Chapter 125 - LUCAS NICHOLAS 4
Lucas Nicholas watched the little girl lying on the hospital bed and he nearly wept when the nurse changed her in a white hospital gown, and he saw the purple bruises all over her body.
Tightly clenching his fists, his eyes wandered to her extremely thin frame. She was so malnourished that her skin was sticking to her ribs. Viince must be starving her to death. He wondered when was the last time the child had a decent meal.
Vince was the incarnation of the devil. He used the girl as a tool for his revenge. Not only that he starves her to death but he beats her as well. And the proof of his cruelty was visibly etched all over her body.
His chest felt so tight and he was having difficulty breathing while he looked at her pitiful condition. If only he could take all her pain with him, he would do it so she wouldn't have to carry the heavy burden on her shoulders.
Finally, he couldn't take the scene anymore and he weakly walked towards the door, and pulled it open.
The sight was reaping his heart into multiple pieces. If he continued watching her for a bit longer, he wouldn't be able to hold his tears anymore. Watching Vien in that condition was so heartbreaking. He couldn't believe that Ace's evil step brother managed to hide her existence all this time.
Everyone believed the child was dead. Even her parents—Phoenix and Ace thought she died in an accident that night. But seeing her alive somehow gave him hope Hope for Phoenix and Ace to have a complete family.
Lucas was a witness how the two suffered greatly when they thought they lost their daughter. Their suffering destroyed the marriage they swore to protect in front of the altar resulting in a heart-wrenching divorce.
He wondered how Ace would react once he learned that Vien was alive. He only feared how Ace would take everything after he tells him that all these years Vince kept Vien a prisoner in a cold, dark room after successfully faking her death.
Ace would undoubtedly end his step-brother's existence by aiming a gun to his head and?pulling?the trigger. He would understand that, after all, what Vince did was unforgivable. However, he was worried Ace would put the Justice in his own hands. He doesn't want his best friend to commit such an unpardonable crime.
Lucas Nicholas gently closed the door of the private room and sat on the waiting chair outside. He buried his face into his palms. He was extremely worried about the little girl. The child was in critical condition. She was still consumed with high fever after they arrived at the hospital and her fever didn't improve until now.
He didn't know how long he'd been seated on the steel chair when the door opened. The doctor emerged from inside and Lucas noticed the frown on his temples. 'Not good,' he thought despondently.
He quickly abandoned his seat and walked towards the doctor. After a quick, long strides, he reached his side.
"The patient is extremely lucky she was quickly rushed to the hospital, she made it in time, she would have died if she didn't come here right away." The doctor began, maintaining a face void of emotion.
Lucas knows it too. Viens heartbeat was weak when they reached the hospital. He even thought she was not going to make it. It was a relief to know she was fighting to stay alive.
He swallowed hard then took a deep breath.When he was able to recover his voice he asked, "Will the child be alright?"
Before he even ask he already knew the answer and yet he want to hear it from him
"As of now, I could not promise she would be fine. Her fever was still high. The best thing?we could do in a situation like this was to pray while waiting for results."
He clenched his fist into a tight ball out of frustration. He wanted to pound his fist into the wall to ease the anger he felt but he stopped himself. How he wished Vince was here so he could punch his face multiple times.
The doctor excused himself to do his rounds and left. When Lucas was alone, he sunk on the chair for support. It felt as if all the energy from his body had been drained.
***
Three days passed by so fast but Vien remained unconscious. True, her fever subsided, and the doctor assured him her condition was stable and there's nothing to worry but he couldn't seem to calm down.
He would never be alright unless the child wakes up. Lucas sat on the chair beside her bed and took her hand to his own.
Vien looked like an angel while she's sleeping.?It's hard to even imagine that someone would hurt her. But now that she's with him, no one could hurt him now. He would die first before anyone would dare hurt her.
He knew he should be calling Ace and telling him his daughter was still alive. But he couldn't summon the courage to do so. He should keep Vien a secret for now, he decided. When the child recovers, that's when he's going to tell Phoenix and Ace the truth.
But for now, he should keep everything to himself. It's for everyone's safety.
On the fourth day he visit Vien in the hospital he received a good news—she was finally awake.
He hurriedly went to her room and he found her seated on the bed, her large calculating eyes stared at him.
"Vien?" He said softly as she looked at him with a paper-blank expression. "I am Lucas, your father's best friend." He added and waited for a response but there was none. Her expression remained the same.
The child continued to stare at him?with
her eyes unblinking without saying anything.
"Vien, are you alright?" He gently touched Vien's arms but she flinched so he quickly pulled his hand.
"Can you talk?" He asked, his worry growing.
The child moved her mouth but to his surprise, no words came out of her lips.
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