Catherine's POV
I tried to figure it out yet again, fighting through the darkness that seemed to overshadow my heart and vision.
"Catherine, fight! You have always been a strong fellow," that tiny voice in my head spoke yet again, but that was all I could grasp.
I could feel a touch on my skin as everything slowly faded.
*****
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The loud, rhythmic sound echoed in my eardrum. My eyes fluttered open, adjusting to my surroundings.
The white hanging curtain in front of me, the beeping sound of the machine connected to my body, the smell of disinfectant and drugs hovering over my nostrils; slowly, it all pulled at me.
I blinked repeatedly at the turns. My hands slowly coiled over the duvet I was lying on, my lips slowly opening.
I was in a hospital. A slight relief pulled at my heart.
Suddenly, a cold sensation on my arm made me flinch. Was I brought here only to suffer more?
My heart raced.
I turned my head quickly, panic rising. But the moment I saw him, a strange calmness settled over me instantly.
There he was. His warm smile reached deep into my heart. His sharp, radiant, piercing eyes sent chills down my spine. A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
My gaze lifted to him as he coiled his hands around mine.
For a moment, I felt this wasn't right, but then I couldn't stop myself.
"I'm happy you are awake now," he chimed, breaking the silence that seemed to creep in.
I smiled. "How did you know I was in the hospital?" Those words escaped, but a sudden string pulled at my heart.
He laughed casually.
"You brought me here?" I asked, my eyes widening at him, and he nodded slightly.
My heart soared.
"Thank you," I muttered, and his arms around mine tightened.
His countenance dropped instantly as his gaze fell on my body. Without a word, I knew he was sorrowful, his lips coiling up in rage.
I wanted to say a word but then stopped as his fingers trailed my bare skin in anguish. His face contorted into a darkened frown.
"They will all pay for this," he snapped bitterly.
I gasped, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you know who is behind this?"
He turned his gaze away toward the window, nodding disapprovingly.
"Not really. But after the call, I tracked your number to get the location. Hopefully, it wasn't switched off," he replied.
I frowned. My mind replayed everything that had happened. The pain returned, spreading through my body again.
But in the midst of it all, I felt grateful. He had saved me.
"Thank you," I murmured.
"Anything for you. But please, try to stay out of trouble, and…."
The sound of the door creaking open drew our attention in that direction, and my eyes lost their spark as the biggest shock I never wanted stared me in the face.
"Dad, Mum," I called out as Mum rushed toward me.
Her gaze held a form of frown, and I knew from that very moment what it meant.
"I'm so sorry, Mum. It…."
My words caught in my throat as she forcefully yanked Rick's arms off mine, giving him a deadly glare.
Dad stood nearby, his countenance just as severe.
He never said a word. He only watched, his lips slowly mumbling.
"Mum, why would you do that?" I asked.
She turned to me and then back to Rick without a word directed at me.
"I'm sorry, ma'am…" Rick started, obviously a little uneasy, but stopped as Mum spoke.
"Sorry for your silly self. You caused all this," Mum blurted. "Aren't you married?"
"Mum! He saved me! What are you saying?" I called out, but then came the biggest shocker.
"Shut up, daughter! Your stubbornness could have caused our family a big disaster if anything had happened to you," Mum snapped, and I gasped.
The weight dawned on me yet again.
"But Mum, he saved me. He deserves a simple thank you."
"Ma'am, I'm sorry for all the inconveniences I might have unknowingly caused you. I will be leaving now," Rick pleaded, his expression unreadable, but I could tell he was bitter in his heart.
"Good for you, and I never want to see you near her again," Mum snapped defiantly, fixing her gaze on his retreating back.
I just landed back down. I wanted to say something, just anything, to stop him, to tell him how sorry I was, but I couldn't.
It felt heavy on my lips under the suffocating presence of both my parents. I watched him leave, slamming the door behind him, my heart shredding.
"Mum, why would you do that to him? He's a good man and had just saved me in time," I blurted, my gaze sorrowful.
"Daughter, we want the best for you and want you to stay away from every member of that family. They are trouble, and we don't want you involved in that mess," Dad, who had been silent all this while, snapped.
"But Dad, I feel drawn to him, and…."
Mum coughed instantly, stopping me mid-sentence. She then reached for her handkerchief to wipe her face slowly.
"Honey, I think this isn't the right time for a conversation like that," Mum cut in, her hands resting on my bruised body.
Slowly trailing its lines, a lone tear dropped down her cheek at that instant. My heart melted.
I reached for her hand, holding it firmly.
A stiffening silence crept over the space, and I felt a little broken in my heart in that silence.
For a moment, I felt I had caused all this. If I hadn't insisted on going out that morning, maybe I wouldn't be here now.
Even though I didn't know the mastermind behind it, I still felt my instincts screaming about something, I wasn't so sure.
"Mum, I'm sorry for causing you pain," I started, but tears soon coiled in my eyes as I watched her emotional outburst and the tears on her cheeks.
"Look at your body and the marks left on it. It hurts," she whimpered. But Dad's arms coiling around her shoulders brought a temporary calmness to her body.
"It's okay now," Dad whispered, not meant for my hearing, but I heard it clearly.
"Whoever is behind this will pay dearly with everything they have," Mum threatened, falling back into Dad's shoulder.
Then, Dad's phone rang, interrupting the moment.
"Hello," Dad greeted.
He listened for a moment, silent filled the entire room.
"All right," Dad replied, dropping the phone from his ear, his face contorted in a frown.
Mum noticed and leaned closer. "Who was that?" she asked.
"The officers in charge of the investigation," Dad said, gripping his phone tightly. His
muscles tensed with anger.
"Did they find the culprits? Who are they?"