The Billionaire's Secrets

Chapter 28 Finding out

Michael's pov

I had been walking to my car when I realised I had forgotten my jacket in Storm's room. "You guys carry on. I forgot my jacket in Storm's room. I'll see you guys tomorrow then" I say to the others. I give Bells a quick peck on the cheek and head back to the hospital room. When I get to the room, as I'm about to open the door, I hear shouting so I stop. It sounds like Demetri's voice. Then I heard him ask Storm when she was going to tell us she was dying. Storm? Dying? Storm was dying? Oh no! This couldn't be happening. She's been through so much lately and now this? No no no no no! I couldn't stop the tears that spilled. On impulse I open the door and run to her.

She was trying to comfort me yet I should've been the one to be comforting her. How can she just be dying? She was a unique diamond that no mine would ever find no matter how deep or far they dug. Every bit of her was phenomenal. To others she was a ruthless business woman, that was cold-hearted and an ice queen but she was actually quite the opposite. Okay well when it came to business she was renowned for being ruthless but she was the best. She was kind-hearted, good-spirited and amazing. She poured her heart and soul into everything she did. Always putting others before her. She didn't deserve this. I knew she loved Christian Gabriel but she was scared and that closed her off from him.

I wanted to shout and scream at the world-at God- for doing this but I knew I had to reign in my emotions. I needed to be strong for her. I held onto her tightly, feeling lumps all over her and I was even more scared. The thought of losing her...I just held on and slept by her side. Knowing that it was going to kill me watching her die slowly in front of me. But I would do anything for her and I would search the world over for anything that would help her. I wouldn't let her give up without a fight. She's a survivor and she will fight through this. I just have to make sure she hasn't given up yet. And I was going to stay by her side no matter what. I had been planning to propose to Bell but with everything that's happened with Storm, I don't think I should do it anytime soon. Storm was more important. She should be the best woman for me at the wedding. I wanted her to be there to share my special day and she was going to fight for her life. With all she had. We were going to fight tooth and nail for her life.

The next morning, the clique came around and I saw Christian Gabriel with his fiancée, Tanzan. Yeah fiancée alright. She hung onto him like a pest. She always followed him. Everything about her was fake. Even the floozy's laugh. I couldn't stand her and I didn't want Storm to be exposed to this. She was hurting. I knew it. And she's going through enough as it is; she doesn't need this to add on to her stress. I look at Demetri and Enrique and we all look at Storm as Christian and his floozy walk further into the room towards Storm silently asking with our eyes if we should get rid of them and as I am about to head to him, she gives us this look and nods that it's okay.

Excusing myself I go home to get freshened up and tell my parents and brothers. They would hate me for not telling them this. Storm was like the daughter and sister they never had. They always wanted her over and even asked her to come stay with us but Storm being the independent person she is, politely refused. Although that never stopped them from making her stay for a few days or taking her out to functions or making simple excuses to have dinner with us and my mother who made use of every opportunity to spoil her. Even my brothers loved Storm. They annoyed her as much as she did them. Evan and Dylan had crushes on her. When they went to functions or red carpet events, the boys would take either arm of hers and accompany her everywhere. And if they saw guys eyeing her, they would give them such evil looks, and the guy would look away embarrassed and scared.

She is a ray of sunshine and the life of a party. Always making everybody laugh and smile. When the boys have girl troubles and complain to her and she would tease them and laugh at them. Sometimes she would pretend to be their girlfriend to get girls off their backs if their one night stands became too attached. When there were girls that hounded them and they didn't want them, they'd grab Storm and say that they were married to her. Or the food fights they would have when she tried to teach them how to cook for their dates or when she was baking for us. She would pretend to cry if one of us stole spoonfuls of cake batter and we would run from her knowing she would hit us but then when we got to her as she cried she would take her revenge on us for stealing the batter. And mama would join her too. She could get along with anyone and everyone. Our familia thought that one day she would be married into our family but I knew her heart was elsewhere. The girls my brothers and I brought home would always complain and get jealous because of her.

Telling my parents and the boys would be hard. They would want to watch her 24/7 like a hawk but I needed to. They would give me the support I needed to take care of Storm and not break down. They would also want to take care of her, support her and be with her in this time. Especially when we don't know how much time she has left.

I reached my parents mansion and see that my brothers' cars are in the driveway. I walk in to be greeted by my mom. "Michael son, have you forgotten about your family?" she says while kissing me on the cheeks and giving me a hug. And she pushes me to the side suddenly " And where is Storm?" "Oh mama, there is something I need to tell you and papa as well as Evan and Dylan" I say. "Michael what is it?" "Let's talk in the living room. Call papa and the boys." I go to the kitchen and grab a glass of water and head into the living room where everyone has gathered already. "Son!" papa says in his gruff yet charming voice and comes to hug me. My brothers come and hug me also. "Where's my daughter Storm? And what is so important for you to call this family meeting?" my father says scanning the room undoubtedly for Storm.

"Mama, papa, Evan, Dylan, there is no easy way to say this so I'm just going to say it" I say nervously, fidgeting with my clothes and looking anywhere but at them. "Don't tell us you've made someone pregnant or have you?" says my mother accusingly. "No mama of course not. This is about Storm. Storm is dying. Silence. She has a hole in her heart that's growing and doesn't have much time left unless she gets a transplant" I say with tears rolling down my cheeks. The room is gone silent. The silence is broken by the sound of the glass shattering on the floor as Dylan threw the vase and Evan is gone silent. Papa holds mama as she falls to the floor crying, with tears streaming down his face.

I clear my throat and continue "familia you can't tell anyone. No one from the clique must know. That is Storm's wish. She doesn't want anyone to know so please respect that and refrain from talking about it around anyone else." "Let us go to her now son" says my mother. "We should order a few bouquets of black and blue roses for her" says Evan quietly. I dial Demetri's number and ask him if they've reached home. After telling him we were on our way, I tell the others and they get ready to leave. On our way to Storm's house, we stop to pick up the bouquets of black and blue roses. When we get there, Enrique opens the door and greets us. They all rush to her room while I stay with Enrique and ask about how she's doing. I go to her room and see her making jokes with our family and trying to console everyone.

"Don't think you will be free of me when I die" and she laughs "because I'll be dancing and hitting you boys and your girlfriends or better yet I'll come in my ghost form and scare them away" and every one's laughing. I signal Demetri to come out and follow me. Demetri, Enrique and I begin to discuss our watch schedules and how best we're going to take care of her. Two of us would always be there with her whilst the other one could go and sort out any business he needed to. Demetri was moving in and I would stay every alternate night. The clique couldn't know about this because they would get suspicious. We would make up some excuse to the rest of the clique because they couldn't find out.