagers, the woman and her crew had already left. The next day, headlines about Nova spread all over Europe.

Meanwhile, Bryce saw the news. His heart stops seeing Nova’s name.

“She’s back,” he gasps softly, throwing the newspaper on the table. He immediately called his secretary to book him a flight to Spain.