Chapter 16

Helena’s POV

“Your grandfather is about to die.”

The words rushed into my head through my ears so violently that my entire body jerked.

Before my phone slipped from my hand, and for a split second, it flipped through the air.

I recovered in time and my fingers shook violently as I lunged forward after it.

I just about caught it before it could crash onto the floor.

My heart was pounding so loudly that I could barely hear anything else.

“What?” I whispered hoarsely as my throat suddenly felt dry.

Across from me, Tessy immediately straightened on the couch.

“What happened?” She asked in a hushed tone, but I couldn’t answer her.

My mind had gone completely blank.

I slowly lifted the phone back to my ear with my hand now trembling so badly that the device rattled slightly in my grip.

“W–wait…” My voice cracked. “Who. Who is this?”

There was a brief pause on the other end, then the voice spoke again in a pretty urgent tone.

“You need to come to the hospital immediately,” the person said and my breathing hitched badly.

Hospital?

“What?” I repeated, louder this time. “Wait. What are you talking about? Who is this?”

Tessy was practically on me now, staring at me with her brows pulled together in concern.

“Helena? What’s wrong?” She asked again, but I still couldn’t respond.

My entire focus was on the voice coming through the phone.

“Your grandfather collapsed earlier today,” the voice continued. “He’s very sick. The doctors are doing everything they can, but you should come immediately.”

The room around me suddenly felt too small, too quiet, and suddenly very suffocating.

“What do you mean he collapsed?” I asked with my voice rising slightly. “What happened to him? What’s wrong with him?”

There was another pause.

“I can’t explain everything over the phone,” the person replied. “But he asked about you earlier. You should come and see him tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, my stomach twisted painfully.

“What hospital?” I asked quickly.

There was no answer immediately.

“Hello?” I pushed with my voice shaking terribly now. “What hospital is he in?” I asked loudly.

There was a faint sound of movement on the other end, then the voice spoke again.

“I’ll message you the location, but please, just come tomorrow,” the person said, and before I could say anything, the line went dead.

I pulled the phone off my ear slowly, and for a long moment, I just stared at the screen.

My fingers slowly loosened, and the phone slipped from my grasp again.

But this time, I didn't bother reaching for it. I let it land softly on the floor below me.

Tessy immediately leaned forward. “Helena,” she said firmly. “What’s wrong?”

I didn’t answer. My hands came up to my head automatically, pressing against my skull as if trying to hold my thoughts together.

“Your grandfather is about to die.”

The words kept echoing in my head. Over and over again.

My chest tightened painfully.

“Helena,” Tessy repeated as her voice had grown softer.

But still, I didn’t respond.

I just sat there, staring at the floor with my mind racing so fast that I couldn’t catch a single clear thought.

My grandfather. The man who raised me after my parents died.

The man who forced me to leave home only cause he wanted what he alone felt was right for me.

The same man I hadn’t spoken to properly since I moved here.

Now, he was dying?

My foot started tapping uncontrollably against the floor.

Faster, and faster.

“Helena!” Tessy suddenly yelled and grabbed my arm, jolting me back slightly. “Talk to me,” she added gently.

The words burst out of me before I could stop them.

“They said my grandfather is about to die,” I groaned and Tessy froze.

“What?” She choked out.

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration, rising to my feet suddenly and acing a few steps before sitting down again.

“They called from a hospital,” I said quickly. “They said he collapsed and that I should come tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Tessy frowned. “Did they tell you what hospital?”

I shook my head. “No,” I whispered.

“What?” She asked in a stunned tone.

“They didn’t tell me anything!” I snapped as my voice rose with the panic flooding my chest again. “They just said he was sick and that I should come!”

Tessy studied my face carefully. “Did they say what’s wrong with him?”

“No,” I muttered softly. My voice cracked with every single word.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then Tessy leaned back slightly and crossed her arms over her chest.

“So, what are you going to do?” She asked carefully.

The question was exactly what I needed to answer now.

What was I going to do?

My mind immediately drifted to the office, to Barron Hale. To the mountains of work waiting for me tomorrow.

My first week at the company, my chance to prove myself, I couldn't let that slip up so fast.

“I can’t just disappear from work,” I murmured quietly.

Tessy’s eyes widened. “Helena,” she called gently.

“I just started this job,” I continued quickly. “And Mr. Hale already trusts me with important tasks. I can’t just vanish now—”

“What’s more important to you?” Tessy cut in sharply.

And I fell silent.

She leaned forward slightly with her eyes locked onto mine.

“Your job,” she said slowly, “or your grandfather’s life?”

The words stung and I opened my mouth to respond. But nothing came out.

Cause the truth was simple, I didn’t know.

My chest tightened painfully. I loved my grandfather despite everything. Despite the arguments.

Despite the distance between us, he was still family, the only one I had left.

He was still the man who raised me.

But this job, this opportunity. It meant everything to me.

I looked down at my hands. “I don’t know what to do,” I whispered.

Tessy’s expression softened instantly, and she reached over and squeezed my shoulder.

“You’re going to see him,” she said gently.

I looked up. “But work—”

“I’ll help you explain,” she interrupted firmly. “You can say it’s a family emergency, I'll send that in,” she added.

My chest tightened again. “You really think that’s enough?” I asked carefully.

“Of course it is,” she said confidently. “Any sane boss would understand that.”

That's the question. How sane is Barron Hale?

But I didn't ask it. Somehow, I wasn’t so sure.

But my grandfather…

So I slowly nodded. “You’re right,” I murmured.

Tessy smiled warmly. “Of course I am,” she said with a smile.

Emotions suddenly swelled up in my chest, and before I could stop myself, I leaned forward and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

She laughed softly against me. “Relax,” she said. “That’s what friends are for.”

Eventually, the exhaustion of the day caught up with us, and we cleaned up the food containers to prepare for bed.

“You should try to sleep,” Tessy said as she headed towards her room.

“I will,” I replied, but the moment I laid down, I knew that was a lie.

Sleep refused to come as my mind kept spinning endlessly.

It swirled with work I had to do, with my grandfather's condition.

I thought about the mysterious call, the hospital.

My phone!

I immediately remembered it and rushed back to the living room to get it. 

We had both forgotten about it and left it laying on the floor.

I picked it up and inspected it for any damage, nothing a few bucks wouldn't solve.

I made my way slowly back to the room and as I dropped with the phone landing on the bed.

The screen lit up, drawing my attention. 

I checked it out to find a message from the same number that called me earlier.

The message contained details of the hospital’s location.

I read it over and over, but clearly had no idea where that was.

But that didn't bother me much, the cab would know.

What bothered me was the question hanging over my head…