Chapter 21 Bella #3
She checks the list, then sees how desperate we are and waves us through. “Exam Room Three. A nurse will be there right away.”
In the small green room, Aleksander lays Lily on the bed. I hover at her side, pulling her little socks off, pressing a cool hand to her forehead.
“Lily, sweetheart, can you hear me?” I whisper, brushing sweaty hair from her face. Her lips move but she doesn’t answer.
Aleksander crouches down, holding her hand. “She’s still hot,” he mutters, worry etched deep in his brow.
I turn to him, biting my lip. “Do you think it’s the same as last time?”
His jaw clenches. “Maybe. We’ll let the doctor see.”
The nurse sweeps in, brisk but kind. “What’s her temperature?”
“Over 102,” Aleksander says.
“Any vomiting? Chills?”
“Some chills, no vomiting,” I answer.
The nurse nods and gets to work with the thermometer and pulse oximeter.
“Is she allergic to anything?”
“No,” I say.
“Okay, we’ll monitor her closely. The doctor’s on the way.”
I perch beside Lily, stroking her arm. “You’re okay, Lily-bug, we’re right here. I promise.”
Her eyes flutter but she doesn’t wake. I turn to Aleksander, voice trembling. “You said no hospitals before…”
His eyes flash, suddenly fierce. “Not for this. Not for her. That’s different. She needs real care. I’ll never risk her.”
I swallow, nodding. “Okay. I just—I was scared.”
The doctor comes in, pulling on gloves. “What do we have?”
The nurse fills him in.
“Let’s have a look.” The doctor gently examines Lily, listens to her chest, checks her eyes. “We’ll run some tests, start an IV for fluids and fever control,” he says, then looks at me. “You’ll stay with her?”
“Of course,” I say instantly.
The nurse preps Lily’s arm. She whimpers and I lean close. “I’m here, baby. Just a little pinch. You’re so brave.”
Aleksander stands at the foot of the bed, hands clenched into fists, watching every movement.
Once the IV is in, Lily’s breathing deepens, her forehead beaded with sweat but a little less flushed.
“Will she be alright?” I ask, voice small.
“She’s in good hands,” the nurse reassures. “You did the right thing bringing her in.”
We’re out in the hallway, waiting—there’s nothing else we can do. The linoleum under my sneakers is cold, and the lights overhead make everything look too stark, too exposed. I stare at the closed door, arms wrapped around myself, listening to the faint echo of hospital sounds.
I can feel Aleksander next to me, heavy and silent, the kind of quiet that isn’t peaceful. He leans back against the wall, scrubbing a hand over his face. For the first time, he looks…lost.
He glances at me, eyes shadowed. “I don’t even know the allergies my daughter has,” he says, voice raw. “What kind of father doesn’t know that?”
My heart aches for him. I reach out, sliding my hand into his. His skin is warm, fingers trembling just a little, and the contact sends a jolt through me, sharp and deep. All the mess and fear and exhaustion falls away for a second—I just feel him, real and vulnerable.
I squeeze his hand, gentle. “You didn’t even know she was yours till yesterday. You’re here now,” I say softly. “That’s what matters.”
He looks at our joined hands like he can’t quite believe it.
I watch his thumb trace my knuckles, and suddenly I know, with an awful, beautiful certainty—I love him.
I’ve only had him in my life again for three days, but the truth is, he never really left it.
He’s been in the back of my mind for four years, always lurking in the shadows of what-ifs and could-have-beens.
I can’t imagine a world where I don’t want to hold him together like this.
Aleksander’s grip tightens, like maybe he feels it too.
He takes a breath, shoulders squaring a little, and turns to face me. “There’s something I have to tell you,” he says quietly. “I found out something earlier. No more lies, Bella. I don’t want to keep you in the dark.”
I nod, heart thudding. “Okay. Tell me.”
He draws a shaky breath, eyes flickering to the pale hospital wall, then back to me.
“Selene said Kirov was carrying something for Irina when he got killed. She wasn’t sure what it was—just that it was important, and Irina wanted it badly.
Selene only found out after…after he died.
She said Irina was furious when she didn’t get it back. ”
A chill skitters down my spine. “Do you think it has something to do with what’s happening now?”
He nods, jaw tight. “I do.”
He holds my gaze a long moment, then his expression shifts—something softer, sadder. “And there’s one more thing I should tell you,” he says. “Selene and I…we used to be together. Years ago. It didn’t last. It’s over. I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want it to matter. Not now.”
I let out a breath, feeling the weight of it but not the pain I thought I might. “Thank you for telling me.”
He brushes his thumb over my knuckles. “You sure?”
I nod. “I am.”
I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel. It’s not like I have any claim on him. Then why do I feel this tiny pinch in my chest at the thought of him being with someone else?
I excuse myself quietly, telling Aleksander I’ll be right back, and slip down the hall toward the bathrooms. My hands are still shaking, my chest too tight. I need a moment alone, just to breathe.
The bathroom is empty. Too clean. Too quiet.
I step up to the sink and look at myself in the mirror.
My face looks pale, eyes too bright, hair still a little damp at the nape of my neck.
I grip the edge of the counter, grounding myself, replaying everything Aleksander just told me, every name, every implication.
I take a breath.
There’s movement behind me.
A woman stands in the mirror’s reflection, just inside the doorway. For half a second my body goes rigid, then recognition settles in and eases the tension. She’s familiar. Warm smile, neat hair, the same calm presence.
The flight attendant.
I turn, surprised but relieved. “Hey,” I say, forcing a small smile. “What a coincidence.”
She smiles back, soft and pleasant, like she did on the plane. “I was thinking the same thing.”
My shoulders loosen. “I didn’t think I’d see you again,” I say. “Small world.”
She steps further into the room, her shoes barely making a sound on the tile. “It really is.” Her eyes flick over my face, assessing, then soften again. “You look exhausted.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah. Long day.” I hesitate, then add, “Hospital things.”
“I figured,” she says gently. “I saw you rush past earlier. I hope everything’s okay.”
“As okay as it can be,” I say. There’s something comforting about her voice, about the familiarity. “I never caught your name, by the way.”
She tilts her head, like she’s amused by that. “Elena,” she says.
“Elena,” I repeat, slower now. My smile falters before I can stop it. The name echoes in my head, sharp and sudden. I’ve seen it before. Written down. In Aleksander’s room. On the board with all of his notes about Kirov and the plane, underlined twice in red.
Her eyes don’t leave mine.
Something cold slips into my stomach.
“Wait,” I say, the word barely out of my mouth as I take a step back, instincts finally screaming. “I think I—”
She moves fast.
There’s no warning, no anger in her face. Just calm. Precision. I don’t even see what she’s holding, only feel the brutal crack against the side of my head. White explodes behind my eyes. My knees buckle instantly.
The floor rushes up to meet me.
I try to catch myself, try to scream, but my body doesn’t respond. My cheek hits the tile, the pain distant already, like it belongs to someone else. The last thing I see is Elena’s shoes stepping closer, her shadow stretching over me.
Then everything goes dark.