Secrets Hidden Within: The Unexpected Betrayal

Chapter 24: Chris's Decline

Back at the hospital, the air was tense, filled with a nervous buzz. Chris was barely holding on. His condition had worsened since the surgery, and now the doctors said it was only a matter of time.
Bridget stood outside the ICU room, her arms folded tightly across her chest, trying to steel herself against the rising tide of emotions.

Her father had always been larger than life—untouchable, invincible. But now, watching him through the glass, hooked up to machines, he seemed small, almost frail.She also learned new cruel things about her father from Luke but did not want to believe them as to her they all seemed made up.He is practically her real life superheroe, despite a few flaws here and there from him. Roxanne sat next to her, silent, her face blank as if she couldn’t process what was happening.

Bridget stepped into the room, her heels clicking softly on the tiled floor. Chris’s eyes were half-open, glassy, but there was recognition in them as she approached. He blinked slowly, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to say something.
“Dad,” Bridget whispered, her voice shaky. She knew she was mad at him for all his wrong doings she recently just found out about but at the same time she felt helpless. This was her father afterall, the same man she grew up idolizing, wishing to follow in his steps one day and make him proud. He was lying there, scariest man did not look so scary anymore. He looked miserable…….

Chris’s gaze shifted to her, his eyes clouded with pain. “Bridget…” His voice was a raspy whisper, barely audible over the steady beeps of the machines. “I—I didn’t want it to be like this.”
Bridget’s throat tightened. “Then why did you do it, Dad? Why did you ruin everything? Luke… Tyler… You tore this family apart.”
Chris let out a ragged breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly. His hand trembled as he reached for hers. "I... loved Tyler more. Always did. He was everything I could’ve asked for in a son—strong, smart, dependable."
The words cut through Bridget like a knife. She stared at him, stunned, her heart pounding. She had known, deep down, that their father favored Tyler. But to hear it like this, with so little time left, was almost unbearable.
"And Luke," Chris continued, his voice breaking. "He… He was a reminder of my failure. Every time I looked at him, I saw my own weakness. I couldn’t protect this family the way I should’ve.Pathetic excuse of a son really. I could not change him in time to be what I envisioned for him."

Bridget’s eyes filled with tears, anger rising in her chest. "Luke didn’t deserve that. None of us did." She pulled her hand away from his, stepping back. "You destroyed him, Dad. You destroyed us all. We are all your children are we not? You could have molded us, groomed us into the kids YOU wanted, taught us everything we needed to know necessary for the expansion of our family wealth but you let your selfidh desires cloud all your judgements. Look at you now sick in a hospital bed. This is all your fault and deep down I hope this ….."Bridget then pauses and takes a deep breath “ I hope you are proud. I  spent all my life trying to be the daughter you could be proud of only to find out my efforts mean nothing to you. I can’t even….” She storms out the room, Roxanne following closely behind her trying to soothe her now crying daughter, but stopped just as she was about to exit the door remembering the doctor saying they cannot  leave him alone in case something happens as his condition was a critical one.

Chris’s face twisted in pain, not just from his physical condition, but from the weight of his own choices. He closed his eyes, his breath shallow. “I thought… I could fix it. But I was wrong.”
Roxy stood there, staring at the man who had once been the center of their lives, the love of her life, ‘Father’ to her kids. Now, he was just a broken shadow of that figure. And no amount of regret could undo the damage he had caused.

Back at the property/clinic, Luke and Zack worked quickly, their hearts racing. Tyler’s pale figure lay motionless on the bed, his chest rising and falling slowly, but it was clear he was alive. Barely.
"We have to get him out of here," Luke said, his voice tight with urgency. "Before anyone notices."
Zack nodded, glancing nervously at the door. "It’s only a matter of time before the guards realize something’s wrong. We need to move fast."

They began detaching the wires and tubes from Tyler’s body, careful not to set off any alarms. Luke’s hands shook as he touched his brother, the reality of the moment hitting him hard. After all these years, Tyler was right here—within reach. But he wasn’t awake. He wasn’t the brother Luke remembered.
Melanie watched from the doorway, her eyes filled with concern. "Can we really move him in this condition?" she asked quietly. "What if it makes things worse?"

"We don’t have a choice," Luke replied, his voice strained. "We can’t leave him here. Not anymore."
Just as they began to lift Tyler from the bed, they heard footsteps approaching. Zack cursed under his breath. "They’re coming. We need to go, now."
With a sense of panic rising in their chests, they wheeled Tyler’s bed toward the exit, moving as quietly as they could. But as they reached the main hallway, the doors swung open, and two of Chris’s guards stepped in, blocking their path.
"Where do you think you’re going with him?" one of the guards growled, his hand moving to the gun holstered at his side.

Luke froze, his heart pounding in his chest. For a moment, everything seemed to hang in the balance. The guards were trained, loyal to Chris, and they weren’t going to let Tyler go without a fight.
But just as Luke was about to speak, Zack stepped forward, his hands raised. "We don’t want any trouble," Zack said calmly. "We just want to take Tyler out of here. You don’t need to stop us."
The guards exchanged a glance, clearly uncertain. Then, one of them spoke. "Mr. Ross wouldn’t allow this. He gave strict orders—"
"Mr. Ross is dying," Luke interrupted, his voice sharp. "He’s in a hospital right now, barely hanging on. So ask yourself—are you really going to stand here and follow his orders when he’s about to lose everything?"
The guards hesitated, their faces betraying the conflict within them. Luke could see the doubt in their eyes, the cracks in their loyalty. And in that moment, he knew they had a chance.
"You don’t owe him anything anymore," Luke pressed. "Let us go. Let Tyler go."

For a long, tense moment, the guards stood silent. And then, finally, they stepped aside.
Luke didn’t wait. He, Zack, and Melanie rushed Tyler out of the clinic, hearts pounding with adrenaline. They loaded him into Zack’s car, every second feeling like a lifetime.
As they sped away from the clinic, Luke’s mind was already on the next challenge. He needed to see Chris, one last time.Back to the hospital they went.