Page 82 of The Next Door Billionaire's Deception

It's Celine, Melissa's friend. She’s in tears as I open the door.

“Celine, right? What happened? Come in.”

Celine stays rooted on the spot, crying. Anna goes up to her and gives her a consoling hug and rubs on the back.

When she speaks, her voice breaks. “Richard … it’s Melissa. She was coming back fr…from her office, and I was on a call with her, then all … all of a sudden she … the car … I don’t know what’s happened to her!”

Oh no.“Do you know where she was?”

“N … no. Only that she … she was near the neighborhood.”

“Wait for me.”

I dash inside to get my keys. Once I find them, I run to my car in the garage, start the car, then drive out and into the street.

“Both of you, get in.”

Driving as fast as the speed limits permit, I inhale many deep breaths to calm myself. I’m near an intersection when the faint shrill of a siren echoes around the street, growing louder as an ambulance gets closer. Thinking fast, I stop the car, waiting for the ambulance to go past before following. Sure enough, the ambulance leads me to the scene of an accident.

My heart races as a wrecked and upturned Chrysler comes into view. Melissa’s car. Beside the car, a milk truck lies by the side, the front of the truck disfigured.

I shake my head in denial. This can't be. I take several deep breaths to clear my foggy head. Darting my gaze around, I notice some police officers in the area, creating a cordon around the scene. A crowd gathers, with many people taking pictures and videos. I rush to a nearby middle-aged policeman.

“Officer, please, where’s the woman in the Chrysler car?”

The policeman regarded me with keen, brown eyes. “Do you have any sort of relation to the victim?”

“I’m her … um, partner. Can you tell me where she is?”

He nods in my direction, but then I realize he’s nodding at something happening behind me. I turn back, and sure enough, there’s Melissa, being wheeled away by paramedics to the awaiting ambulance.

“Melissa? Melissa!”

One of the paramedics looks my way and stops me before I can approach her.

“She’s in critical condition, sir. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to be patient.”

“Can I follow you to the hospital? I want her given the best of care.”

“You’re free to follow the ambulance, but any discussion about the quality of treatment should be done with the doctors that’ll be operating on her and treating her afterward, sir. Also, we’ll need a family member of hers on standby, in case she needs a transfusion.”

I rush back to the car. Celine, who was talking to the paramedics moments earlier, gets back in after me. Without wasting time, I start the car.

“Did they tell you anything?”

“Not much. I don't like this.” Her voice is trembling.

My heart rate increases. What’s going to happen to Melissa?

The ambulance begins its journey, with my car following close behind. It’s not long before we’re at the nearest hospital, and Melissa is rushed in.

Leaving the parking of the car for Anna, Celine and I rush in. I gasp, trembling, as Melissa is carried in. Behind me, Celine bursts into tears. Melissa's clothes are stained with blood, and there’s a bandage on her forehead stained crimson.

The paramedics call for the attention of doctors on duty and nurses take over, taking her in.

I hold her hand, running with the nurses as she’s wheeled in. It’s cold.

“Melissa! Don’t die on me, okay? I’m sorry for everything, but please, come back to me! I don’t care if you hate me forever or if I can’t have you in my arms. Please, live! I can’t bear to lose you! I love you, Melissa!”

---