Luca and Janie were visibly nervous too. Benjamin looked down and gave his nose a little pinch, as if to comfort himself. Waylon gently pushed the heavy door open.
The room was a tastefully decorated waiting lounge, filled with warm lights and the scent of fresh flowers. There were two maids in the room who immediately greeted Waylon with a polite bow. Beyond the lounge was another door.
âYou may leave the room. I have some guests,â Waylon instructed the maids.
Abel glanced intently at the door, wondering if Emma was beyond those doors.
âThis is usually where I spend some time with Emma. My father spends half his days here as well,â
Waylon informed Abel.
âI want to see her,â Abel urged. âIs she in there?â
Benjamin walked to the door and opened it, motioning for Abel to step inside first. Abel immediately found Emma lying unconscious on a white king-sized bed covered in pristine white sheets. She was completely still and silent, almost like a wax figure. Abel froze in disbelief. Was his Emma⦠dead?
âEmma!â Abel called out as he tried to lurch forward, but Waylon held him back with a firm grip on his arm. Abel tried to wrestle himself out, but Waylon only tightened his grip.
âPlease, Waylon, let me see herâ¦â Abel pleaded.
âYou can see her by all means, or else I wouldnât have brought you here, but you cannot touch her!â
Waylon said authoritatively.
âWhat⦠why?â Abel asked in surprise. Only God knew how long he had dreamed of the day where he could hold Emma in his arms once again. He would never let her go ever again.
âThereâs a device under Emmaâs body thatâs working to extricate the bullet from her body. If you move her, you will undo all the progress thatâs been done so far and may even take away her last chance at survival,â Abel explained.
âYou meanâ¦â Abel inhaled deeply. â⦠thereâs still hope for Emma?â
âSheâs hanging on by a thread. Even my father cannot guarantee that sheâll surviveâ¦â Waylon sighed before continuing. âThe bullet had pierced through Emmaâs cardiovascular artery. If it was any other normal person, they wouldâve died on the spot, but Emma managed to shut down her meridian points at the very last minute which gave her a fighting chance. Weâve already consulted with the best doctors around the world. Unfortunately, theyâve all agreed that they would not be able to retrieve the bullet via surgery, so we finally decided on using this device to slowly extricate the bullet. Emma is also consuming a special supplement formulated by our family that helps to repair her damaged artery, but no one knows how long this process will take. It all depends on Emmaâs will to liveâ¦â
Abel finally understood what Waylon and Robert Adelmar meant by âleaving it all up to fateâ. If Emma was able to overcome this brutal process, she would be out of the woods. If she could not, it would mean certain death.
âEmma!â Abel fell to his knees in front of her bed. âPlease, Iâm begging you. You must hang in there and overcome this! Our children are still waiting for you⦠Iâm still waiting for youâ¦â he cried.
âNow that youâve seen her, you may return home, Abelâ¦â Waylon hinted.
âNo,â Abel shook his head. âIâm not going anywhere. Iâm staying here with Emma until she wakes up!â
Abel insisted.
âEmma might not win this battle in the end,â Waylon emphasized again. âThereâs no point for you to be here, and who knows how long this process will take?â
âWhat do you mean thereâs no point?â Abel argued defiantly. âEmma knows Iâm here. Iâll give her to support she needs to overcome this!â
âDonât forget that you need to be treated urgently too, or your stomach will bleed out anytime soonâ¦â
Waylon reminded him.
âIâm fine. I donât feel any pain when Iâm with Emma,â Abel maintained stubbornly.
âI really cannot win against you,â Waylon sighed, realizing there was no changing Abelâs mind. âFine, you can stay here for the next few days. The facilities here are free for to use. Just call a doctor or nurse if you need anything.â
âThank you, Waylon. I really appreciate this,â Abel thanked him.
âWaylon, Iâd like to stay here too,â Benjamin said suddenly. âCould you please persuade Master Adelmar on my behalf?â