Chapter 24: Update on Her Condition
Ever since Zachary learned Cecilia was pregnant, he'd kept abreast of her condition through the hospital staff. Nathaniel's heart inexplicably trembled.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know the full details. At the hospital today, I overheard doctors say Cecilia had died."
The news struck Nathaniel like a thunderbolt. Died? She'd been perfectly fine last night! He leaped to his feet, a wave of dizziness washing over him. "What happened?"
"The doctors said she was admitted last night and died this morning, despite their efforts."
Without a word, Nathaniel grabbed his jacket and rushed out. He drove directly to the hospital. Cecilia's parting words from the previous night echoed in his ears: "Mr. Rainsworth, if I died, would you be sad?"
He suddenly found it difficult to breathe, yanking open his shirt, but the air felt insufficient. He finally arrived at the hospital, where Zachary had been waiting.
"Where is she?" Nathaniel asked, hurrying towards him.
"A nurse said someone took her. I checked the surveillance footage; it was Calvin."
It was already one in the morning. Zachary, looking weary, handed Nathaniel the footage. "Last night, sometime after midnight, Cecilia was admitted. She died from excessive blood loss…"
A little after midnight. Nathaniel recalled leaving her shortly before that. What had happened in that time? Death from excessive blood loss? He found it unbelievable. He immediately ordered an investigation into Calvin's and Cecilia's whereabouts. This promised to be a sleepless night.
Zachary paced before him. "How could someone so vibrant die so suddenly? What game is that deaf girl playing now?"
Nathaniel had no patience for speculation. He instructed Zachary to investigate the hospital's records and left. Afterward, Cecilia's recent test results were compiled and given to Zachary.
Sitting down, he impatiently flipped through the documents. He'd previously known only that Cecilia had attempted suicide by overdosing and was hospitalized, where her pregnancy was discovered. Now, he saw records from other hospitals: progressive hearing impairment leading to deafness, frequent ear bleeding, severe depression, memory decline, infertility… Her cause of death was listed as long-term depression, an overdose of sleeping pills leading to mental disarray, and self-inflicted wrist slashing, resulting in fatal blood loss.
The more Zachary read, the more disturbing it became. The hospital director, standing beside him, sighed. "Such a wonderful girl. So young. To endure so much suffering… She saved your life four years ago, Mr. Zachary. You must help her now."
"What did you say?" Zachary looked up, startled. "It wasn't her. It was someone else."
"Someone else?" The director was confused. "I remember clearly. It was this young lady who saved you. She suffered a deep cut on her arm from broken glass while helping. Look at these photos."
The director vividly recalled the young woman, covered in blood, four years prior. He hadn't been director then. He hadn't known he'd saved the eldest Sinclair son. This debt had propelled him to his current position. Though years had passed, he still remembered her appearance—the long scar on her arm, etched in his memory. He couldn't imagine a young girl bearing such a wound without shedding a tear, her only concern being the other person's safety.
Hearing the director mention the scar, Zachary examined the photos closely. Cecilia's delicate arm did indeed bear a long, faded scar. His heart clenched.