64

Tomas.
I took Jennifer’s ring from my pocket, feeling its cool metal against my skin. “Where are you now, Jennifer?” I mumbled, sighing heavily as I stared out of the limo window, lost in thought. The city lights blurred past, but all I could focus on was the emptiness beside me. I had spent countless hours searching the streets for her, my heart pounding with worry. It was almost 10 PM, and her cell phone was still unavailable-an ominous sign that sent shivers down my spine.
Suddenly, the ringing of Carl’s phone broke through my anxious thoughts. A call from a reporter, I realized. I watched as Carl’s face contorted into a worried and nervous expression, his hands trembling so much that he dropped the phone from his grasp. This only intensified my unease.
I turned to him, my voice tight with concern. “What’s wrong, Carl?!”
He cleared his throat, the sound thick with emotion. “Jennifer.” Carl stuttered, his eyes reddening as tears began to stream down his cheeks. I instinctively placed my hand on his shoulder, trying to offer some comfort even as fear gripped me. “What happened to her? Tell me now!” I hollered, anxiety rising within me like a storm.
“Jennifer is in the hospital now, Tomas. She’s in the operating room, and her situation is not stable. They even need blood for her. They need a donor,” Carl managed to say between sobs. My heart sank; the gravity of his words hit me like a punch to the gut.
“Shut the fuck up and hurry to the hospital now! What happened to her? And who called you?!” I exclaimed, my voice rising in desperation.
“He’s a reporter, and the police officers are with her right now. We’ll know everything when we reach the hospital,” Carl replied, wiping his tears with shaking hands.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the hospital. I flung the door open and rushed inside, scanning the area for any sign of Jennifer. “Where’s she?!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the sterile corridors like that of a madman. The commotion attracted the attention of some police officers, who rushed toward me.
“Mr. Tomas, she is in surgery right now with all the doctors attending to her,” one of the officers informed me, his tone serious and steady.
In a fit of panic, I grabbed one of them by the uniform. My teeth ground together in frustration. “What? Why? What happened to her? If anything happens to her, I swear I will burn this country to the ground and turn everything upside down!” I shouted, my voice filled with rage and fear.
“Please, calm down, Mr. Tomas. We just need more blood for her. She is bleeding heavily. She is O positive. The man who brought her to the hospital donated his blood, but we still need more,” the doctor explained, his expression one of urgency.
In that moment, clarity surged through me. “I’m O positive too, take my blood!” I said, urgency propelling me forward. I hurried with the doctors, my heart racing as I caught sight of her in the operating room. She lay there, bleeding, and I felt a wave of helplessness wash over me. All I could think about was saving her. I leaned closer, desperate to connect with her. “Please, Jennifer, come back to me. Don’t leave me. I’m so sorry. I will never abandon you. Please wake up,” I yelled, my voice breaking.
After what felt like an eternity, the surgery finally concluded, and Jennifer was wheeled into a special recovery room. I had insisted on transferring her to a private room, willing to pay for whatever was necessary just to be with her. Initially, the staff resisted, claiming she needed to remain in intensive care, but I was adamant.
“Please, leave the room, Mr. Tomas. This is for her sake; you can watch her from the glass outside,” the doctor said gently, and I reluctantly stepped back, my heart heavy as I waited outside. Soon, some officers approached me.
“Mr. Tomas, we thought you should meet the man who saved her,” Carl and one of the officers said in unison. My heart raced as I raised my head to see who it was. Shock coursed through me.
“You? Then you did that to her and-” I yelled, but he cut me off before I could finish.
He narrowed his eyes at me, a mix of defiance and urgency. “I didn’t hurt her. I saved her! She was walking in the middle of the street, and a car hit her by accident. I lifted her and put her in my car to get her to safety,” the Russian mafia’s son explained, his voice steady despite the chaos.
“How could I believe that crap? And how did you even meet her?” I yelled back, anger bubbling inside me.
“I followed her from the wedding when I saw her running. I was worried about her,” he said, his tone shifting slightly, revealing a hint of concern.
I pushed him against the wall, fury igniting within me. “Now you’re just a liar!”
“No, I’m not! Ask yourself why I would donate my blood to her! I care about her more than you do, Tomas,” he shot back, and my anger flared even higher.
“What do you mean? Tell me now!” I demanded, hitting his chest repeatedly as frustration boiled over.
“Because that girl is orphaned because of you, Tomas! When I asked Amanda to send me pictures of Jennifer, I searched for her hidden life. The shocking truth is that she is my little sister, lost to us when she was just two years old. I have all the documents and pictures to prove it. You should know one thing: I know you’ve seen all her body. She has a small tattoo on her. Pu__-say. My father insisted I put that on her. I don’t know why, but those letters mean something-Russian mafia daughter!” He informed me with a mix of pride and sorrow, and suddenly, memories flooded back. I remembered that night with Jennifer when I had asked her about the tattoo, and she had said she didn’t know. It had been there since she was just a child. I nodded, breathless, running my fingers through my hair in disbelief.
I sat down in a chair, my mind racing as I stared at him, and he returned my gaze, his eyes filled with an intensity I couldn’t ignore. “Then it’s true, Tomas? She really is my sister,” he chuckled, but there was no joy in his laughter.
“Why are you happy? She’s still in danger! And why did you say she’s an orphan because of me?!” I widened my eyes, disbelief coursing through me.
“Oh, I mean you killed my parents! She didn’t even have the chance to know them! But I suppose I’m enough for her now. You should go. I will take care of my sister. Don’t worry,” he smirked, a look of triumph on his face.
“What? Who are you again? Her brother? I don’t care-get out of the hospital now! She is mine!” I shouted, my voice echoing in the sterile hallway.
He shrugged, an arrogant smile playing on his lips. “You’re not her husband, and when I tell her that you killed our parents, she will never stay with you for a second!” He raised an eyebrow, and just then, Carl intervened, shouting at both of us to calm down.
“Shut up! Don’t act like children! Jennifer is in danger, and the doctors said she might not live for more than a few hours. In other words, she could die at any moment. Both of you need to act wisely. You could lose her forever!” Carl hollered, his voice cutting through our anger.
I stood there, staring at the door to her room, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Jimmy, the Russian mafia king, stood next to me, an unexpected ally. “So I guess if she loved you, you would have to ask me to marry her, Tomas!” he smirked, an unsettling confidence in his demeanor.
I spun my head to face him, grinding my teeth in frustration. “I guess so,” I muttered, the implications of his words sinking in.
“Oh, that’s nice. I was planning to take revenge on you, to take your money, destroy you, and kill the girl you love. But you’re so lucky-Jennifer saved you this time. After all, I’m just happy I found my lost sister because of you,” Jimmy said, and I nodded, the gravity of our situation weighing heavily on me.