Chapter 2258
Fortunately, due to immediate medical intervention, Bella's acute gastric hemorrhage was not severe.
By evening, she had been transferred to a regular ward to recuperate. Asher stayed by his sister's side without leaving her for a second. Even the workaholic Ralph took leave from his team to stay and help care for her tonight.
Axel and Roza wanted to visit upon hearing the news, but Asher stopped them.
He knew that Bella was devastated and utterly exhausted. If they showed up, she would force herself to act strong and smile through the pain.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
She was too tired, and this hospitalization gave her a chance to finally rest. It also prevented her from doing anything drastic, like harming herself in a moment of despair.
"Ralph... Can you tell me now?" Bella leaned weakly against the headboard, blinking her swollen eyes.
Ralph's eyes were red rimmed, and his voice was stifled with emotion. "Bella, you're so stubborn."
"I've always been stubborn."
Bella frowned and managed a smile, although it was pale and weak. "Otherwise... How could Justin and I end up like this? Ash, Ralph... Don't blame him, okay? He didn't do anything wrong. It's me... I'm the one who lost Justin. It's all my fault..."
Before she could finish, her tear-filled eyes overflowed.
"My dear Bella, it's not your fault either. Neither of you are at fault." Asher's large, calloused hands gently held his sister's clenched fists. His chest trembled with overwhelming bitterness, and his heart weighed heavily in his chest as it thudded painfully.
"Bella, can you promise me something? Look forward. Your life isn't just about Justin or about love. You still have Dad, your brothers and sisters, and everyone in the family. Bella, if you fall apart, what will happen to us? Our mother, watching over us from above, would never want to see you give up on life. Don't you think so?"
"Mom..." For the first time since the incident, a faint glimmer of light appeared in Bella's eyes.
Bella remembered how her mother had suffered-imprisoned in Sentania, hunted by the authorities, fleeing across the land through countless hardships.
Her mother barely escaped with her life before she met her father in Hatchbay. They fell in love, became a family, and eventually had her.
Her mother had endured unimaginable suffering, yet she survived, never once faltering.
If Bella were to fall apart now, becoming a shell of herself, how could she ever live up to being her mother's daughter?
She was Bella, not Juliet. She was not someone who would follow another into death just because they were gone.
Besides, Justin was still alive.
She had said it herself. As long as he was living well, that was more important than anything else.
"Ash... I understand what you mean. I will get better... Give me a little more time, and I'll get better," Bella whispered through dry lips, repeating it to convince herself more than Asher.
Each time she repeated it, Asher's heart ached even more.
"I looked into it. One of the last people Christopher met caught my attention," Ralph suddenly interrupted, breaking the somber mood with his serious tone.
Bella's body jerked forward. "Who?!"
"Grant's personal doctor, Clarice."