Venom's Alliance: Loyalty's Fracture

Chapter 26

Jay's POV

"Go with your parents, I can watch Kalia," Jake suggested, nudging me to join my parents for their 30th wedding anniversary celebration. It was a big deal, thirty years of love and commitment worth celebrating. But I hesitated, torn between duty and hope.

Just three days ago, I saw it. A flicker of movement from Kalia's hand, a quick glimpse of her eyes opening. Deep down, I felt she was coming back to me, despite what the doctors said. Call it intuition or wishful thinking, but our connection went beyond medical explanations. She heard me, felt my presence, and seemed to want to come back to me.

I couldn't explain this to anyone; they would think I had lost my mind. Maybe I had, or maybe I had imagined it. But I'd rather be called crazy than lose hope.

"No. I'll go next year," I replied, my gaze fixed on the laptop screen, where Kalia's radiant smile in her wedding dress still adorned my desktop background.

"What makes you think you'll have a next year?" Jake's voice turned serious, cutting through the air. "Life can change in an instant, Jay. Kalia is in safe hands with me. You know it, and I know it. Go be with your parents," he urged, his expression firm.

Kalia was safe with Jake, just like my parents were. But his reminder that life was unpredictable hit me hard. It only took a moment for everything to change, for our world to turn upside down. The thought of losing what mattered most to me weighed heavily on my heart, and I had to shake my head to ease some of the tension gripping me.

In the end, I decided to join them. We ended up at a nice restaurant my parents had booked. The dim lights, classical music, and the smell of freshly cooked food created a warm and inviting atmosphere, especially on this chilly evening.

We talked and caught up on the years I'd missed. My mom, as always, had new questions about Kalia and me. Eventually, I had to share with her the story of Kalia's failed marriage with Easton. She had done some digging and managed to find pictures of Kalia and Easton, some of which I had already removed from the internet. I made a mental note to double-check and make sure again that they were all taken down. My dad kept asking me to take over the hospital, but I kept lying, saying I was too busy with my own firm.

We wrapped up the night, my parents leaving first and me heading straight to the hospital, feeling a sense of urgency. When I got there, my heart sank seeing nurses rushing in and out of Kalia's room. Panic hit me hard, and I almost started running.

Fear tightened my chest, making it hard to breathe. I had no clue what was going on, but I knew one thing for sure: I should have been there with her, and I wasn't. Guilt and helplessness gnawed at me as I pushed through the busy staff, my eyes glued to her door.

I couldn't see Kalia through the crowd of medical staff in her room. My heart pounded as I strained to catch a glimpse of her, my mind racing with the worst thoughts. Just then, someone grabbed me and pulled me back, the noise getting louder and more chaotic. I struggled against the strong arms holding me, fueled by desperation.

"Let me go!" I yelled, my voice cracking with fear. My eyes were locked on her bed, a desperate need to see her, to know she was okay, burning inside me.

"Calm down, she's okay," a familiar voice called out, trying to reassure me. But it didn't help the storm raging inside me.

Every part of me screamed to be by her side. I could hear the beeping machines and the urgent murmurs of the nurses, all blending into a terrifying blur. The grip on me tightened as I fought harder, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

Everyone in the room turned to look at me, their faces a mix of panic and surprise. But once they realized who I was, the room went silent. Their eyes were all on me, heavy with intensity. I scanned the room until I found Kalia. She was still hooked up to the machines, their beeping filling the silence, but her eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling. She was awake.