Elope...
Justin stared intently at Bella's pale face, his emotions getting the better of him.
"I want to grow old with Bella, but I can't be selfish. Bella's family isn't like mine. I can leave everything
behind for her, but I can't forgive myself if she leaves her family for me. She won't be happy without the
blessings and company of her family."
Justin shook his head in agony, his voice raspy. "I have taken too many things away from her. I nearly
destroyed her. Ryan, I can't hurt her anymore. I don't want her to lose anything ever." "That's your
assumption. Have you asked Bella what she wanted?"
Ryan caught on and furrowed his brows. "It's stormy tonight. It must have taken a toll on Bella to go to
you. Family is important, but Bella cares more about you. She wants to be with you. If you tell yourself
to move on, supposedly for her sake, a greater danger than tonight's could unfold, leading to tragedy. I
hope you won't regret your choice, Justin."
The words shattered him.
Justin's mind wandered back to Bella's pleas to save their baby.
The fever brought about Bella's ramblings, but beneath her smile lurked unspoken trauma, a silent cry
for help.
'How did you do it, Bella? How could you smile when you see my damn face? How could you be so
kind to me?' Justin thought to himself.
Justin let the tears flow and slapped himself right in front of his best buddy.
"What are you doing, Justin?"
Ryan grabbed Justin's arm. "Be a man and snap out of it! If you want to hurt yourself, I can provide you
with all my kitchen knives. You can stab yourself to your heart's content."
The private doctor quickly arrived and examined Bella.
Sitting by the bed, Justin did not take his eyes away from Bella's discolored face. He held her hand to
his lips and kissed it.
"Her temperature is 41 degrees Celsius. It's bad."
The doctor gave Bella a jab and put her on drips. "She could've gotten an infection if treatment was
delayed.
"But Mr. Salvador, I'd suggest taking Ms. Thompson to the hospital at dawn. I don't have the right
equipment to give her a comprehensive examination. The best I can do is alleviate her fever. If she
keeps burning, she will have to be admitted to the hospital."
Justin put his shaky palm on Bella's sweaty head.
Bella was still hot to the touch. Justin hoped everything would be better at the break of dawn.
"That reminds me, Mr. Salvador. Has Ms. Thompson injured her hands in any way? Did she break
them?" The doctor suddenly asked in shock.
Justin was taken aback. "Fractured? What do you mean?"
"Look at her left pinky. From my experience, she must have broken her finger and torn her ligament,
which didn't heal completely."
Justin's heart pounded violently.
"Huh? How did that happen?" Ryan was shocked.
"It's an old injury, as far as I can tell. She likely didn't receive timely treatment after she was injured."
Ryan was surprised. "Bella is precious to the Thompson family. They would call the ambulance even
for the tiniest cut on her. I doubt she would leave a broken bone untreated." "Even though the pinky
may not have much use in everyday life, a broken pinky is considered a disability."
A disability?
Justin's breath hitched as he clutched Bella's hand.
He had asked Bella about her pinky, but she changed the subject and refused to give him a straight
answer.
What on earth happened that she would deflect from talking about it?
After the private doctor left, Yasmin delivered a pair of clean pajamas and left the room with Ryan.
Justin put Bella in some clean clothes and brought a basin of water over. Getting down on one knee, he
used a wet towel to wipe her muddy feet.
He could not ever get enough of her beautiful feet.