The Thompson brothers and Justin drew close and stared at the doctor in anticipation.
âThe bullet penetrated the patientâs organ, and she lost a lot of blood. Her vitals werenât promising
before we got on the operating table.â
The doctor sighed helplessly and shook his head. âIâm sorry, Ms. Thompson. We did everything we
couldâ¦â
As a doctor, Bella knew what those cruel words meant.
The Thompsons hung their heads low. Declan removed his military
cap to mourn for Linny in silence.
It was an answer they had expected when they set foot into the
hospital, but the confirmation from the doctor solidified the harsh
reality.
The only one who could not accept reality was Bella.
âNo⦠Itâs impossible. Linny is strong. That canât possibly happen!â
Bella shook the doctorâs arms violently and spoke gruffly. The
distress took hold of her.
âEasy there, Bella. Calm down.â
Justin hugged her tight from the back, wishing he could take the pain away. âI donât think Linny suffered
much when she left. We canât bring
her back from the dead, but we can seek justice for her.â
Linny was not Bellaâs family. Heck, she was not even a friend to Bella.
Chapy 917
273
The woman, in a selfless act, gave her life to save Bella. The guilt gnawed at Bellaâs conscience.
From Bellaâs perspective, it felt no different than if she herself had
pulled the trigger.
âItâs all my fault. Itâs my fault. I killed herâ¦â
Bellaâs gushing tears rolled off her gaunt jaw as she kept poking herself in the chest. She ached for a
blade that was sharp enough to
tear her open and expose the raw wound within.
Justin ached with her, the lump in his throat a silent scream of grief.
When Bella opened her eyes again, she was in bed and on an IV drip.
Ralph, Asher, and Declan dealt with the aftermath, while Axel and
Drew stayed with Bella.
âDrewâ¦â Bella cried.
âIâm here, Bella.â Sitting next to the bed, Drew held her hand tight.
âLinny told me before her passing that she had important evidence on
her phone, but the phone was shattered from a fall. I canât turn it on. Can you do something to get the
phone data?â
âNo problem. Leave it to me.â
Drew patted his chest and tried to give his sister a confident smile,
but the dread was too much to bear. âEven if the phone is beyond repair, I can restore the data so long
as the microchip is intact.â
Feeling assured, Bella nodded and shut her eyes.
âWhatâs the secret, Bella?â
Axel was sharp and picked up on the cues. âThe people who attacked
you tonight⦠Are they after the secret? Did the girl die because of
that secret?â
âYes, but I canât give you the specifics until I have concrete evidence.â
Bella clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
She needed the pain to keep a clear mind. The pain would remind her
of the hate and anger.
Bella wanted vengeance.