Chapter Twenty- Five

In the waiting room, Alex was sitting beside Nicole, both of them tense with worry. Nicole, her voice shaking, was growing increasingly frantic.

"Alex, he's not answering his phone. I'm so worried..."

Alex, attempting to soothe her, placed an arm around her. "Nicole, he's an adult now. He can handle this."

Just then, the door to the room opened, and the male doctor from earlier stepped inside, his face pale with urgency.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but something terrible has happened," the doctor said, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, his voice tight with unease.

"Ethan was involved in a collision with a bus and another car. He's lost a lot of blood, and we need a transfusion immediately. We've exhausted all our resources, and we need one of his parents to donate blood. His blood type is AB negative, and we don't have any in our bank. We've already contacted neighboring hospitals, but they're all out as well."

Nicole immediately burst into tears, fear for her son evident on her face.

"Will he survive?" Alex demanded, his tone sharp.

"Yes, but only if we get the transfusion quickly. Without it, he may not make it."

Nicole's sobs were almost too much to bear. "Why is this happening, Alex?"

"Focus on Ethan, Nicole. We need to save him, not fall apart," Alex said, his voice steadier than he felt.

"Are you AB negative?" the doctor asked, turning to Alex.

"No," Nicole replied quickly, shaking her head.

Alex's heart skipped a beat as he realized the answer. "Wait—Ethan's AB negative, too?"

"Yes," Nicole confirmed, her voice trembling.

Alex turned to the doctor, determination in his eyes. "I'm AB negative. I'll donate."

"No, Alex, you can't," Nicole insisted, grabbing his arm.

"His life is at stake," Alex said, voice firm. "I'm doing it, and that's final."

The doctor nodded. "Come with me, Mr. Grayson."

Alex kissed Nicole on the cheek, his words filled with reassurance. "I'll be back soon."

Nicole watched as he left the room, her heart heavy with worry. As the seconds ticked by, her mind raced. She needed to know more. She stood up and, unable to stay still, moved toward the hallway. As she passed a nurse's station, she overheard two nurses whispering.

"I can't believe Mr. Blackwood is here at our hospital."

"What's so good about that? He's going to die if we can't get him blood in time."

"Why did the bus have to crash? We have so many injured, and we ran out of his blood type. Why does he have to be O negative?"

"Yeah most of the injured have O blood group. It's like fate is against him."

"Let's get back to the theatre before Doctor Bryon comes looking for us".

Nicole's heart sank. She stepped forward, her voice soft but firm. "I overheard your conversation. I'm O negative. I can donate to Mr. Blackwood."

The nurses exchanged surprised looks before nodding.

"Follow us," one said, leading the way.

Meanwhile, in the trauma ward, Mae was rushed in on a stretcher. The doctors worked swiftly, stabilizing her. They discovered the extent of her injuries—she had lost a significant amount of blood and was immediately given a transfusion. Upon further examination, they found that her stomach had been stitched up, indicating that someone had already performed an abortion, likely after the crash. The team continued their work, trying to bring her back to consciousness.

In the waiting room, Mae's family sat in tense silence. Liam, Kate, Emily, and Caleb exchanged worried glances, all of them praying for good news.

The door opened, and Michael stepped into the room, causing everyone to turn their heads in surprise. His appearance, though unexpected, brought some relief to Emily, who rushed to hug him.

"Mom you're going to squash me if you keep hugging this tight".

"Michael! Where have you been? Do you know how worried I was?"

"Mom, I will tell you what happened later. Right now, we need to be there for Mae", he said as he walks towards his father.

"Did you get what you needed?" Caleb asked.

Michael smiled awkwardly, his attention shifted to Caleb. "I've got what I needed, Dad. How's Mae?"

"She's stable for now," Caleb replied, his voice strained. "But I'm not sure how she'll be once she wakes up."

"Why, what happened?"

"She lost her baby," Caleb said, his voice low with sorrow.

"She was pregnant?" Michael asked, his eyebrows furrowing in disbelief.

"Yes," Caleb replied. "Only she and Ethan knew."

Michael's mind raced. "Mae's not going to take this lightly. Where's Ethan?"

"Don't mention his name right now," Caleb snapped. "Ethan's the reason Mae's in the state she's in. He knew she was pregnant, and still, he went ahead and married Bella."

Michael felt the tension in the air but tried to remain neutral. "There must be a reason for what he did."

"Nothing can justify what he did!" Caleb shouted, his anger flaring.

"Let's just focus on Mae," Michael said quietly, trying to steer the conversation away from Ethan.

"Yes, let's just be here for Mae," Caleb agreed, though his eyes betrayed his frustration.

Michael frowned. He couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation and the decisions Ethan had made. His plans had put Ethan in trouble, but what could he say? He needed to find Ethan and sort things out—if it wasn't too late.

Meanwhile, in a private VIP room, Ethan lay unconscious, connected to numerous machines. Alex sat by his side, staring at him, lost in thought. It finally dawned on him why Ethan had always held such a special place in his heart—it wasn't just because of his love for Nicole. It was because Ethan was his son. The revelation hit him like a ton of bricks. He wondered why Nicole hid the truth from him. Why did she hide the fact that they had a child together? Why did she shut him out of their son's life? Did he really mean nothing to her? How could she lie to him all these years and still not tell him about it even after they got married.

As Alex sat there, consumed by guilt and confusion, the door opened, and Nicole entered. She hesitated for a moment, watching Alex, before walking over and wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Thank you for taking care of Ethan for me," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Alex snapped out of his daze, realizing she was there. His voice trembled with both anger and hurt. "When were you planning on telling me the truth?"

Nicole stiffened. "What truth?"

"When were you going to tell me that Ethan is my son?" Alex demanded, his heart aching.

Nicole froze, her face draining of color. "When did you figure it out?"

"That is all you have to say? For twenty years, I've wondered why I felt such a connection to Ethan. Why I loved him like he was my own. I thought it was because of my love for you, but now I know it's because he's my flesh and blood. Why, Nicole? Why did you keep this from me?"

Tears welled up in Nicole's eyes as she struggled to find the words. "I didn't want to... but the situation left me no choice. Do you know how much I wanted to tell you? It was killing me that you could not be a father to our child. I didn't want to break everything apart."

Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean by that?"

"I knew your family would never accept Ethan, never accept us. They did everything they could to tear us apart, even going so far as to make you marry someone else. They manipulated everything. I didn't want Ethan to go through what I did."

"Do my parents know about this?"

"Do you think Ethan would still be alive if they knew?"

Alex's face hardened. "So you kept him from me to protect him from my family?"

Nicole nodded, tears falling freely now. "I never wanted to lie to you. But I couldn't risk losing him, and losing you... again."

Alex stepped back, his voice strained with emotion. "But why, Nicole? Why couldn't you trust me enough to tell me? I would have found a way to support you, to protect both of you."

Nicole's voice cracked. "I didn't know how. I was scared. You would have left your family, and I didn't want that. I couldn't bear the thought of ruining Shaun's life, or your relationship with your parents."

Tears fell from Alex's eyes as he turned away, his heart breaking. "And what about me, Nicole? What about Ethan and me? Don't we deserve to be happy, too?"

Nicole lowered her gaze, guilt weighing heavily on her shoulders. "Not everyone gets to be happy, Alex. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made."

"And you chose to sacrifice the people you love the most," he said softly, his voice full of pain. 

"I did not want to be selfish!'

"Just because I love you does not mean I will abandon my responsibilities as a father. I was always going to be there for Shaun no matter what and that does not stop me from being a father to Ethan".

"It' so easy for you to judge me. You had no idea how terrible I felt doing this for the last twenty years".

"Do you want to know how I feel? I feel guilty Nicole. Not only did I have to watch you be happy with Ryan, I also had to watch him raise my own son. Do you know how much guilt I feel right now? I owe him more than my life. He gave up his entire life just to be there for you and Ethan. How do you expect me to live with myself after knowing everything he did for you?"

Nicole's voice broke. "I'm so sorry, Alex."

"Sorry is not going to fix this mess you made. How are you going to tell Ethan that Ryan is not his father?"

Before Nicole could respond, Ethan, who had regained consciousness, stirred in the bed. His eyes flickered open, confusion crossing his face. "What's going on? What do you mean by Ryan's not my father?" he muttered weakly, his gaze landing on his parents.

"Ethan when did you wake up? How are you feeling now?" Nicole asked trying to change the conversation.

"Answer me, Mom. Is Ryan my father?" Ethan asked, his voice sharp with emotion.

Nicole hesitated. "No... he's not your father."

Ethan's eyes locked with hers, burning with anger. "Then who is?"

Nicole swallowed hard, her heart pounding. "Alex is," she said quietly.

Ethan's expression was a mix of disbelief and shock. "You're my father?"

"Darling please do not be upset with him. He just only found out today".

"Ethan I'm so sorry I wasn't there to be a father to you".

"Mom how could you do this. You made a man father someone else's child all his life".

"I'm really sorry Ethan".

"Sorry does not change what you did. You lied to me for twenty years and you were still going to keep it a secret if he did not find out the truth. How could you?"

"I was going to tell you".

"When?"

"Ethan please do not do this to me. I only lied to protect you from his family".

"That's not a good enough reason to separate a child from his father".

"Ethan I'm sorry".

Nicole reached out to him, but Ethan recoiled. "I need to be alone."

"Please, Ethan, I never meant to hurt you," Nicole pleaded.

"Just leave, Mom. Please," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I want you to know I did this because I love you and I'm really sorry". With a heavy heart, Nicole left the room, leaving Alex alone with Ethan. Ethan's voice was soft, but his words carried a weight that Alex couldn't ignore.

"I feel betrayed," Ethan said quietly.

"Ethan your mother had your best interests at heart", Alex said.

"What about yours? She separated us".

"She did not separate us, Ethan. I was there your whole life".

"But I didn't know you were my father back then".

"The fact that I was there is all that matters. I know it is going to be hard to forgive your mother right now, but I want you to know I am also at fault. I should have done better at dealing with my parents. If I had done that maybe, we would not be having this conversion now".

"She lied to us because of your parents?"

"Your grandparents were against our relationship, so they made me marry Shaun's mother. Your mother suffered a lot because of them and that led her to make that decision. She regrets it a lot of Ethan so I guess we should try our best to forgive her".

"You're okay with the fact that she lied?"

"I love your mother Ethan and love makes us do a lot of crazy things. I am just glad that I found out I have a son with her. I am happy Ethan".

"I feel the same way father".

Alex sat beside him, his heart breaking. "I know you do. And I'm sorry. But I want you to know, I've always been there for you, even if you didn't know it. You're my son, Ethan. And I love you."

Ethan turned toward him, his eyes filled with emotion. "I love you too, Dad."

Alex smiled through his tears. "I'm proud of you, son."

"I'll be okay," Ethan said, his voice steadying.

"I'll be right here when you're ready to talk," Alex promised.

As he left the room to find Nicole, he knew things wouldn't be the same. But for the first time in years, he felt like he was finally where he belonged. 

I am sorry Mia. Both your mother and grandfather sacrificed their lives for me even though they knew we were not related. They loved me like a sister and father would. How can I ever make it up to you and them? Ethan thought as he stares at the door.

At the Hospital's VIP Wing

In Mae's private room, the air was heavy with unspoken tension. Michael, Liam, and Caleb stood, their expressions grim. Emily and Kate sat silently, their gazes fixed on Mae's unconscious form. They were all waiting for her to regain consciousness.

"How do you think she's going to take the news?" Michael asked quietly, breaking the silence. "About losing the baby?"

Caleb shook his head, glancing toward the door. "Let her wake up first. We'll handle the rest when she's ready."

Kate's voice cracked as she spoke. "I don't understand why she has to go through all this. Why so much suffering?"

Mae lay unconscious, a fragile figure in the sterile hospital bed. Slowly, her right hand twitched. Her eyelids fluttered, and she blinked open her eyes, squinting against the harsh hospital lights. Figures crowded around her.

"Ethan?" Her voice was weak, desperate.

Her family rushed to her side.

"Mae, are you okay?" Kate asked, her face a mask of concern.

"Mom, why are you here?" Mae's eyes darted around the room, searching. "Where's Ethan?"

Michael exchanged a look with Caleb. "Ethan... he had an accident. He's unconscious too, Mae."

"Michael!" Kate's voice trembled.

"I'm not going to lie to her, Kate." Michael's voice was firm, yet full of sorrow.

Mae tried to sit up, but her body was too weak. "I need to go to him. Where is he?"

"You're not going anywhere, Mae." Caleb's voice was steady, his hand gently pushing her back onto the pillow.

"You were in an accident too," Kate added, her tone soft but urgent. "You need to rest."

Mae's brow furrowed, her gaze darting across the room. "I was... in an accident?" Her mind raced, fragments of a crash flashing in her mind's eye—metal grinding against metal, the screech of tires. She looked down at her belly, eyes widening when she realized the familiar curve of her pregnancy was gone.

"Where are my babies?" Her voice was sharp with panic.

"Mae, please, calm down," Kate urged, trying to soothe her. "The doctors... they had to make a decision. To save you."

"Where. Are. My. Babies?" Mae's voice cracked with grief.

"They... they didn't make it," Kate whispered, her voice breaking.

Mae stared at her, her breath catching in her throat. "What happened to them?" Her hands shook, clutching at the sheets.

"They got rid of them, Mae. To save you. It was the only way", Emily replied.

"Mother!" Michael called out.

"I can't lie to her about her baby", Kate retorted.

"Emily, not another word!" Caleb warned, desperate to shield Mae from the truth just a bit longer.

"You got rid of my babies just to save me?" Mae's voice broke, betrayal carving deep lines into her features.

"We had to do it to save you," Caleb said quietly, but the words felt hollow in the room's oppressive silence.

"You killed two innocent babies to save me. Do you even have a conscience?" Tears streamed down Mae's face.

"It was Ethan's decision," Emily replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Ethan would never do that to me," Mae shot back defiantly.

"The doctors said Ethan was the only one who could make that decision. We tried to talk him out of it, but he didn't listen," Emily said, her eyes filled with regret.

"Michael, is she telling the truth?" Mae asked, her voice small and trembling.

"Mae, I don't know what happened, but I'm sure Ethan would never do anything to hurt you," he reassured her, but his own doubts gnawed at him.

"Ethan left you here to go get married to your best friend!" Caleb blurted out.

"Ethan and Bella got married?" Mae asked, dread pooling in her stomach.

"No, Mae. They didn't," Michael interjected, a weak attempt to shield her from the worst.

"Everyone out," Mae demanded suddenly, her eyes blazing with hurt.

"Mae, you…" Kate started to protest.

"I said everyone out!" Mae screamed, and her family's silence was punctuated only by the sound of their retreat. The door shut with a heavy thud behind them.

Alone, the room swallowed her cries as tears poured down her cheeks.

The door creaked open, and Mark slipped inside, his expression a mixture of concern and determination. "Didn't you hear me say everyone should get out?" she snapped.

"It's me, Mae," he said quietly, stepping forward.

"Mark?" She blinked through tears, her heart racing.

"I heard you got into an accident. Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"They killed my babies, Mark. He killed our kids," she choked out, collapsing against him as he opened his arms, pulling her close.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

"Ethan got rid of them to save me. I can't believe he could do something like that! He knew how much they meant to me. How am I going to live with myself knowing my first child died so I could live?" She trembled as the truth squeezed her heart, the weight of it too much to bear.

"He did it to save you," Mark murmured, trying to comfort her.

"No, he did it to be rid of me! He did it so he could marry Bella. He left me here to go marry her!"

"How could he do that?" Mark's disbelief mirrored her anguish.

"I can't believe I married someone like him."

"It's going to be alright, Mae," he soothed, wrapping her in his warmth.

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