Mr. Chairman’s Devious Wife by Brey Mitchylle
Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Sofia reclined into the plush leather seat, trying to gather her thoughts. The phone in her purse vibrated, and she recognized it as the hospital. With trembling fingers, she answered.

"This is Dr. Lee from St. Jude’s. It’s about your grandmother."

A strange emptiness gnawed at her despite the seemingly successful day. Glancing at the caller ID, apprehension tightened in her stomach.

A voice, tight with barely suppressed emotion, filled the car. “Ms. Lockhart, we need you to come down to the emergency room immediately. It’s about your grandmother.”

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. The voice continued, but Sofia barely registered the words, her mind reeling with the chilling announcement: Helicopter crash, missing, critical condition.

Sofia felt as if a cold bucket of water had been poured inside her soul; the world around her seemed to narrow. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. Grief, sharp and unexpected, slammed into her like a physical blow, stealing the air from her lungs. Her carefully constructed facade from the meeting crumbled, leaving behind a raw vulnerability.

"Miss, Miss Amores?" the driver immediately asked when he noticed her reaction.

"Bring me to St. Jude’s," Sofia said as the phone slipped from her hand and hit the car floor. She fumbled as she tried to pick it up. “Yes, I am still here. I will come as soon as possible." Sofia wiped the tears from her eyes and forced herself to calm down.

Just as the call ended, she received another call. This time, it was from Alexander.

"I will see you at the hospital," he told her when she said that she already knew about the accident. Traveling from the company to the hospital took at least forty minutes and, to Sofia, this felt like forever.

The moment she arrived at the hospital, she immediately went to the emergency room where she saw Alexander along with Josef. Unable to stop herself, she crumbled into his arms. In the car, Sofia did not have the chance to show her emotions. She forced herself to calm down, to think, to analyze the situation. She did not have the time to be vulnerable.

In front of Alexander, all the tears that she was trying to control flowed like streams. In response, Alexander held her as she sobbed in his embrace. The familiar scent of his cologne offered a brief sense of comfort amidst the turmoil of emotions. The weight of the day, the tension from the meeting, and the sudden news of her grandmother’s accident all came crashing down upon her.

A choked sob echoed in the sterile hospital corridor, a stark contrast to the composed image she had projected only moments ago. Tears stained her cheeks, smudging her carefully applied makeup, a physical manifestation of the emotional turmoil within.

When her cries subsided into hiccups, she pulled away from Alexander, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Shame pricked at her, a flicker of self-consciousness at displaying such vulnerability.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, her voice rough with emotion. “I just…”

“Miss Lockhart?” an older man that Sofia had met in the past called out. “I am Dr. Lee… we have met before? I checked your mother’s condition in the past.”

Sofia nodded, shaking the doctor’s hand. “Dr. Lee…”

“Shall we talk privately?” the doctor glanced at Alexander. Sofia nodded but she did not let go of Alexander's hand.

“He’s my husband,” Sofia said. The doctor simply nodded in response. Dr. Lee then led them to a small, quiet room off the main corridor. His face was etched with concern as he spoke, his voice gentle yet firm. “Ms. Lockhart, I understand this is an incredibly difficult time.”

He paused, his gaze flickering between Sofia and Alexander. “There was a helicopter crash earlier today. Your grandmother, unfortunately, was one of the passengers. Thankfully, the wreckage was located after several hours of searching.”

Sofia’s breath hitched, and she squeezed Alexander’s hand tighter.

“However, the situation is critical,” Dr. Lee continued. “We managed to locate Eulanda, but she sustained severe head trauma and multiple injuries. Medically speaking, she has suffered a traumatic brain injury. While she is still technically alive and showing minimal brain activity, the chance of her regaining consciousness is, unfortunately, very slim.”

Sofia’s mind reeled. The words “brain dead” hung heavy in the air, unspoken yet deeply understood. Tears welled up in her eyes again, blurring her vision. She clung to Alexander for support, his presence a lifeline amidst the storm of emotions.

“We are doing everything we can to keep her comfortable and provide the best possible care,” Dr. Lee assured them. “But I want to be realistic with you, Ms. Lockhart. The next few days will be crucial.”

“Where did it happen?” Sofia asked. She knew that her grandmother had been traveling a lot, but she did not have any specifics of where she was. All she knew was she left the US a few days after her birthday.

She had been busy as everything had been chaotic lately, but they had been calling and texting each other. Their relationship had gone from zero to texting each other every single day. She started sending her funny images, and her grandmother started sending her images of her travels, swimming pools, the moon, flowers, and various other things.

And just as she thought everything was going well, her grandmother…

Unable to stop herself, Sofia started crying in Alexander’s arms once again. The room blurred as Sofia’s sobs echoed once more. Alexander held her close, his silent support a source of comfort in the face of overwhelming grief. Dr. Lee, watching them with understanding, answered her question softly.

“The crash occurred in a remote area of Alaska,” he explained. “The dense forest and challenging terrain made the search and rescue operation incredibly difficult. It took several agonizing hours before they located the wreckage.”

A shiver ran down Sofia’s spine. Images of her grandmother, vibrant and full of life, flashed in her mind. But what was she doing there? Sofia thought she was in Europe.

Gently, Dr. Lee continued, his voice a gentle thread of hope. “Rescue teams were able to identify your grandmother in the debris. They immediately prioritized her transportation back to Chicago, where she could receive the best possible care. Don’t worry, we will do our best to take care of Eulanda.”

Sofia wiped her tears, a flicker of gratitude breaking through the fog of grief. Even in that moment of overwhelming sadness, she clung to the knowledge that her grandmother wasn’t alone, that she had received prompt medical attention.

“We understand this is a lot to process,” Dr. Lee said, his voice filled with empathy. “Do you have any questions, or would you like some time alone?”

Sofia leaned into Alexander's embrace as she looked at the doctor with tear-filled eyes. “Can we see her?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Dr. Lee nodded gently. “Of course. We'll take you to her room after the forty-eight-hour observation period. However, please be prepared. The sight may be difficult…”

Sofia nodded. She knew that her grandmother was hiding a lot of things from her.

“Then… I will leave now,” Dr. Lee said and promptly left the room.

A wave of confusion washed over Sofia as Dr. Lee exited the room. The news of her grandmother’s accident had brought a torrent of emotions, leaving her feeling overwhelmed and disoriented. But one question gnawed at the edge of her mind, refusing to be silenced.

“Alexander,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why was Grandma in Alaska? I thought she was in Europe?”

“We will replace out once this is settled. Let me take you outside. You need a change of clothing. I already asked Josef to buy clothes and food.”

Sofia nodded without saying another word. Her grandmother told her that she was investigating the death of Sofia’s grandfather, but aside from that, she refused to give Sofia any details whatsoever. The woman had simply too many secrets, Sofia didn’t know where to start.

The moment they got out of the room, a familiar person immediately caught her attention. “What are you doing here?” Sofia asked Lawrence.

“I immediately came when I heard…”

“You are not welcome here.” Sofia decided to drop the facade. She only acted cordially for the sake of the shareholders. Now that they were alone, Sofia was once again acting coldly towards Lawrence. She did not see any point in faking it anymore.

“Sofia, please…” As usual, Lawrence looked like a hurt puppy. Sofia immediately wanted to scream at the man. She wanted to blame him for everything! First, he took away the chance for Sofia to be closer to Eulanda. Then he poisoned her mother. Now, he wanted to take the company away from her.

Yet, this man was the first one who came when he heard about Eulanda’s accident. Was he trying to provoke her? Was he trying to watch her suffer?

For a while, she was tempted to slap him in the face.

“I suggest that you leave now, before I make you,” Alexander’s voice was chilly. “Mr. Beaumont, I don’t think this is something that you—”

“Do not test me. Say it again,” Alexander frowned.

Lawrence glared at Alexander and then towards Sofia. “Very well,” he uttered. “Since you are forcing me to leave, then I will. However, we need to issue a statement and immediately hold another meeting,” Lawrence suddenly smiled at them.

“We cannot actually let the media know that our Chairwoman is dead, right?”

“She’s not dead!” Sofia wanted to scream, but Alexander held her closer as if reminding her that losing her composure now was not going to benefit her.

“I guess I will be seeing you later for the emergency meeting?” Lawrence smirked before he walked away, leaving the fuming Sofia and Alexander alone.

Sofia took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I can’t believe he’s here, trying to manipulate the situation,” she muttered, her voice shaking with anger.

“Let’s not waste our energy on him right now,” Alexander said softly. “We need to focus on your grandmother and what’s best for her. We’ll deal with Lawrence later.”

Sofia nodded, leaning into Alexander’s embrace. “You’re right. I need to be strong for her.”

As they walked out of the hospital, Sofia couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her grandmother’s accident than met the eye. The fact that Eulanda was in Alaska, when Sofia thought she was in Europe, nagged at her. There were too many unanswered questions.

Once outside, Josef approached them with a bag of clothes and some food. “Here you go, Sofia. I got everything you might need.”

“Thank you, Josef,” Sofia said, taking the bag. “I appreciate it.”

“Let’s get you changed and have something to eat,” Alexander suggested. “You need to take care of yourself too.”

Sofia nodded, grateful for Alexander’s support. They found a quiet corner where she could change into the fresh clothes Josef had brought. The simple act of changing out of her work attire and into something more comfortable made her feel a bit better, even if only momentarily.

After changing, Sofia sat down with Alexander and Josef to eat. She picked at the food, her appetite diminished by the day’s events. “I can’t stop thinking about why she was in Alaska,” she admitted. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“We’ll replace out,” Alexander reassured her. “Right now, we need to focus on her recovery and be there for her.”

Sofia nodded, though her mind was still racing with thoughts and worries. She knew Alexander was right, but she couldn’t help feeling that something important was being kept from her. As they finished their meal, she made a silent promise to herself to uncover the truth, no matter what it took.

Returning to the hospital, Sofia felt a renewed sense of determination. She would be there for her grandmother, support her through this critical time, and replace out what had really happened. With Alexander by her side, she felt a glimmer of hope that they could get through this together.

Back in the hospital, they met with Dr. Lee again. He briefed them on Eulanda’s condition, confirming that the next forty-eight hours would be crucial. Sofia steeled herself for the days ahead, knowing that she had to be strong for her grandmother.

As they were about to leave, Sofia turned to Dr. Lee. “Thank you for everything you’re doing for her,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

“We’re doing our best,” Dr. Lee replied with a reassuring smile. “Stay strong, Ms. Lockhart.”

Sofia nodded, taking a deep breath. With Alexander’s arm around her, she walked down the hospital corridor, ready to face whatever came next.