“Ethan, I have not done anything—”
"Of course you did! You always do!” He ran his hand through his hair and looked around. “You didn’t even have the decency to call me and let me know you were here. I ran to Royal London like a madman and you didn’t even think about calling me? No, of course not, because why would you inform the only person in this room that truly cares about her, huh?”
“You think that I don’t ca—”
“Mr. St-John?”
Both Ethan and I turned, saying ‘yes’ simultaneously. In any other circumstances, I would have mocked him for acknowledging the St-John’s name when he was always so quick to dismiss it.
The doctor standing in front of us looked much too young to have the level of expertise I expected from someone taking care of Ava. I frowned with annoyance.
“How is she?” Ethan asked before I got a chance to question his credentials.
The doctor looked from me to Ethan, and I nodded for him to continue.
“Ms. Byrnes suffered from placenta praevia, more commonly known as a breach of the placenta. We have performed emergency surgery, and we will know in the next few hours if the repair we attempted worked and if your son w—”
“A son?” I asked as the prophetic image of the little boy I dreamed of resurfaced in my mind.
“Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t know.”
“Truth be told, he doesn’t really care.”
I looked at Ethan, surprised by the bitterness in his tone. He truly hated me.
“I—” the doctor started before shaking his head. “We will know more in the next few hours.”
My phone beeped and I looked down at the message announcing that the plane was about to land and also that Dr. Klessner would need clearance to practice medicine in this hospital.
At least now we’d have a doctor who knew what he was talking about. I nodded. “Very well, I’ll be back soon.”
I turned around and had only taken a couple of steps down the corridor when Ethan spoke just loud enough for me to hear.
“Sure, you go do your work while the woman you got pregnant loses the baby you didn’t want. King and Business always come first, don't they?” He snorted.
My pace faltered and I was seconds away from turning around and flattening him against the wall with a punch, but I took a deep breath and kept on walking. Now was not the time to settle accounts.
Convincing the hospital administration to let Dr. Klessner work on Ava was easier than I thought it would be, especially once I dropped a check big enough to refurbish a complete floor.
I met the doctor, and despite his irritation at being forced to travel at such short notice, once again, the astronomical amount of money I promised his institute was enough to make him bend over backward for me.
People who said money didn’t buy everything clearly didn’t have enough of it and Ava was worth my whole fortune.
Dr. Klessner quickly took over the case and followed the visibly annoyed doctor to review their notes while I was supposed to just wait on news from Ava.
I was surprised when I found the waiting room empty. I knew Ethan better than that and there was no way he would have left.
I went to the nurses’ station only to be informed that my brother was currently in room 317 with his fiancée.
Well played, little brother.In the end, and as infuriating as it might be, for the world, she was Ethan’s.
I opened the door a crack and looked at my brother holding Ava’s hand, resting it against his cheek.
"Come on, Ava, you're the strongest, bravest person I know," Ethan spoke softly. "You owe it to your child to live. Do it for him. Do it for me and for your parents."
He leaned forward, still holding on to her hand and kissed her forehead.
"Don't do this to Hugo, either,” he said, and my heart stalled in my chest. “Maybe you’re incompatible, but losing you, Ava…" He paused, the full impact of the words he was about to say registering with both of us. "Losing you would kill him. Maybe not physically, but whatever human element Hugo still has, the small compassionate part of him you managed to resuscitate would die forever. Just—” Ethan took a deep shaky breath. "Stay, please," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.