Chapter 3

The Aristocrat Health Institute was one of the best private hospitals in the world.

Not only was it the most prestigious, but not everyone could afford to pay its exorbitant fees. Despite this, many people high on the social ladder, including powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business tycoons, sought medical treatment here. The highly trained and experienced doctors and nurses working there were always ready to go the extra mile for their patients.

The Aristocrat Health Institute was also owned by the Matthews and Sons Group.

But ten years ago, Elena Matthews had left everything behind so she could prove her worth to her father.

If her father’s words were to be believed, Elena was never going to get anything in the business anyway. Her brother was everything her father wanted: smart, obedient, and business-minded like their father. However, the one thing that set the father and son apart was the faith her brother had in Elena.

Her brother, Josh Matthews, always had her back, no matter what. Though her father had shunned her from the family, Josh always made sure to come and see her once a month. He was a good brother, a wonderful husband from what she could tell from his lovely wife, and an amazing father to six-year-old Caleb.

Perhaps that was the reason she couldn’t shake off the dread that was slowly making it impossible for her to breathe. Mr. Jones had been mum about the whole ordeal, and it scared her to even think about what she was about to find out once she made it to the hospital.

Elena wasn’t unfamiliar with the deteriorating health of her father. He had been an imposing man all his life, but age had finally caught up to him. His long working hours had finally taken their toll on him. He even had a stroke not a while back and his second heart attack soon after.

Elena had tried to visit, but stubborn as ever, her father had refused to see her. That hurt, but deep down, she couldn’t blame him entirely for the contempt he held for her. She hated him just the same for all the unbearable pressure he had placed upon her, hoping to beat some sense into her.

For so many years, all he wanted from her was to be a dutiful daughter and marry according to their family tradition, while she fought for the same things any girl wanted in their lives; their freedom and ambition.

Well, it was safe to say, they never saw each other eye to eye. Eventually, she decided it was better to leave and prove herself than stay in his shadows and live her life on his terms.

Elena parked the car in a hurry and scurried through the automatic doors of the building. She approached the woman behind the reception, but before she could introduce herself, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

She turned to find Mr Jones standing with a taut expression on his old face. “This way.”

Elena swallowed thickly and nodded. She followed the butler towards the bank of elevators. Her hands trembled, but she clasped them tightly to stop the tremors. She tried her best to keep her composure as the numbers lit up.

The doors chimed open, and Elena took a shaky breath before stepping into the elevator.

“What’s going on? You can tell me now,” she tried to ask, done with being in the dark. She wanted to know what was happening, why he had called her out of nowhere and who was admitted to the hospital.

“You’ll know soon enough, Madam.”

When the elevator doors finally slid open, Mr. Jones led the way towards a private suite at the end of the corridor.

Her mind raced with so many possibilities, and the knot in her stomach tightened.

When they reached outside the suite, Elena noticed a dozen of men on guard outside.

The first thing that came to her mind was her father, and she immediately rushed inside the room.

But when she found took her breath away. It wasn’t her father on the bed. It was Josh, her brother.

Elena’s eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. She ran to the bed and cupped his cheeks. He was covered in cuts and bruises and had a bandage wrapped around his head. There were complicated machines all around him, beeping and whirring softly.

She stared at his pale, battered face in disbelief, shaking her head.

“Josh,” she called, hoping to get some kind of reaction from him, but nothing happened.

She looked over at Mr. Jones, who was standing on the other side of the bed.

“What happened?”

“An accident. He’s still unconscious.”

Elena glanced at her brother again, unable to believe that this was real. Her heart was racing, her thoughts running wild.

She was so overwhelmed, tears began to stream down her face.

“Is my dad…?”

“In critical condition,” Mr. Jones informed her. “But that’s not even the worst.”

Elena looked at the butler in question.

“What are you talking about?”

Mr. Jones sighed, his shoulders slumping forward. “It’s your sister-in-law.”

“What about her? She was with him?”

“She…She is dead, madam.”

Elena was struck speechless for a moment. It felt as if the entire world had fallen away from under her feet. She stared at the older man, trying to make sense of what she was hearing.

“How…”

“A car accident,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I’m afraid, Madam, it was a hit and run.”

Elena didn’t know what to say. She felt numb. This was so surreal, so unbelievable.

The thought of losing her sister-in-law was almost too much for her to bear.

She sat on the bed next to her unconscious brother and held his hand, tears still flowing freely. But then another terrible thought came to her mind and her blood ran cold.

“Where’s Caleb?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mr. Jones shook his head. “He’s under observation. He was with the parents when the accident occurred.”

“Oh god,” she breathed out. She didn’t even want to imagine what that little boy was going through right now.

Just thinking about it brought fresh tears to her eyes.

“Madam, there is something else,” Mr. Jones said, his voice wavering slightly.

Elena looked at him and waited.

“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to come right out and say it.”

She braced herself. Whatever it was, she knew she wasn’t going to like it.

“According to the doctors, your brother is in a coma.”

“Oh, no.” Elena’s chest tightened painfully.

“The doctors say there’s a chance he might wake up, but they’re not sure. They also say he might not survive the night. So, Madam, it’s up to you.”

“Up to me?” she echoed, confused.

“Yes. According to your brother’s will, you’re listed as the legal guardian of Caleb.”

Elena felt heartbroken, but hearing him frustrated her just the same. “Why are you talking about this right now? The will doesn’t matter. Josh will be fine. He will wake up.”

“I’m sorry, madam. But according to the doctors, we should be ready for the worst. If that happens, then you need to decide what to do. And you have to do it now.”

“No.” She shook her head. “You’re wrong. He will wake up. He will.”

The words came out in a rush. She couldn’t bring herself to think otherwise. She wouldn’t.

“It’s okay, Madam,” Mr. Jones said, giving her a sympathetic look. “Perhaps you should take a minute to think about it. I’ll leave you two alone.”

Mr. Jones stepped out of the room, and Elena was left alone with her thoughts.

She wiped away her tears and looked down at her unconscious brother.

She didn’t want to think about what would happen if he didn’t make it. But she knew she had to be prepared.

“Josh,” she whispered, taking his hand. “Don’t do this to me, please. Wake up. I can’t do this without you. Please.”

He didn’t stir.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she squeezed his hand, hoping for some kind of response. But nothing happened.

A soft sob escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, her heart aching.

“I can’t lose you too,” she choked out, wondering why this was happening to her. “Please. You can’t die. Caleb needs you. I need you. We can’t do this without you, Josh.”

She buried her face in her hands and cried.

“Josh, please,” she begged. “Please don’t die.”