Anastasia’s POV
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the piercing silence, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of a machine somewhere nearby. My eyelids felt heavy, as if they had been weighted down, and it took an enormous effort to pry them open. When I did, the blinding white light of the hospital room made me squint in discomfort.
Where am I?
The question echoed in my mind, but I couldn’t find the strength to say it aloud. My body felt foreign, every limb weighed down by an invisible force. As my vision cleared, I tried to piece together what had happened. I remembered the accident-the screech of tires, the sound of metal crumpling, and then… nothing.
Was it intentional? My thoughts raced, but I quickly dismissed the idea. Who would want to harm me like this? The thought seemed absurd. And yet, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, a sense that something wasn’t right.
A gentle touch on my hand startled me. I turned my head slowly and saw Sophia sitting beside me, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy, as if she had been crying. When she noticed I was awake, her face lit up with a mixture of relief and joy.
“Anastasia,” she breathed, her voice trembling. “Thank God, you’re awake!”
I tried to speak, but my throat was dry and sore. All I could manage was a weak, raspy sound. Sophia quickly reached for a glass of water on the bedside table, helping me take a small sip. The cool liquid soothed my parched throat, and I finally found my voice.
“What… what happened?” I asked, my words coming out slowly, each one feeling like a struggle.
“You were in an accident,” Sophia explained, her voice gentle. “A bad one. You’ve been in a coma for almost two weeks.”
Two weeks? The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I had lost two weeks of my life, just like that. The doctor returned shortly after, advising that I stay in bed and avoid any stress.
“Doctor, how’s my baby?” I said with anticipation. My heart beat started to race as the doctor tried to speak.
“The baby is fine and well, please don’t worry.” He said and relief washed over me. The doctor advised and said a few things before leaving.
“What of my mom?” I asked Sophia.
“She’s fine, she recovered from her trauma and has speaking again owing to the trauma your accident gave her,” she said. “I have crazy deja vu right now?”
After sometime, Sophia leaves promising to come back. “Sophy, I’ll be fine. Please rest and take care of yourself before coming back here,” I assured her. She finally accepts and leaves.
A few hours after Sophia left, the door to the room opened, and two men entered. It was the Santoros. They were dressed in suits, their expressions serious and unreadable.
Something about their presence made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. They were here for something else-something important.
“Miss Winslow,” Killian spoke, his voice firm but not unkind. “We need to talk to you about the accident.”
I exchanged a confused glance with Gareth. What could these men possibly have to do with my accident? I tried to sit up, but my body protested, and I sank back against the pillows, feeling exhausted.
“What is this about?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the growing unease.
Gareth, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. He began, choosing his words carefully. “We apologize for not protecting you better.”
Protecting me better? The words sent a chill down my spine. Why would I need protection? And from what? “Did you know about this accident initially?
Killian continued, “There are certain… individuals who have been targeting you because of your connection to Blake. We believe they orchestrated the accident.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Blake?” I repeated, the name tasting bitter on my tongue. “What does he have to do with this?”
Killian hesitated before answering, as if weighing how much to reveal. “Blake has been involved in some dangerous dealings. We believe these enemies saw you as a way to get to him.”
Dangerous dealings? My mind was reeling, trying to make sense of it all. Blake had always been reckless, but I never imagined it could lead to something like this. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, but they painted a picture I did not want to see.
“So… what now?” I asked, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. “What am I supposed to do?”
“For now, you need to rest,” Killian said. “But we strongly advise that you leave the country, Miss Anastasia. It’s the safest option.”
Leave the country? The suggestion seemed so extreme, so final. I looked to Gareth, hoping for some kind of reassurance, but his expression was one of deep concern.
“Why?” I asked, my voice trembling. “What does all this have to do with me?”
The men exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable. “It’s complicated, and there are details we can’t disclose right now,” Kilian said. “But trust us when we say that your safety is at risk as long as you stay here. They need to believe that you’re dead, or they will come after you again.”
A cold fear gripped my heart. This wasn’t just about an accident-it was something much darker, something that went far beyond anything I could have imagined.
“But why me?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper, fighting tears. “Why should I have to leave? I didn’t ask for any of this.”
I paused for a while and took a deep breath. “Let me get this scenario. My dad’s business starts to deteriorate drastically after his death and Blake seems to have something to do with it. Then seemingly out of nowhere, two random men claiming to be on my side want to help my dad’s company from liquidating in return for my cooperation and help to bring Blake down. After a few days of agreeing to the contract, I get into an accident and you are claiming Blake, my ex-husband, a man who was once my husband, we slept together, ate together, did things together, might be in cahoots with people who want me dead. And the only way to avoid them is to leave everything I have behind, my house, my mom, everything just to go into hiding.”
I sigh once again before continuing. “Now, does this make any form of sense to you?”
“We know,” Gareth said, his voice softening slightly. “And we’re sorry. But this is the best way to protect you.”
There was a long silence as I processed everything they had told me. I felt like I was caught in a nightmare, one I couldn’t wake up from. My life, my home, everything I knew was slipping away, and I was powerless to stop it.
Finally, I nodded, too tired to argue. “Alright,” I said, my voice hollow. “But I need to think about it, first.”
The men nodded, respecting my request. “We’ll give you some time,” Kilian said, before both of them quietly exited the room.
As soon as they were gone, I closed my eyes. “it’s all gonna be fine.” I said to myself even though I didn’t entirely believe it myself. I felt a sense of betrayal, not from her, but from the world around me. Everything had changed, and I didn’t know where to go from here.
“What am I supposed to do now?” I asked, feeling lost and overwhelmed.
As I lay back against the pillows, my mind raced with thoughts of Blake, the accident, and the men who had just visited me. My life was spiraling out of control, and I had no idea how to stop it.
But one thing was certain: nothing would ever be the same again.