Chapter 6

Elena’s POV

I wake up with a gasp, my hand on my chest, feeling my heart almost punch through my ribs.

The first thing that I see with my blurry eyes is the all-white walls. The hospital bed and the white sheets. I can hear something beeping in the corner, but I can barely lift my head to take a look. I’m about to close my eyes again, but then I feel a hand on mine and hear a familiar voice.

“Elena,” the voice says. “Can you hear me?”

I pry my eyelids open and see Grace’s face looming above mine. My vision is still recovering, but it’s always a relief to see her. 

“Grace,” I croak, then memories of what happened flash back in my mind. “God, did I get into an accident?”  

“You did,” Grace says. “But don’t worry. The babies are safe. Everything is good. It wasn’t that bad, you just hit the side of your head but everything is clear.”

A single tear runs down my cheek. Thank God my babies are alright. 

I open my mouth to ask her what happened, but then my vision clears up just a little bit, and I see two men behind her.

One elderly and one middle-aged.

I’m about to ask who they are and what they’re doing here, since neither of them look like health professionals, but then I notice that Grace is squealing, bouncing excitedly in her seat.

“Hello, Elena,” the old man says, his tone soft and gentle. 

The twinkle in his eyes is warm, like he’s fond of me. I try to squeeze my brain to try and recognize him, but nothing comes to mind. I turn to the younger man and he’s smiling softly at me. He has auburn hair, a lot darker than mine and streaked with silver already. I turn to the older man and notice that our blue eyes are the same shade.

“I’m Harold Harrington.” The old man walks towards me and holds out his hand. “This is my son, Marcus.”

I turn to Grace to silently ask why he knows me. But Grace shrugs. She doesn’t know either, and now I don’t know how to act. But then, Grace suddenly sits up.

“Wait, did you say Harrington?” Grace looks at Harold up and down. “As in the huge Harrington business empire? Are you the super mysterious tycoon?”

“The very same,” Harold confirms. 

“Oh, god,” I mutter, raking through my hair and feeling the bandage on my temple. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask—how did you know me and why are you here? Were you the ones that found me at the accident site?”

“That was me, actually,” William says, stepping forward. “You crashed at the back of my car. And that was fate. It was destiny.”

“Okay,” is the only thing I manage to say. I’m just so confused right now. The two men are acting all emotional, and I don’t get why. I turn to Harold, and to my surprise, he reaches out and holds my hand. “Sir…."

“Not sir,” Harold gently corrects. “I’m your grandfather, Elena.”

My voice sinks deep into my throat, unable to function. Grace’s jaw drops all the way to the ground. 

“It’s alright,” Harold says. “I know it’s confusing. But your mother, Esther, got lost during a trip when she was young, and we were unable to find her. Even now I’m not quite sure if she just ran away from the chaos of running the empire, because she was hidden so well. But none of us gave up. I hired the best people I could get to find her, but by the time we got close, we found out that she’s already dead… and she had a daughter named Elena.”

So many questions popped up in my head. But I can’t voice out any of them. 

“Marcus was on his way to your home to confirm the details after the investigators led us to you,” he continues to explain. “We didn’t know that you were on the road too. He took you to the hospital, and he was mistaken as your father during the emergency, then we find out that he was a perfect match when you needed a transfusion. It all clicked. You’re the granddaughter I’ve been searching for.”

Confusion still clouds my mind. “Wait… does this mean that my mom and my dad were… married?”

“Yes, they were married,” Harold confirms. “Although according to the records, your father remarried shortly after your mom’s passing.”

“But all my life they said I was an illegitimate child,” I whisper. “I never felt at home. None of them welcomed me, not even my dad.”

“That’s just insanity,” Marcus spits out, raking through his hair. “Your own father treated you that way? If only we’d known….”

He trails off. His hands are clenched into fists and he looks like he wants to punch something. I shrink against his reaction. I didn’t expect anyone to react that way about anything that happened to me.

“I’m sorry,” I start to say. 

But Harold shakes his head. “No. Never apologize. Just know that you were never illegitimate, and the way they treated you… it will never happen again. You’re my granddaughter. You have family now. A real family.”

Harold’s eyes shine with tears. Marcus looks away like the very thought of me not being welcome physically hurts him. My heart swells with appreciation.

“I’m sorry that you had to go through that,” Harold says, squeezing my hand. “You could have had a wonderful life with us if we found you sooner. But we have you now, and I know you’re no longer a child, but you’re still going to be my princess.”

Marcus chuckles, and a stream of laughter escapes me. Grace is tearing up, clapping her hands together.

I look at them both, Harold and Marcus, seeing the features that I share with them, and it just makes sense.

There’s a certain warmth in my chest too. Familiarity. It’s blossoming inside me, making me feel like I’ve known them for years even though I only met them now.

Maybe Marcus was right. It is fate. 

I look at Harold, my grandfather, and I pull him into a hug.

He stiffens at first, surprised, but he returns the hug almost immediately, wrapping his warm gentle arms around me. Marcus joins in, and I just close my eyes. I’m all wrapped up in welcomeness and affection, things I never thought would be possible for me. It’s relish in the moment, not wanting it to end, wishing so bad that when I open my eyes again, all of this will remain true. 

And it’s still all real when I break the hug.

I’m about to thank both of them and ask questions to catch up, but then Grace’s phone starts to ring. She takes it out and blanches.

“It’s Tristan.”

“Don’t answer,” I say immediately. “He can’t know where I am and what happened to me.” 

Grace nods and turns off the call. “I got you. I’ll be right outside just in case. And to give you all some time.”

I thank her with my eyes as she leaves, and she just winks at me, her happiness for me radiating. But I can also sense some worry. 

I know what she feels. My happiness got dampened too, knowing that Tristan is looking for me.

“Who’s Tristan?” Harold asks cautiously.

I turn to him and Marcus as they sit on the chairs around my bed. I didn’t want to explain so soon, but I know that I have to. 

So I tell them everything.

I tell them about living under Mira’s shadow. How I fell in love with Tristan and how I came to marry him. The conditions of our marriage. How Tristan has always viewed me. The coldness, the hostility, the resentment. Everything.

“And now I’m carrying his kids and he doesn’t believe me,” I finish. “I don’t want him to see me ever again.”

Harold and Marcus are silent at first, but Harold holds my shoulders steadily. “Don’t worry. From now on, no one will ever make you feel inferior. I’ll make sure of that.”

“I own a tech company and I have connections to the city,” Marcus says. “I can have all the footages of the accident wiped out. He won’t be able to trace you.”

“Now what about your future?” Harold asks, looking at my belly.

“I want to have my twins in a good environment,” I say. “I want to be healthy for them. Not weak and anxious and dependent. I had to quit my job to prove my devotion to Tristan, but I very much want to go back to jewelry design. I’d kept designing even though I quit, and I made some money selling the designs. I already know some people. I can look for a job.”

Marcus smiles. “Why would you ask for a job when we can give you everything you need to start your own line?”

My eyes go wide. I turn to Harold. But he’s just watching me with eyes shining with pride.

“You truly are my granddaughter,” he says gently. “Finding a way through the toughest times. I’m proud of you.”

I’ve never heard those words before, and now they mean even more. My eyes well up. I throw my arms around him one more time, and we just stay there for a while, enjoying each other’s company.

When we break away, Marcus sits on the bed and puts his hand on my cheek. “I know everything feels urgent now, but your health is our priority. Everything else can wait. For now, let’s get you home.”

Home. This time, it won’t mean my dad’s house where I’m unwelcome. It won’t mean my marital house with Tristan either. 

A real home. 

My own home.

I tear up again, and Harold cups my cheeks and wipes my tears away.

“Focus on your health, and we’ll take care of the rest,” he assures me. “When the time is right, we’ll talk about everything.”

“Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to happen, we support you,” Marcus adds. “We got you.”

I nod, soaking in every word. “Thank you.”

Harold smiles widely. “Anything for our Harrington heiress.”