Chapter 4

"Is she ok? I don't think she's going to pull through…"

"She will be fine, she'll wake up anytime now." Dr. Victoria's voice was strong, cutting clear through the anxiety evident in the man as she quickly headed out of the ward.

The man breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness…

A groan of pain came from the hospital bed. "Ahh… my head." Amelia's voice was weak, barely above a whisper. The eyelids threatening to stick together now fluttered open, and the blinding white lights overhead made her wince. She blinked rapidly, trying to orient herself.

The antiseptic sterile smell and the quiet hum of the machines told her all she needed to know. The hospital. Panic flared as flashes of her last moments-standing by the bridge, the screech of tires-flooded her mind. She turned her head, her gaze falling on the man sitting beside her.

"Who.?" Her voice trailed off.

"Easy… take it easy," he said in a whispered voice. It sounded calm and reassuring. "I found you unconscious by the road. You were hit by a car. The driver didn't stop."

Amelia's heart sank as the memories fell into place. She could feel the weight of it all: Ronald's betrayal, Catherine's lies, her father's words. Tears she hadn't realized had been building spilled over, her vision blurring. She couldn't stop them, even if she wanted to.

"I'm so sorry," the man whispered. The voice was soft and full of sympathy, but it meant little.

Amelia whispered in a hoarse, hollow voice, "You shouldn't have brought me here.".

The moment pressed down on the room again, onto the subsiding din of the rain, thick as fog. The man cleared his throat to cut through it. "I'm sorry for what happened," he again said.

Amelia turned to him, her brow furrowed. There was something hauntingly familiar about his face, about the profound, piercing gaze. And then it hit her like a wave crashing to shore.

"Jake. Jake Black?" She said it in a soft, shaking voice.

You've kept me waiting for somewhat a long period of time, Amelia Rodriguez, he said, smiling softly.

And then, a small laugh came softly tumbling from her lips. It was a sound not too often heard above the din of her hurt.

"What's so funny?" he asked lightly, with a quiet confidence.

"I just never thought I'd see you again," she said, smiling though the tears were still fresh on her face. "After all these years…

"Oh, believe me, I didn't think that either. Good to see you too, Amelia. Really good."

Before Amelia could reply, Mrs. Melissa burst into the room, her face etched with worry. Amelia! Oh, my dear, what happened? Why did you leave the house like that? I've been so worried.

Amelia blinked in surprise. "Mrs. Melissa? How did you know that I was here?"

"I told her," Jake interrupted. "Your phone rang when you were out cold. I thought perhaps it was your family, so I answered. It was your butler. I let her know what happened."

Mrs. Melissa nodded, her hands trembling as she took Amelia's into her own. "Amelia, you should not have left like that. You scared me. Never do such a thing again, please. I would not survive the worry."

Amelia bit her lip as the guilt ate at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry. I thought I could handle everything on my own. But I couldn't. It hurt too much. I just wanted it all to be over."

Mrs. Melissa's eyes welled with tears, but she forced a soft smile. "You don't have to be strong all of the time. Please, Amelia, let me help you.". Jake shifted in his seat, his eyes darting between Amelia and Mrs. Melissa. "I assume you signed the divorce papers," he said in a quiet tone careful, but probing. "Is that why you ran?

Amelia's breath hitched in her throat. That was the thing-she hadn't told anyone about the papers. She turned to Jake, her face hardening. "How do you know about Ronald? About the divorce?"

Jake met her gaze, impassive. "I know more about Ronald than you might think," he said with a slight, wry smile tugging at the edge of his lips.

Her heart just skipped a beat. "What do you mean, Jake? How do you know him?"

Jake sat back in his chair and his face turned serious. "Ronald's my business partner, Amelia. He's also my half-brother."

These words dropped like a bombshell in the air, still ringing in Amelia's head. She had grown dry-mouthed, her pulse racing at a sudden gallop.

"Wh-what?" she stammered, the word cracking, weighted as every syllable was with incredulity. She stared at him, her mind racing in a mad effort to assimilate what she had just heard.

Jake's face didn't stir. "Years ago, my mother found out my father had an affair. The woman he cheated with was Ronald's mother. When Ronald came into the world, she brought him into our home. That's when I found out I had an older brother. My mother… she could not stand the betrayal. She died not long afterwards. My father, fearing I'd break too, sent me abroad."

Amelia's tummy somersaulted. Ronald had never said anything about having a brother, ever before. She didn't know whether she could take Jake's words or not, but the expression in his eyes sounded so raw and real.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Jake said now much softer. "I never wanted you to find out this way."

Amelia swallowed hard as her mind reeled. "I had no idea," she whispered. "This is starting to make no sense whatsoever. Why didn't he tell me?

Jake looked away a second, his jaw seizing up. "Ronald's always been good at keeping secrets hidden. That's who he is. I'm sorry you ever had to find out this way.".

They sat silently for a time, the weight of the revelation pressing down on them.

"Just rest now," Jake said finally. "You have been through enough."

Amelia nodded weakly. "Thanks, Jake. For everything.

Jake gave a small smile. "You're more famous than you think. The scandal about your sister and Ronald-it's the only thing anyone's talking about on the business circuit. So yes, I know everything.

Amelia winced. "I'm nothing now. Just a… a worthless mess," she whispered in barely an audible voice. "You are not worthless, Amelia," Mrs. Melissa said soothingly, backing her words with back rubs.

"You made the right decision. You are strong, though that may not be what you are feeling at the moment."

"I couldn't just leave you there," Jake added. "You mean a lot to me Amelia. I needed to save you." Her lips quivered as more tears threatened to spill.

"I don't feel like I ever am going to get better, Jake. Not from this." Jake furrowed his brow.

"Don't say that. You'll heal in time. Amelia shook her head, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"No. you don't understand. He leaned further down, concern deeply etched into every line of his face. "What do you mean? One single tear fell down her face.

"I'm pregnant.”