In the hospital room…

“You have some nerve to lie through your teeth,” Patrick Davis knitted his brows. If Jerlina saw him now, she wouldn’t believe this is her gentle uncle Pat.

“Haha… were you offended?” Alexander Volkonsky chuckled and seated himself on the bench.

Patrick rolled his eyes and Rebecca held his hand with a smile. Seeing her beautiful smile, Patrick calmed down.

“I asked for your assistance four months back,” Patrick complained.

Alexander sighed. “I had bypass surgery and-”

“Liar!” Patrick interjected. “There was no news about that!”

“Oi, dimwit! When a company is worth billions, they won’t announce the health scares of the founder unless they want the stocks to crash,” he snorted.

“So you can’t decide anything for yourself and your board members will be making the decisions about your life,” Patrick smirked. ” That is some life you are leading… Do you have autonomy over anything?”

Alexander rolled his eyes. He couldn’t deny what he says. “No, I weep as I lie on my bed framed with gold, every night, thinking about it,” he smirked making Patrick snort.

“Are you fine now? If you’re sick why did you make the travel?” Rebecca was worried.

“Come here, Becca… sit with me. At least you care for my health unlike your husband,” Alexander held out his hand. “Tell me all about your life.”

Patrick leaned back seeing both of them engaging in small talk sitting beside each other. He closed his eyes reminiscing the past. It was all wonderful. But everything has changed now.

It was then Jerlina’s call came and Rebecca answered her.

“A Lady serving her butler. Didn’t see that one coming,” Alexander snorted and Rebecca hit his arm.

“Brother!”

“I don’t know about the Volkonsky family, but His Lordship never treated my family as mere servants. And Missy is kind at heart. Don’t you dare-”

“I met your Missy at the entrance. She looks like ‘her’,” Alexander said.

“She is nothing like ‘her’. Don’t mention ‘her’ in my presence,” Patrick shouted and started to cough.

Alexander rubbed his chest unable to bear seeing his sister struggling to get up. It seemed like she had bad knees and she hasn’t treated them yet. For his only sister to not get treatment because she cannot afford it when he swims in billions… How pitiful is it to meet one’s sister in this state after four decades?

But what can he do when her husband is stubborn?

Even now Patrick contacted him for the sake of his ‘Missy’ and not for his wife. This stubborn old mule! Which century is he living in to think that getting money from the wife’s family is shameful?

“I cannot do much to help without alerting ‘him’. He always watches me like a hawk. Unless you want him to know…” Alexander looked at Patrick. Even he cannot do anything against ‘him’.

Patrick sighed. “Has he ever talked about…”

“No,” Alexander shook his head.

“How is he doing these days?”

“He… He’s barely holding on. If not for the medical advancements, he’d be dead ten times over by now.”

“That bad, huh?” Patrick bowed his head. He then looked up and his eyes were serious.

“One of the bonds His Lordship left for Missy matured four months ago. My son tried to transfer the money, but he found that the money was getting tracked and backed off. The threats started within a week. I contacted you and you didn’t reply. If not for Fitzgerald, our Missy would be…” his voice trembled.

“How is it my fault when I was struggling for my life in a hospital? And since she is in this area, I would have asked Jerry to take care of it anyway. By the way, Jerry said they are married?” Alexander wanted the details.

He received Patrick’s message but before he could answer, he got sick. After he got well, he couldn’t contact Patrick. Patrick hid well for decades and he didn’t know his address. He came here in the guise of taking a look at Mikhail’s new business venture and wanted to make his arrival a piece of big news to get in contact with Patrick again.

But who knew he will find out Patrick’s address from a sample bowl – the bowl that had the patented monogram of the Hamilton family? He even met the last heir of the once-great Hamilton family.

Hamilton Family – The great noble family that has ties to various Royal Families; the family that owned the most renowned glassware company; the family that still owns billions in patents.

But who else found out about her? Is that why they want her dead? But the billions will be never for her to enjoy, since ‘he’ keeps the patents.

Or is she getting targeted because she is Jerry’s wife?

“We are as confused about it as well… The whole town knew TJ fancied Missy, but Missy wasn’t interested in him. I have the impression that he still carries a torch for her… wait…I remember Missy mentioning TJ just before she got targeted! How did I forget about that? Could Missy be targeted because of TJ and his gang affiliations?” Patrick sat straight.

“It is possible,” Rebecca who silently listening till then spoke. “He never dated anyone and occasionally calls for escorts. His unrequited love for Missy is not a secret and his enemies might want to get him through her.”

“If someone is targeting her because of him, gangs are the least of the problem. But she’ll be safe with him, I am sure,” Alexander clenched his hands and his face went pale reminsing the past.

Patrick noticed the change in his expression and got suspicious. His son said some whispers about Jeremy in certain circles. Could that be true?

“Are you okay, brother? You look pale,” Rebecca walked to her brother.

“I am fine,” Alexander took in a deep breath and forced a smile. “It’s a shame. She’d been perfect for Mikhail.”

“Your grandson?” Patrick scoffed. “Our Missy is not like other girls who fawn over rich men. She hates rich people in general.”

“Oh, the irony! When she knows of her lineage, will she hate herself too? And there is no such thing as ‘hating the rich’. It only translates to ‘I am jealous of the rich’. Also, Jerry is rich. Why did she marry him then?” Alexander asked and a verbal battle ensued between the two.

One was defending his Missy and the other praised his grandson. Rebecca tried to calm the two men related closely to her with heart conditions but failed much to her frustration. Both were like toddlers on a sugar rush as they fought.

She knew of the situation of the Missy that led to her wedding. She might feel hurt, but being with Jeremy is the safest bet for her. Even her brother says so.

—–

As Jerlina washed her face in the washbasin, she saw a little spider caught in the current of the water draining. It struggled to get out at first, but then Jerlina noticed it giving up struggling.

She was surprised and watched it further. It swirled along with the whirlpool of water and it didn’t move a limb. But just as the water level reduced and it got sucked into the drain, it used all its strength and clung to the edge of the drain and survived.

It made her think. Reaching to a decision, she opened the door.

“Are you okay?” Jeremy held her wrist. Her face still looked pale and she looked very tired. He chided himself for reminding her of that day. He expected her to fire off as usual, but she looked at him calmly, surprising him.

“I am fine,” She smiled. “It happened because I was tired.”

She walked to the counter to get the takeout bag. She decided not to shout at TJ again.

She realized it is no use trying to struggle out of her current situation. she is only hurting herself and is suffocating by struggling.

She is now stuck in a fast river current – TJ.

She is approaching the fast current the wrong way. She is not strong enough to swim upstream. She needs to go with the flow until she finds a raft or a shallow place to get out of the river. And that’s what she will do – to be patient and go with the flow for now. Even TJ might bring a raft to her unknowingly.

I’ll wait.

Getting the takeout bag, she left the diner and TJ walked alongside her silently.

“You are not going to answer your phone?” he asked as her phone kept on vibrating.