CHARMING THE BILLIONAIRE'S HEART - CHAPTER 41&42
Mason lay in his hotel room, staring up at the ceiling, his thoughts consumed by Alex’s impending confession to Callista. He wondered how nervous Alex must be feeling right now, and the thought made him chuckle.
“Looking won’t hurt,” he finally said, giving in to his curiosity. He grabbed his keys and headed out. As he drove, he realized he didn’t know exactly where Alex was. Quickly, he checked Alex’s location on Snap and saw it was Chios Garden.
As he got closer, his heart sank when he saw Callista rushing into a cab, tears streaming down her face. “What the f-__-k did Alex do?” Mason muttered, feeling anger rise within him. He sped towards the garden, his heart pounding. But what he saw when he arrived made his blood run cold.
Ella was standing over Alex, stabbing him repeatedly with a knife.
“No!” Mason yelled, running towards them. He shoved Ella away with all his strength. As she stumbled back, he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face into the pavement. Her screams echoed through the air, but Mason didn’t care his only focus was Alex.
“Alex,” Mason called out, panic flooding his voice. He fumbled for his phone, his hands shaking as he dialed 911.
“911, what is your emergency?” came the calm voice on the other end.
“My cousin has been stabbed! Please, come quickly!” Mason shouted, his voice frantic. He glanced up, but Ella had already disappeared into the darkness.
“Alex,” he whispered, turning back to his cousin.
“Mason…” Alex’s voice was faint, each breath a struggle. Blood trickled from his mouth as he tried to speak.
“Don’t talk, Alex. The ambulance is on its way,” Mason said, his eyes welling with tears.
“Ca-Callista…” Alex choked out, wincing in pain.
“Stop talking, Alex! You’re making it worse!” Mason pleaded, but Alex wouldn’t listen.
“I tried to protect her… Ella was going to ki|| her, so I kissed Ella. Callista saw it…” Alex coughed, blood spurting from his mouth.
“Alex, please, stop,” Mason begged, tears streaming down his face.
“I love her, Mason… Please, get her for me…” Alex pleaded, his voice growing weaker.
“I will, I promise,” Mason said, his voice breaking. “Goddammit, where is the ambulance?”
“Tell her I love her…” Alex whispered, his voice barely audible. He coughed violently, blood gushing from his mouth, and then his body went limp, his breathing shallow.
“Alex!” Mason screamed, shaking him. “Alex, stay with me!”
Sirens blared in the distance, and within moments, the ambulance arrived. The paramedics rushed to Alex, lifting his lifeless body onto a stretcher and into the ambulance. Mason followed closely behind, his hands stained with Alex’s blood.
At the hospital, Mason paced the waiting room, his hands trembling. The blood on them had dried, but the sight of it made him feel sick. Then he heard a familiar voice.
“Mason,” came the voice of Rachel, followed by Alex’s parents, Bella and John.
“What happened to my son?” Bella cried, tears streaming down her face.
Mason opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. His whole body was shaking.
“Alex was stabbed by Ella,” he finally managed to say, and Bella collapsed to the floor, John rushing to comfort her as his own heart shattered.
Rachel stood there, her legs trembling. She had been angry at Alex, but he was still her friend.
“He was going to confess to Callista tonight, to tell her how he felt,” Mason began, his voice shaking. “But Ella came, wanting to ki|| them both. She stabbed Alex, and before she could attack Callista, who had just arrived, Alex kissed Ella to distract her. Callista saw it and ran away, thinking the worst,” Mason recounted, his mind replaying Alex’s last words.
Bella’s eyes widened, and Rachel looked shocked.
“Alex loves Callista,” Rachel whispered in disbelief.
“Yes, he ended things with Ella tonight,” Mason added, watching as Bella’s shock deepened.
“We need to get Callista here,” Mason and Rachel said in unison.
“She’s left the country,” Bella said, and everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
“What do you mean she left?” John shouted, losing his composure.
Bella explained how she had approached Callista, thinking it was for her own good, encouraging her to leave.
Before they could process this, the police arrived with grim news.
“Ella has escaped,” one of the officers reported, his tone serious.
“What do you mean she escaped?” John roared in anger.
“We’ll do our best to find her, sir. We just need to be patient,” the officer replied, trying to remain calm.
“I’m giving you 48 hours to find her, or I swear it won’t be funny. I don’t care what you have to do, put it on the news if you must, just find the woman who nearly ki||ed my son,” John demanded, his fury palpable.
Rachel was still in shock that Callista had left without saying anything to her. “Why did you tell Callista to leave the country?” Rachel asked, glaring at Bella.
“I thought it was for her own good,” Bella said, her head hanging in shame.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Rachel said, her voice firm. “Right now, let’s just hope Alex is okay.”
They all sat together in the waiting room, united in their fear and hope that Alex would survive. After six agonizing hours, the doctor finally emerged.
They rushed to him, their hearts in their throats.
“Doctor, how’s my son?” Bella asked, her tears never stopping.
“He’s out of danger,” the doctor said, and the entire family sighed in relief, including Rachel.
“But… he’s in a coma. We don’t know when he’ll wake up,” the doctor added, and the room went silent. They all froze, the relief they had just felt evaporating in an instant.
“What?” John couldn’t believe his ears.
“I’m sorry, we tried our best,” the doctor said, before leaving them standing there, paralyzed by disbelief and despair.
••••••••••
SIX MONTHS LATER
Mason had grown accustomed to the silence of the hospital room, where the only sound was the faint beeping of the machines keeping Alex alive. Six months had passed, and Alex still hadn’t woken up. The once vibrant Stone family had descended into a state of despair and isolation. Mason, Rachel, John, and Bella visited the hospital regularly, but their visits were overshadowed by an unspoken tension, especially with Bella, who had refused to reveal where Callista had gone.
John, unable to bear Bella’s silence, had stopped speaking to her altogether. He now slept in the guest room, his heart heavy with anger and sorrow. Tommy, their grandson, frequently visited Alex and would cry himself to sleep by his bedside, always asking where Callista was. The family told him she was on a business trip, but Tommy’s eyes revealed that he sensed something was wrong.
Ella still hadn’t been found, driving John to the brink of madness. All they could do was pray for Alex to wake up, but as the months dragged on, hope began to fade. Bella fell into a deep depression, isolated from her family, who refused to speak to her unless it was necessary. Even Mason and John’s attempts to track Callista had failed, leaving them frustrated and bitter.
John became a recluse, locking himself away from everyone, while Mason buried himself in work. Tommy, feeling increasingly alone, retreated into his room, becoming more reserved and distant. Rachel, overwhelmed by the events, had a mental breakdown two months after Callista left. She was admitted to the hospital, and though she was getting better, the scars remained.
The Stone family had withdrawn from the public eye, leaving the media with only the sensational headline of Ella’s attempt on Alexander’s life. The full extent of the tragedy remained hidden from the world.
Mason sat by Alex’s bedside, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. “Alex, please wake up,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, evidence of countless sleepless nights.
The door to the room opened, and Rachel entered, looking more stable than she had in months. “Are you okay?” she asked, but Mason didn’t respond. He simply stared at Alex, willing him to wake up.
John entered next, his appearance disheveled and worn. The three of them sat in a heavy, comfortable silence until the door opened again, and Bella walked in.
John’s face twisted with anger. “What the f-__-k are you doing here?” he shouted.
Bella’s voice was barely a whisper. “I have every right to see my son.”
“If you don’t want me to throw you out with security, I suggest you leave,” John yelled, his rage palpable.
“Guys,” Rachel interrupted, her voice filled with sudden excitement. “Alex just moved his hand!”
They all rushed to Alex’s bedside. “Alex!” they cried out together, watching as his eyes fluttered open. Relief washed over them, and they hugged him tightly. But as they pulled back, they noticed the confusion in his eyes.
“Call the doctor!” John shouted, and Rachel rushed out of the room to find help.
Mason leaned in close to Alex, his voice trembling. “Do you remember me?”
Alex looked around the room, his expression turning to one of panic. “Where’s Callista?” he asked, his voice weak but insistent.
The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Bella, who remained silent.
“Where’s Callista?” Alex repeated, trying to get out of bed, but Mason quickly pushed him back down.
“Alex, calm down,” Mason urged, but Alex wasn’t listening.
“She left,” came Rachel’s voice from the doorway. The others turned to look at her, stunned.
“What do you mean she left?” Alex asked, his voice growing frantic.
Mason sighed, knowing there was no easy way to explain it. He carefully recounted the events of the past six months to Alex, who listened in silence, his eyes growing darker with every word.
“Mom, where did you take Callista?” Alex asked, his voice trembling with anger and desperation.
“I can’t, Alex. I can’t tell you,” Bella sobbed, her guilt overwhelming her.
“Why the f-__-k can’t you tell him?” John roared, his patience finally snapping. “He was stabbed twice to protect her!”
“Just tell him, Aunt Bella,” Mason pleaded, but Bella shook her head, refusing to give in.
Alex, his face pale and drained of color, suddenly disconnected the wires attached to his body. “Alex, calm down!” John, Rachel, and Mason rushed to him, trying to restrain him.
“Mom, where is she?” Alex demanded, but Bella remained silent.
Desperate, Alex grabbed a glass of water from the bedside table and smashed it on the floor. He picked up a shard, holding it to his throat. “Tell me where she is, or I’ll slit my throat,” he said, his voice dead serious.
“Alex, stop!” Bella cried out, horrified. But Alex pressed the shard harder against his neck, drawing blood.
“Just f-__-king tell him where she is! Our son is about to ki|| himself!” John shouted, his voice filled with panic.
“Alex, please stop,” Rachel begged, her hands shaking, tears streaming down her face. “Mrs. Stone, please say something!”
Bella looked at her son, tears of guilt streaming down her face. Finally, she sighed, her resolve crumbling. “She’s in Turkey. At this address…” Bella recited the address in a broken voice.
Alex let the shard fall from his hand. He tried to get up, but his legs gave way, and he staggered. Mason was quick to catch him. “Alex, stay with me,” Mason pleaded, his voice cracking.
“I need to see her,” Alex whispered, his strength fading as the strain reopened his wounds.
“He’s going into shock!” Mason yelled as Alex began to slip into unconsciousness. Rachel rushed out to get the doctor.
John and Mason quickly laid Alex back on the bed as the doctor and nurses rushed in, working frantically to stabilize him. Foam started to form at Alex’s mouth as his body convulsed.
Mason, John, Bella, and Rachel were all forced out of the room by the medical staff. They stood in the hallway, shell-shocked and terrified.
John was the first to break the silence. “If Alex doesn’t wake up again, I’m divorcing you, Bella. All of this wouldn’t have happened if you had just told us where Callista was,” he said, his voice full of cold finality before he walked away.
Rachel left next, unable to bear the tension. Mason and Bella were left alone. Bella looked at her nephew, her eyes filled with regret. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
But Mason wasn’t ready to forgive. Without a word, he walked away, pulling out his phone. He dialed his assistant.
“Boss?”
“Book me a ticket to Turkey, now,” Mason ordered, his voice steely. He ended the call, determined to find Callista himself. He didn’t care what it took even if he had to drag her back, he was going to get her. His cousin’s life depended on it.
TBC…