CHAPTER 184: CHAPTER 184 EXHAUSTED

Alexa blinked. She hadn’t expected that.

"I think you just chose this," Bella continued. "You chose to be cruel. You chose to blame others. Because it’s easier than looking in the mirror."

Bella took a step forward, and Alexa without even meaning to stepped slightly back.

"You had everything," Bella said. "A mother who chased you across cities. A father who would’ve died for you. Friends who stood beside you even when you didn’t deserve it."

She looked over at Alan, Casper, and Zion. None of them spoke.

Then she looked at Archer—whose face was pale and unreadable.

"And a husband," Bella added quietly, "who still stood there waiting for you. Even when he didn’t have to."

Alexa’s jaw tightened.

"But it wasn’t enough, was it?" Bella whispered. "Because people like you... when they have everything, they start craving the one thing they couldn’t have..."

She shook her head slowly, sadly.

"There are children in this world who sleep hungry. Who wake up without anyone to hold their hand. And you—standing here, covered in love, soaked in privilege—you still found a way to break the people who tried to love you."

A silence stretched between them.

Then Bella stepped back, her voice barely above a whisper now.

"Shame on you, Alexa."

And with that...

Bella turned away from Alexa, not saying another word.

But her body had reached its limit.

Her steps wobbled. Her legs felt like paper. The hallway around her tilted softly to one side. Her breath caught in her throat, and her knees buckled.

Then everything went dark.

"Bella!!" Jay shouted.

Leo’s heart stopped. His eyes widened, and in one breath, he ran.

He reached her just before she hit the floor, catching her in his arms, holding her close as her head fell gently against his chest. Her body was warm, but far too still. Her fingers hung loosely by her side, and her lips were pale.

"Bella," he whispered, his voice shaking for the first time. "Hey... wake up..."

But she didn’t.

His arms tightened around her, holding her carefully like she might break.

He stood up, lifting her without hesitation, his jaw clenched tight.

And then... he looked at Alexa.

His eyes were colder than ice.

"If anything happens to Bella," he said quietly, but every word was filled with anger, "I won’t let you go."

Alexa’s breath hitched. She looked away.

Without another word, Leo turned and carried Bella swiftly through the hallway, calling out, "Get me a room. Now."

A doctor came running.

Jay followed closely behind, panic on his face. Lina and Alessandro trailed behind them too, worry clouding their eyes.

They entered a nearby empty ward—Room 312.

Leonardo gently laid Bella down on the hospital bed, brushing a strand of hair from her face with trembling fingers.

"Doctor!" he barked.

"I’m here!" a female doctor came rushing in, her white coat fluttering behind her. She immediately moved beside the bed, checking Bella’s pulse and placing a stethoscope against her chest.

"She’s exhausted," the doctor said calmly, examining her carefully. "Her pulse is weak. She’s severely dehydrated and emotionally distressed. From what I see... she’s been pushing herself beyond her physical limit."

"She didn’t rest for even a second... and she didn’t eat the whole day," Jay said quietly, his voice filled with worry as he stood at the foot of the bed. His eyes lingered on Bella, who was now fast asleep, her breathing slow and steady. His face looked tired too but mostly sad, like he was still trying to process everything she had gone through just to save two people who weren’t even her own.

"She’s not unconscious because of any trauma," the doctor reassured them gently. "Her body just... gave up for a moment. It needs rest."

She adjusted the IV line, gently inserting it into Bella’s arm, then took a clean cloth and wiped the dried blood from her lip.

"She’s lucky she made it this far," the doctor added, glancing at Leonardo. "Most people would’ve collapsed much earlier."

Leo sat down beside the bed, his hand still gently wrapped around Bella’s fingers.

"Will she wake up soon?" Lina asked softly from the corner, her voice heavy.

"Yes," the doctor nodded. "Let her sleep. Let her body calm down."

She gave Bella a few more careful checks, then turned to leave. "I’ll come back in ten minutes to check again."

As the room slowly quieted, Leo sat beside her without moving, his eyes fixed on her face, his thumb gently brushing her knuckles.

***

Bella’s eyelids fluttered gently.

Everything felt quiet.

Her body was heavy, her mind floating between sleep and waking but something pulled her back. A soft ache in her throat. A dry, scratchy feeling like she hadn’t had water in days.

She turned her head slightly and whispered, barely audible, "...Water..."

Suddenly, she felt a warm hand on her forehead.

"Oh, my sweet girl," came a soft, familiar voice—shaky, like it had been crying. "You’re awake..."

Bella’s eyelashes lifted fully, and through the blur, she saw Aunty Clara sitting beside her.

Her face looked red from tears, but she was smiling now, her eyes shining with relief.

"Careful, sweetheart," Clara said, gently helping her sit up by placing one hand behind her back and the other supporting her shoulder.

Bella slowly sat up, her body still sore and her arms a little weak. As she moved, she noticed the soft cotton of the clean nightgown she was wearing. Her skin felt fresh and warm, no longer sticky with dried blood or dirt.

She blinked. Someone must’ve cleaned her and changed her clothes while she was sleeping... maybe the nurses. Or a maid.

Clara brought the water glass closer, holding it with both hands while guiding the straw to Bella’s lips.

"Here, drink slowly."

Bella took a few small sips.

The cool water felt like heaven. Her dry throat softened, her lips stopped aching, and the fog in her head began to clear.

She leaned back against the pillows, breathing gently, her eyes now slowly adjusting to the soft light of the room.

"Thank you..." she whispered, her voice still weak.

Clara wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "You scared us, Bella. You really scared all of us."