Chapter 128 - Stranded

Hearing the doctor, Arabella froze on her spot. She couldn’t move even if she wants to. The air seemed to fill with the coldness that made her chill down to her spine. The different sensations in her body made her feel uncomfortable.

“Are you okay, Ms. Jones?” Seeing Arabella lost in her thoughts, the doctor snapped her back to her senses.

“Hmmm… Yeah.” Arabella’s words were stuck in her throat. She had to answer him but her words were not cooperating. Her mind was so messy right now.

“What about the other hospitals, doc? Maybe they also have what the Sky Medical Group has?” One could easily say that Arabella was not comfortable with the doctor’s idea.

“I’m sorry Ms. Jones. The center has no ability to accommodate your mom’s growing tumor so we need to transfer her immediately. Sky Medical Group is our best option but you know not all patients with money had given a slot there so you have to know someone inside to accommodate your mother.”

“Please let me know your decision so we can quickly process the transfer. I have to excuse myself since I have another patient waiting for me.” The doctor said to the girl who was obviously lost in her thoughts. He could not blame this girl to act helpless as Sky Medical Group is not just an expensive hospital but a home of VIPs with health problems.

Arabella just nodded to the doctor who rushed out to attain another patient. When she was left inside the room, she looked at Jaime with love and compassion.

The sorrow of her mother was imprinted on her face. The feeling that she pitied her so much but could not do anything for her mother made her feel so helpless and useless.

Why fate is so cruel?

Why does it have to be Sky Medical Group?

6 years ago, she was accused as the murderer of Ed Sky. How can she enter Sky Medical Group now?

If only her Aunt Kelly believed in her at that time but she didn’t instead she cut their ties and blamed her the death of her husband.

There’s no way.

But what kind of daughter she is if she only let her mom suffer until she dies? Is she just going to sit and wait when will her mother die then, go back to country Y when it's over?

No!

There must be a way!

Arabella couldn’t allow her mom to die without acknowledging her as her daughter and Adam as her grandson.

Bill Sky.

No!

It’s impossible.

He is the reason why her mother is in a struggling state right now.

He killed her father.

Most of all, he almost killed Adam and abandoned them.

After so many years, she tried her best to hide away from him and live normally despite her traumatizing past. How come she was put to a multi-layered limbo again?

No!

Bill Sky would not help her.

“Mom?” Adam suddenly showed up inside that his voice made Arabella regain her senses.

“Are you okay?” Damien asked who was standing beside Adam. The two were waiting for Arabella to come out but it took her so long to appear so they decided to enter inside and check on her.

“I… I am.” Arabella tried to smile a little to ease Adam and Damien’s worries but deep inside her, she really felt helpless but refused to just give up her mom without doing anything for her.

“Okay, I think everyone had a very hard day today. Why not go on a movie date?” Damien asked trying to lighten up everyone’s mood.

Arabella and Adam didn’t answer and still thinking about their different concerns. Adam was still thinking about his grandma’s harsh words to him while Arabella was still caught in her deep thinking on how to save her mom.

“Oh, common guys! Let’s go now. Let’s give ourselves a short break then we come back here again later. Okay?” Seeing the mother and son’s lost expressions, Damien held their hands and dragged them out forcefully.

They went to the nearby mall. It was a new big high-end mall.

“Why we are here?” Arabella asked seeing the mall screaming of expensive high-end brands.

“Well, this is the only mall near the center. Just in case of emergency we can easily run back.” Damien explained.

“But the movie ticket here will cost us a fortune.” Arabella refuted. In her mother’s case, she had no money to waste.

“Don’t worry. It’s on me.” Damien answered and dragged them to the ticket booth.

After the movie, they walked out and find an ice cream parlor but Adam had to use the restroom so Damien accompanied him to the men’s room.

“I will check out on the ground floor first and I will call you two if I find one. Okay?” Arabella said before they separated ways. This time, it’s Arabella’s idea to treat Adam for ice cream. She knew her son was still bothered with his grandma’s words so she wanted him to forget it by enjoying one of his favorite sweets. Maybe it will help him to feel better.

Today, she didn’t wear any makeup and had her baseball cap on her head. Faded blue fitted jeans and a white fitted t-shirt paired with sneakers covered her body. Her long smooth hair danced on her back. She looked like a young and fresh student on a campus who is liked by everyone but her eyes had no innocence anymore.

A person who had been so many sorrows in life could not retain her innocence anymore. Unlike before, her eyes were cold and tough.

Standing alone on the escalator going down, she saw only a few people inside the mall. Her eyes wandered around until they landed on the most stunning guy with a very powerful aura surrounded by his bodyguards approaching the escalator going up.

Sh*t!

She could not help to tremble to realize who’s the familiar man is.

Bill Sky.

Instead of going down, Arabella got panicked and ran back to the top even running against the escalator’s direction. Good thing, she was just a few steps away from the start.

She saw another escalator going up so she jumped to it and to another escalator then, to another one. She stopped to catch her breath.

Why he’s here?

After 6 years, she still had a hard time taking her eyes away from him. He still had the magnet on her.

After 6 years, her anger still lingered on her and by seeing him it surged up. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists. She will never forget what he had done to her and to her family.

Walking around the 6th floor with an intensely fast heartbeat, her phone rang and she quickly answered.

“Mom? Where are you? Uncle Damien and I were already here on the ground floor.” Adam sounded worried.

“I will be right there. Please order me cookies and cream flavor will you? Enjoy eating your ice cream, I will be there shortly I am just buying something. Okay, sweetie?” Arabella had to make an alibi again. The boy had so much for this day, she didn’t want Adam to go worried.

“Sure mom. Please hurry before it melts.” Adam reminded her before they ended the call.

Vigilantly, she walked quickly finding her way out. She had to get down quickly and drag them away from the mall.

Luckily, she found an elevator. Without doing so much thinking, she jumped to the empty elevator and pressed the button to the ground floor.

She heaved a sigh of relief that finally, she succeeded to hide from the monster. She leaned all her weight against the wall and took the liberty of calming herself before she will show up to Adam and Damien.

‘It’s just a mere coincidence. It will not happen again.’ Arabella muttered in the air with a heavy sigh.

“Ding!” The elevator stopped and opened.

Alarmed, Arabella stood still.

Three men went inside. With their bodies, they already almost occupied the elevator. Arabella took a step back to keep her distance from them.

She heaved a sigh of relief again. She was overthinking. Of course, it’s an elevator. She then closed her eyes trying to compose herself.

The elevator had stopped again and another group of people went inside.

Then it stopped again and the people went out leaving only one person and Arabella inside the elevator. The door closed and Arabella opened her eyes with an impatient look. Adam and Damien were waiting for her, how could this elevator be so busy? If it’s not for that monster, she would have taken the escalator alone.

Seeing the number, they were already on the 3rd floor. Finally, they were almost on the ground floor but the elevator suddenly stopped and the light turned off.

“Shit!” A man sounded soft but angrily in the dark.

Arabella’s heart was racing fast. She was nervous as she was afraid of the dark.

She quickly got her mobile phone to call Damien for help and have a light inside but to her dismay, there’s no signal inside the elevator. How could she forget?

Refusing to surrender to her panic she turned the torch in her cellphone to put on some lights then went to the emergency buttons.

“Please help us. We are stuck in the middle of the 3rd and 2nd floors. Please hurry.” She didn’t know if someone had heard her as the other line was noisy. It seemed the line also had a problem.

This time, she looked at the man who was unmoved and standing still beside her.

Realizing the man’s back, she quickly lowered her head and took steps backward with trembling legs until her back reached the wall then nervously turned her lights off. The man is more horrifying than the dark.

Did he notice me?

No!

What about my voice?

No!

It’s been 6 years. He definitely forgot you.

She wanted to curse the situation but she bit her lip not to make any sound anymore.

Hopefully, he didn’t notice her.

Of all the people, why does she have to be stranded in the elevator with him?

This is another big joke in her life.

A minute of silence and the air suddenly filled with coldness.

He didn’t talk that means she is safe. He didn’t notice her. Thanks to her cap!

What is he doing in here?

Is he the owner of this new mall?

It seemed even his elevator wanted to kill her in panic.

Adam.

He must be very worried about me now.

She had to do something to get out from there. She was started to get suffocated by the presence of the person she hated the most.

But how?

Arabella forgot about moving. She was like a statue in the dark but she was intensely trembling inside.

Why is he not moving at all? Why he’s not doing anything to escape this dark place?

She thought.

With her heartbeat racing so fast, she remained unmoved with lowered head. All she could do is to wait for the rescuer.

Then, she remembered her mom’s doctor’s words.

Is this a gift from heaven being trapped with the owner of Sky Medical Group?

You can’t be so heartless child without doing anything with the opportunity in front of you!

No!

It’s not a gift from heaven. He is a monster. A gift from hell could be more appropriate!

What can I say?

No! You have to think well if you don’t want to destroy your life again. Think of Adam.

But what about mom?

I didn’t save my father, is this mean I will not save my mom because I didn’t want to mess up my life and Adam?

But remember, he killed your father. How sure are you that he’s going to help your mother? Are you not hearing yourself?

Did you forget why you are hiding from him? He will kill your mom if he knows that you are back in Capital Z and he will kill you.

No!

I can’t just give up mom just like that!

Arabella, you have to be firm with your decision!

Do not make decisions that will make you regret later. This is a touch move, once you touched you have to move and you can’t change your mind.

"What made you think that you are allowed to come back?"