The Inevitable

1...2...3...CLEAR!!! 1...2....3...CLEAR.... Doctors tried without much success to shock Isabella's heart. It wasn't beating.

There were many of them in the room. Some had panic on their faces. She was not responding. She wasn't moving.

Henry kept pacing the room like a mad man.

Sweating, crying, holding his head which felt like it was about to explode.

"Mr. Steven calm down. We don't want to have two people to attend to..."one doctor told him.

After several minutes of trying without success to resuscitate Bella, the doctor's shoulders dropped.

"Mr. Steven, we lost her. There's nothing we can do," the Dr. said.

"No...Keep trying. You didn't try enough", Henry said rushing to Bella's bedside literally throwing his entire body on her.

Doctors-four of them at most- pulled him off Bella's lifeless body.

They couldn't contain him. "Please..." he cried... "try again"

A female Doctor looked at him with pity. "Guys let's give it another try," she said hopelessly.

1...2...3 CLEAR!!!!! Henry knelt down next to the bed weeping. Praying for a miracle.

A few moments later he heard someone saying..."We have a pulse".

At the sound of these words he sprang to his feet as the medical professionals surrounded Isabella connecting all kinds of machines to her body.

Henry was asked to leave the room as he was most times in the way of the medics who were rushing in and out of the room.

The media flooded the hospital. Apparently, they had heard what had happened.

From CNN to the BBC, right down to Fox News were all outside. Reporters, journalists, paparazzi's, they were all trying to break the biggest story of the day.

Henry's photo was plastered all over the news. The headlines were not good at all. "One man reportedly dead following shooting at millionaires' home"-Alleged Mistress of Steven's Empire Killed...The news was coming in fast and furious. The calls were coming in too.

Henry sat in an empty room outside of the ER. He felt like he was part of a movie. He couldn't believe this was his reality. Henry's face was pale, his eyes red like fire and he was sweating profusely.

"Mr. Henry?" the main Dr. walked in from the ER. "Yes Sir," Henry said standing up with fright and concern all over his face.

"Your friend...she", but before the Dr. finished Henry stopped him. "My wife...She's my wife", Henry said.

The Dr. looked confused but repeated after Henry... "Sir...your wife suffered serious damage to her heart. The bullet destroyed an important artery. We have stabilized her but I am afraid that if we don't do corrective surgery soon, she won't live for much longer,"

"Do whatever you have to do...I don't care the cost. Can I see her? Henry asked

"She may not know if you're there. She's on life support. The machine is keeping her alive. But it's OK you could go in just for a moment," the Dr. instructed.

Henry pushed the door of the room opened. The look of Isabella connected to all these machines and tubes brought him to his knees once again.

"Mr Henry, you are going to have to speak to the media. We need to have a short press conference or briefing", Mrs. Dominique said over the phone.

The office had been bombarded with calls following the tragic incident. Speculations about what happened were flying left, right and center.

The staff were very sad about what happened to Isabella. They were also shocked of news that she was found naked in Henry's bed.

"I don't believe any of this. Were they having an affair? Maybe he bought her the car. But this is crazy," Gem whispered to a group of workers who were discussing the issue.

The Empire that Henry and his father toiled tirelessly to build over the years could collapse.

Investors could pull their money, especially with the rumors circulating that Henry killed a woman's husband after he was caught in an affair.

"Ok....yeah" he sighed. "Call the press. I will make a statement to clear the air at 3 pm. I won't allow any questions," he insisted.

Henry was still at the ER, just sitting in a chair watching Bella plugged to these machines.

He had not returned home. Not to even take a shower or brush his teeth.

This powerful, fearless man was now broken into several pieces that no human could put back together.

"If only I had left her alone," he said, trying to catch the teardrops before they fell on the hospital's floor.

Henry was a mess. Everything in his life became secondary. Even Sarah who had been blowing up his phone for several hours nonstop.

Somehow, he knew he would have to face Sarah. He still had the hit-man's cellphone in his pocket.

Henry didn't want the FBI to have any evidence that could lead to Sarah.

Even if she did something criminalish (if there's such a word) he wouldn't want to see her go to jail, leaving their children behind.

Closing his eyes, he tried to relive the happy moments that he shared with Bella but his thoughts were interrupted by a Dr who came in to check her vitals.

"Sir, you need to go home. You can return. At least get some rest," the Dr said.

Henry was waiting... well...hoping that Bella would start breathing on her own. The medics performed an emergency surgery last night to correct the damage to her arteries.

They had informed Henry that she may begin to breathe on her own but that never happened. At least not yet.

"I just want her to be o.k. How successful was the surgery? ", Henry asked anxiously.

"Well, we tried our best to repair the damage. We are just waiting to see how she pulls through sir. We are hoping and praying just like you," the Dr said patting Henry on his back.

Henry left the ER and headed home. He only had a few hours to prepare for the press conference. He had no idea what he was going to say.

SARAH

Sarah walked up and down her LA mansion like a crazy woman. She realized her plan to kill Bella had not worked.

Her eyes and ears were glued to the television as she tracked the developing story.

Henry wasn't taking her phone calls. She wondered if he was too busy or whether he knew she had aided and abetted the attack.

She wanted to hear from Henry. He was ignoring her completely. Sarah was also afraid...very afraid that evidence would have led straight to her.

Poor Sarah didn't expect that one of the most popular hit men would have allowed himself to be killed by Henry...an amateur in rifle use.

"Idiot", she said before pouring herself a glass of scotch whiskey.

Sarah called the nanny to look after the Avry and Dimitry. She went online and booked the next flight to see Henry, which was set to arrive at 2pm.

"If this Henry believes that he can ignore me for a half alive woman then he has another thing coming", she spat.

Sarah was on her way to meet her husband.

PRESS CONFERENCE

"Members of the press thank you for coming at such short notice. Mr Henry Steven will now read a short statement," Mrs Dominique said, moving away from the podium.

Henry stood up and proceeded to read the statement that was prepared for him from the Public Relations Department.

"Members of the media. As you may have heard, a staff of Runway Enterprise was involved in an unfortunate incident two nights ago. Miss Isabella Blake was shot in the chest and is now a patient at the hospital. We want to assure you that we will continue to work with the police to find out the motives behind this matter. We thank you for your time," he read.

"Sir, I have a question...", a female reporter stood up raising her hands. In fact, several journalists were trying to speak at the same time.

"There will be no questions for Mr. Steven. That would be all,", Mrs Dominique said, while attempting to escort him out of the conference room.

But he stopped her by saying "I will answer your questions".

Mrs Dominique looked puzzled. "Sir...Nooo..." she said.

But the look she received from him caused her to shut up instantly.

"Sir it is alleged that Ms. Blake was shot by a sniper and she was in your bed at the time. How would you respond to such allegations"?, a reporter asked.

These CNN reports are so ruthless. Henry was numb. Tired. Hurt...He was worried about Isabella.

In Henry's mind, there was nothing left of him to break. So, he figured what else could possibly go wrong in this life of sin?

The entire room went quiet.

Mrs Dominique had a frown on her face.

Other staff members who attended the press briefing bit their nails.

Some held their chest and waited for Henry's answer.

"Yes the allegations are correct," Henry said.

The room fell in uproar. Jaw dropped. Eyes popped....The questions started flowing.

"One at a time..." Mrs Dominique said with so much annoyance in her voice.

"Sir does this mean you were having an affair with your staff? And is it true that the sniper could have been her jealous lover?"...a FOX reporter asked.

Henry wasted no time with this response.

"I wasn't having an affair with my staff. Isabella Blake and I were in love. We are still very much in love. She is my wife...my second wife...", he said.

Before the other reporters could get their questions in...Sarah stormed into the press room yelling..."Hennnryyy....you piece of...SH$%!!!!."

All cameras were now turned on the wild woman who was running towards the podium...heading towards Henry, who clearly was shocked by her presence.

"I will kill you...", she said dropping her small carry-on bag on the floor.

The security pinned her down.

Trying hard for her not to escape their hold.

She was only inches away from Henry, who clearly missed the physical attack that was geared towards him.

The drama caused an impromptu end to the press conference.