Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lilith
My stomach was churning again.
That familiar nausea crawled up from the pit of my throat. I clamped my hand over my mouth and bolted for the bathroom, collapsing by the toilet as dry heaves wracked my body. Nothing came up—just wave after wave of acid reflux forcing tears from my eyes.
I gripped the sink and hauled myself upright. The woman in the mirror looked pale, her lips drained of color. I hadn't been sleeping well lately. The nausea was constant.
I rinsed my mouth, splashed water on my face, and pushed the door open. Rebecca stood waiting outside. She'd been doing that a lot these past few days—appearing exactly when I needed something.
"Again?" She handed me a glass of water, her voice soft.
I took the glass and nodded.
"Lilith, this isn't okay. You need to see a doctor today." Her expression was dead serious. "You've been like this for days. We can't put it off anymore. I'll go with you."
I wanted to say I was fine, just tired, but another wave of nausea stopped the words in my throat. Maybe she was right. Maybe I should get checked out.
"Okay," I said.
Rebecca smiled and took my arm carefully. "Let's go. Andrei's been practically invisible lately. Can't have you going alone."
She wasn't wrong. Andrei had barely been home. He said he'd narrowed down the traitor's location and was closing in. He needed to handle it personally.
He left before dawn every day and came back after midnight. Last night I'd felt him slip into bed, wrapping his arms around me from behind, pressing a feather-light kiss to my neck. This morning his side was empty—just a shallow dent in the pillow.
Rebecca drove me to the hospital. The doctor was a middle-aged woman with glasses and a gentle voice. After asking a few questions, she sent me for tests.
After the blood draw, we sat in the hallway waiting for results. The disinfectant smell was identical to that in Elena's room. Made me drift. Rebecca came back with two bottles of water, handed me one, and sat down beside me.
After a while, a nurse called my name and led me to the ultrasound room. I lay on the exam table as cold gel spread across my lower abdomen, raising goosebumps.
The ultrasound probe glided over my stomach. The doctor studied the screen, then turned to me, pulling down her mask with a smile. "Congratulations. You're pregnant. Twins. Strong heartbeats. Everything looks normal so far."
I was pregnant.
I stared at the two tiny blurred shapes on the screen, joy flooding through me so completely I couldn't speak.
Andrei and I were having a baby. Two babies.
Tears spilled down my face without warning. I covered my mouth to muffle the sound, but my shoulders shook uncontrollably.
The doctor rattled off care instructions, reminding me about regular checkups. I nodded earnestly. When I climbed down from the table and pushed through the curtain, Rebecca was waiting by the door, her eyes bright.
"Oh my God, I heard! Lilith, you're pregnant!" Rebecca's voice rang with genuine delight.
"Yes." I smiled shyly, then thought of Andrei. He'd be thrilled. "I need to tell Andrei right away!"
"Wait!"
Rebecca grabbed my arm. Her expression turned conspiratorial as she leaned close, dropping her voice. "This is huge news. Don't you want to prepare something special before you tell him?"
She winked, her tone taking on that intimate girlfriend-sharing-secrets quality. "Think about it. Finding the perfect moment to tell him would be way more romantic than just calling him up and saying you're pregnant, right?"
"Andrei's been working so hard. He could use a surprise to shake off the exhaustion. Why don't we plan something?"
I laughed. Rebecca had a point. "What should I do?"
"Let me think about it." She patted my shoulder. "He's busy anyway. Won't hurt to wait a day or two. When he gets back, we'll set everything up perfectly. You can tell him yourself. I guarantee he'll be grinning like an idiot."
Rebecca made sense. Pregnancy was important. If I told Andrei now, it might just distract him. So I nodded.
"Okay. I won't tell him yet. But I want to see my sister and share the news with her."
"Then I'll—"
"You don't need to come. Go home and rest. I want some time alone with her."
Rebecca hesitated, then smiled and nodded. "Okay. Be safe. Call if you need anything."
We parted at the hospital entrance. I knew Dmitri's car was tailing me. He'd been assigned to shadow me from a distance lately.
After I got in the car, I rested my hand on my stomach, unable to stop smiling. Our twins. What would Andrei's face look like when he found out? Would someone so composed be struck speechless?
I was lost in thought when we arrived at the hospital.
When I reached the room, a cluster of doctors surrounded Elena's bed. Their expressions were grave. My heart leapt into my throat.
"What's wrong? What happened to my sister?" I shoved through the crowd to Elena's bedside.
"She's experiencing rejection." A dark-haired doctor spoke. "It happens occasionally after heart transplants. We've administered anti-rejection medication, but her body's acceptance of the new heart is worse than expected."
"Miss Sanchez, we were just about to contact you when you arrived," a familiar nurse added.
"Elena's consciousness is coming and going.
She's in critical condition. Only Professor Feodorov can save her—he's the leading authority, but he's at an academic conference in St. Petersburg right now.
We can't reach him. Please, you have to find a way! "
"Elena!"
My legs went weak. I nearly collapsed. Dmitri rushed over and caught my arm.
"What do I do? She can't... she can't..." I was shaking violently all over. How could I reach Professor Feodorov?
In that instant, my mind filled with Andrei. Only he could help me.
With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone, found Andrei's number, and dialed. It rang and rang. No answer. "Andrei, pick up..."
"Please, answer!" I was breaking down, tears streaming. "Andrei..."
"What do I do if he won't answer..."
"Where is Andrei? I need to find him!" I pushed past Dmitri, stumbling forward. After two steps, Dmitri stopped me.
"Ma'am, the boss is handling something extremely urgent right now. He's unreachable." Dmitri's brow furrowed, but his voice stayed calm. "Don't panic. Professor Feodorov owes the boss a favor. I'll have our people send a private plane for him immediately."
"Really?" I clutched Dmitri's sleeve. He nodded and stepped away to make calls. I paced the room anxiously.
After the doctors finished examining Elena and dispersed, I stood and walked to her bedside, taking her hand—ice cold, as if the warmth of life was draining away. My heart went cold with it.
"Elena..." I pressed her hand to my cheek. "Don't scare me. Wake up. I have good news. Can you hear me? You're going to be an aunt. I'm pregnant. With twins... Can you hear me?"
She didn't answer. Her eyelid twitched but didn't open. The doctors swarmed back in with equipment I didn't recognize.
Dmitri approached. "Ma'am, we've contacted Professor Feodorov. He's boarding now. He'll arrive tonight."
"Thank you." I breathed easier but couldn't fully relax.
Time in the hospital turned thick and sluggish. Every few minutes, I checked my phone—my message thread with Andrei. Nothing. I sent more texts.
"Elena still hasn't woken up. I'm so scared."
"Where are you?"
"Did you see my messages?"
"Please just write back. One word. Anything."
Nothing.
I couldn't help feeling resentful. I knew Andrei was busy. I knew how complicated his world was, how many things required his personal attention. But my sister was lying in a hospital bed. The doctors said she might die. And I was terrified...
I was terrified Elena would die, and right now, I desperately needed him beside me.
It wasn't until dark that Feodorov finally arrived. He went straight to work, taking Elena into surgery.
He didn't emerge until after midnight.
"We've suppressed the rejection to some degree. She's out of danger. The patient regained consciousness briefly. You can see her now."
I practically ran into the room. Elena lay in bed, still pale, but her eyes were open.
"Lily..." Her voice was as faint as smoke.
I threw myself at the bedside, tears flooding out. "You scared me to death."
"Don't cry..." She lifted her hand, her cold fingertips touching my face. "Why are you crying like this... I'm okay..."
She drew a breath and continued, "You look awful. Have you been sleeping? Go home and rest. Don't stay here all night."
"I want to stay with you—"
"Go home," she insisted. Her voice was weak, but her tone left no room for argument. "Look at yourself. You're white as paper. If you collapse, who's going to take care of me?"
I couldn't argue. And she was right. I couldn't afford to break down. My body wasn't just mine anymore. I glanced at my phone—Andrei still hadn't replied.
"Ma'am, I'll drive you home," Dmitri said.
The car stopped at the manor gates. The garden was dark. The whole house was silent.
I walked into the foyer and changed my shoes. Fiona must have gone to bed. The living room was empty. I headed for the stairs, planning to take a hot shower and sleep before returning to care for Elena.
As for Andrei—I'd been too frantic earlier. He must have had an emergency. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ignored my calls.
Still, I couldn't shake my worry.
The things Andrei did were dangerous. I was afraid something had happened to him.
The more I thought about it, the heavier my steps became. Then I heard it—a moan from the second floor.
My heart began to sink.
I climbed the stairs slowly. With each step, the woman's moaning grew clearer. The sound was thin and sharp, piercing my ears like needles.
My feet touched the floor softly, making no sound. The noise came from down the hall, seeping through a door left ajar, slithering into my ears like a snake. It was coming from the guest room. The voice was Rebecca's.