Bouquet of Surprises

Chapter 19

George 

The moment Alice hit the ground, Thomas’s men lunged for the kid. But there was no way I was letting that happen… not on my watch.

With a single sharp signal, my guards surged forward, caught them off guard, and snatched the child back in one clean move.

When the dust had finally settled, Thomas’s men were sprawled across the floor, bleeding out and barely moving. Thomas just stood there, staring at the scene in stunned silence until his eyes finally locked onto mine.

“You just declared war on yourself, kid,” he said, his voice low and venomous, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle twitch. “Better get ready… because you’re about to dance to the tune of my song.”

I didn't pay attention to him, let alone say a word to him. I crouched towards Alice quickly, who was now bleeding thoroughly from her hand, swiftly wrapping my arm under her head to help her up.

“Get the door!” I yelled as I pulled her to her feet, gesturing to the guards. They swung forward at once, yanking the doors open as fast as possible.

By now, Leo had already been tucked into the car, still trembling and gasping from the shock of everything that just happened.

My gaze traveled towards him briefly as I laid Alice gently into the car. “You okay, buddy?”

He glanced at me, then at Alice who's eyes were just half open. “Mommy!” He threw his arms around her, sobbing right into her body. “Mom, are you okay?”

“Y…y..e..s,” she managed to mutter through a muffled breath, stroking his hair slowly.

“Okay, kiddo, mom needs some rest, alright? But first, we need to get her to the hospital.” I said firmly, catching his reflection in the rearview mirror.

“I’m coming with her!” Leo shouted, his voice rising with panic and determination. It was obvious his mind was already made up.

At first, the thought of bringing him along worried me. But when I met his gaze and saw the stubborn determination burning in his eyes, I found myself unable to refuse.

“Alright,” I sighed. “You’re coming with us.”

Still watching him through the mirror, I noticed his face brighten… just slightly… before worry and fear crept back into his eyes.

“Is mommy going to be okay?” he asked softly.

The question caught me completely off guard. I turned around to look at him, then forced a small smile, hiding the panic clawing at my chest.

“Of course,” I said gently. “She’ll be fine. The doctors at the hospital will take good care of her.”

He nodded, glancing at me briefly before his eyes returned to Alice.

Within minutes, we pulled into the hospital. The emergency team rushed towards us the moment I explained the situation. Alice was lifted onto a stretcher and wheeled swiftly into the emergency ward.

Leo immediately tried to follow them, but I stopped him.

“You can’t go in there, kid. We need to let the doctors and nurses do their job, okay?”

He stared up at me, clearly unhappy.

“But she’s my mom,” he insisted. “I should be with her. I should stay by her side.”

“I know,” I said softly, crouching down and taking his hands in mine. “I understand you. But mommy’s in a critical condition right now, and you going in could distract the doctors. Trust me… I’ll take you to see her as soon as she wakes up, okay?”

He didn’t reply. He just stared at me, as though my words sounded strange.

I pulled him into my arms and held him for a long moment.

“Mommy will be fine,” I murmured. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

He nodded slowly, finally relaxing against me.

A few minutes later, a nurse approached, holding a file.

“Sir, we need you urgently,” she said, pressing it into my hands.

Leo jumped to his feet immediately, fixing her with a sharp stare.

“Is my mommy awake? Can I see her now?”

“Oh no, sweetheart, you can’t…”

“It’s alright,” the nurse interrupted gently, smiling at him. “He can come with you. The room at the far left.”

The moment she walked away, I stood up, gripping Leo’s small hand as we hurried towards Alice’s ward.

When I pushed the door open, my chest tightened. She lay there, fragile and pale, looking so weak it felt like the air had been knocked from her lungs.

Before I could react, Leo slipped free and ran straight to her bed.

“Mommy!” he cried, throwing his arms around her. “I’m so happy you’re awake!”

I approached slowly, my eyes scanning her as though searching for injuries I might have missed.

She hugged Leo tightly and kissed his forehead, then lifted her head… and that was when her eyes met mine.

In that instant, something stirred inside me. Something unfamiliar. Something I hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Despite how frail she looked, I couldn’t ignore how undeniably beautiful she was.

“G… George?” she whispered weakly. “What happened to me? Where am I?”

I moved closer, gently steadying her as she tried to sit up.

“Hey, hey… easy,” I said. “You need to rest.”

Before I could say anything else, a nurse walked into the room holding a bouquet of flowers. My heart skipped as she approached.

“You have a package, ma’am,” she said, placing the bouquet beside Alice’s bed before leaving.

I picked it up, then froze when I noticed the note tucked inside.

See you soon at the gala.