Substitute Wife for the Mafia King R18-Chapter 409: Emergency

It hurt me more than anything to realize that I couldn’t blame him, even if he did that, because I was the one who betrayed him first. I left him without a word or farewell, running away from him as if he were the one who had done something wrong. Memories of our time together came back like waves. The fake honeymoon that we enjoyed together felt more real than anything, right at that moment. I remembered the way that he would laugh whenever he let his guard down on the nights when we enjoyed each other’s company simply as our true selves, and the dangerous world outside and our identities didn’t need to complicate things for us.

There was a time when I thought that love was enough, but a small voice inside of me reminded me not to be so foolish. As time slipped by, I found myself praying that the door would just swing open and that Bradon would be standing there with his arms wide open. I wanted nothing more than to be held in his arms once again. I had to admit to myself that, with each passing second, I felt lonelier than before. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The silence in the room became unbearable to the point where I had to keep the television on at all times just to keep myself company. It felt like the only way to keep myself from losing my mind as I waited for someone to come and tell me that it was time for me to leave the country.

The news on the television seemed to repeat itself, or perhaps that was only because I couldn’t pay any real attention to it. Time was crawling by so slowly, and I wondered what Bradon’s parents were up to. There were times when I wondered if they had tricked me and that I was actually being held prisoner. Many times I thought that I should find my way to escape, but that only made me realize that the door to the room was only locked from the inside.

If I wanted to leave, I could do so whenever I wanted. That was what told me that the deal that we had was still solid and that they were truly working to find a way to smuggle me out of the country without Bradon finding out. I told myself to be patient because I knew that Bradon’s parents were calculating and careful people. That meant that they were planning everything meticulously without leaving room for potential error.

Suddenly, the change in the tone of the news anchor caught my attention.

"Breaking news! We are live at a high-profile business press conference where it has been confirmed that Mr. Anthony Vulkan has just been shot by a sniper while exiting the Royal Lane Hotel. The police are already investigating the scene. Mr. Anthony has been escorted in an ambulance and is headed to the hospital. His current condition has not yet been confirmed."

Time came to a stop, and I couldn’t breathe. The words from the news rolled over me like endless waves as I stared at the television screen. Everything happened so fast that I could barely make out what was going on. Although the situation should have been simple enough for me to understand, I found myself denying the truth of what had just happened.

It felt impossible that Anthony had been shot, with all of the security that was supposed to be surrounding him. However, what shocked me more than anything was the fact that I knew the truth. I had no idea where Anthony was, but I was more than certain that the man who everyone mistook for Anthony was, in fact, Bradon once again standing in as his younger brother.

My heart sank, and I had to sit down on the bed before my legs lost all strength. The truth was staring me in the face, and it was telling me that the man who was just shot was none other than Bradon.

"No..." I whispered through gritted teeth.

The pain that ran through every cell in my body felt so raw. I wanted to cry, but at the same time, I couldn’t. My entire body went numb from shock, and then, as if my instincts had taken over, I was already running towards the door of the room. Even though I had made a promise not to leave until it was time, I forgot everything at that moment as I quickly left with only one destination in mind. I needed to be by Bradon’s side to see that he was okay

as soon as possible.

...

Everything rushed by in a blur, and the next thing I knew, I was already standing in front of the hospital that both of our families frequently used. By the time that I got there, I had probably broken all protocols related to keeping a low profile. So many people saw me and probably recognized me as I made my way to the hospital, but I didn’t have time to care about any of that.

I barely reached the hospital’s doors, and as if they were waiting for me, my eyes almost immediately landed on Bradon’s parents. In the far corner of the hospital lobby, I could see the two of them engaged in deep conversation with a young woman. I ran as fast as I could towards them, and when the woman turned around, I realized that it was none other than my dear sister, Diana. She stood close to them with her arms folded, her beautiful face uncharacteristically pale.

I had no idea what they were saying, but the look on their faces gave me a very bad feeling. The fact that they were here confirmed the one thing that I needed to know: Bradon was in the hospital. I wanted to run to the front desk and shout his name at the top of my lungs to get everybody’s attention. I needed to know where he was and how he was doing.

What condition was he in? Was he badly hurt? Were they giving him the right treatment?