Bad news

Chapter Three

Eleanor's POV

The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was the sharp ache spreading through my head.

I blinked several times, staring at the unfamiliar white ceiling above me. The steady beeping beside my bed made me realize I was in a hospital, but I couldn't remember how I'd gotten there.

Then I remembered the blood and how Stacy made me fall. Adrian walking right out of my body again.

My heart started beating faster as I tried to remember what happened after I saw it. Everything was blurry, almost like my mind had deliberately shut down after that moment.

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my body, forcing me back against the pillow.

"Don't move too quickly."

I turned my head.

Ryan was sitting beside my bed, his arms folded across his chest. He looked exhausted, and there was something about his expression that immediately made me realize he'd been worried.

What the hell was my brother doing here?

"Ryan?"

He leaned forward, looking relieved the moment he realized I was finally awake.

"Thank God you're awake. You scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I had remember reaching out to him immediately after. Even though I haven't seen him physically for a long time, he was the only one I could reach out to in such a vulnerable moment.

I guessed I must have also passed out.

"You don't have to apologize." He paused, looking at my entire body before his eyes settled on my face. "You've lost so much weight, Eleanor. Are you feeling okay anywhere? Do you need me to call the doctor?"

"No, no, just body aches, but I'll be fine."

I tried to sit a little more comfortably, but another strange pain suddenly twisted through my lower abdomen.

I flinched.

Ryan immediately noticed.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. It's just a little pain."

I placed my hand over my stomach, waiting for the feeling to disappear. It wasn't unbearable, but it was strange enough to make me uncomfortable.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ryan. I'll be fine. What happened to me? has the doctor said anything yet?"

"No, he should be here anytime soon." He assured me.

The room went quiet right after while he both stared at ourselves for a while.He stared at me for a few seconds before finally letting it go.

His voice softened when he spoke again, but I could tell there was something else weighing on him. He looked worried, and I couldn't help but wonder if he already knew about my divorce.

"What is it?"

Ryan hesitated.

"Dad is sick."

My heart sank.

"How sick is he? Why are you just telling me now?"

"He's been sick for a while." He sighed, a deep breath escaping from his mouth. "He didn't want me to tell you at first, but I think it is high time I do that."

I stared at him in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because he knew you'd refuse to come home. He didn't want to force you against you wishes too."

A bitter laugh escaped me. He knew me so well and I love the fact he respected my decision.

"Eleanor, it's serious. According to the doctors, he doesn't have any much time left."

I stared at him.

For years, I'd convinced myself that I didn't care about anything happening back home. I'd left that life behind because I'd wanted nothing to do with the family dynamics, the constant expectations, or the people who made me feel like I was trapped in a life I'd never chosen.

But hearing that my father was dying still hurt.

"He's really dying?"

Ryan nodded.

I turned my face toward the window, blinking rapidly as I tried to hold back the tears.

I hadn't talked to my father in years, and a part of me had always been grateful that he respected my decision to leave. I had hated him at some point, especially after the way he got married to another woman after my mother died.

It was something I had never really forgiven him for, even though I'd spent years pretending that I didn't care anymore.

"You have to come back home, Eleanor."

"No."

"You haven't even thought about it. You should take your time and think about it."

"I left for a reason, Ryan. I don't want to go back there."

I looked back at him, waiting for him to continue.

"Dad have always wanted you to take over his legacy, including the group. He wants you to be in charge once he's gone. He knew how capable and brave you are considering the fact you also left home to fend for yourself."

My brows furrowed.

"The controlling shares, the properties, the business interests, everything he's allowed himself to decide. He wants you to take over all of it."

I shook my head immediately.

"I'm not going to do that. I don't want to get involved in any sort of company politics or power fight."

"I know."

He stood up and then sat exactly at the edge of the bed, his eyes staring right into mine.

"But you can't keep running from it forever."

I looked away again.

That was exactly what I'd been doing.

Running.

I'd changed my surname. I'd walked away from the family name and built a life that belonged entirely to me. I hadn't wanted their money or their influence. I wanted to know what it felt like to accomplish something without people knowing whose daughter I was.

The first daughter of the caldwell group. One of the most powerful and richest billionaire. We owned different assets and different businesses.

Still, I ran away from that life.

Now, somehow, everything was coming back.

"I don't know what to do," I admitted.

"You don't have to decide tonight. Just think about it before you make a decision you'll regret later."

I nodded slowly.

For a moment, I let my eyes close, but Adrian's face appeared in my mind again. I think I should finally do what he wants. I'm going to sign the divorce papers just like he had wished. I shouldn't be treated that way just because I love someone.

Ryan noticed the change in my expression.

"What are you thinking about?"

I hesitated before answering.

"Adrian."

His face immediately tightened.

"I need to go back and see him."

"Eleanor, what the hell are you still doing with that bastard? It's so clear that he doesn't care about you. You somehow ended up in the hospital, and he isn't even here to check up on you."

I looked at him.

"I just need to finalize things between us. He asked for a divorce and I'm going to give him what he wants." I forced a fake smile across my face, while tears built up my eyes.

The glass shards entered my skin right there, but he cared more about his childhood friend who had been faking her injury all along.

Ryan didn't argue this time. He simply reached for my hand and squeezed it, his eyes remaining on me while a smile spear across his face like he was proud of the decision I've made.

"Whatever decision you make, I'll be here to take you to a comfortable place, no matter where it is."

I nodded slowly, but before I could say anything else, there was a soft knock on the door.

We both turned towards it.

The doctor walked into the room with a file in his hands.

"Good morning, Eleanor. How are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine, just a little sore," I replied, shifting slightly against the pillow. "My stomach has been hurting a little too, but I think it's probably because of the fall."

The doctor glanced at Ryan before looking back at me.

"Has the pain gotten worse?"

"No. It comes and goes."

He nodded and stepped closer to the bed, briefly looking through the file in his hands before closing it again.

"We received the results from the tests we ran earlier, and there's something I need to discuss with you."

The sudden seriousness in his voice made my stomach tighten.

"Is something wrong?"

The doctor pulled the chair closer to my bed and sat down.

"We ran several tests when you were brought in earlier in the day, because of the bleeding you experienced after the fall."

I looked at him, my fingers slowly tightening around the blanket.

"Okay."

"You were pregnant, Eleanor." The doctor stated. my entire world almost paused immediately. Were?

My hand instinctively moved towards my stomach.

Pregnant?

"I don't understand."

"You were approximately six weeks pregnant."

Six weeks.

My eyes widened as I tried to calculate it in my head, and the realization slowly began to sink in.

Adrian..My heart clenched.

There had been a baby growing inside me, and I hadn't even known.

The tiredness I'd been feeling lately, the changes in my body that I'd ignored, the strange aches that I had blamed on stress; suddenly, everything seemed to make sense.

I looked down at my stomach, my hand still resting against it.

"I didn't know."

The doctor's expression softened.

"I understand. Many women don't realize they're pregnant this early."

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling a strange heaviness in my chest.

"Is the baby okay?"

The room went silent.

The doctor looked at me for a moment before slowly shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Eleanor."

My heart stopped.

"What?"

"You experienced significant bleeding after the fall, and unfortunately, the pregnancy could not be sustained."

I stared at him.

I didn't understand what he was saying, or perhaps I simply didn't want to understand.

"What does that mean?"

His voice softened.

"You've had a miscarriage."