59

Old Jarek advanced with slow but steady steps down the hospital corridor, his boots echoing on the tiled floor as his piercing gaze scanned the surroundings.

He stopped in front of Dr. Harris's office door, adjusting the collar of his coat before gently knocking.

"Come in," a trembling voice was heard from inside.

Jarek pushed the door open and entered.

Dr. Harris was sitting behind his desk, the papers disordered and his slightly trembling hands betraying his nervousness.

"Mr. Jarek," Harris began, straightening up in his chair. "How can I help you today?"

Jarek didn't bother to respond immediately. He slowly approached the desk, watching the doctor with a cold stare that sent a shiver down Harris's spine.

"Dr. Harris," Jarek finally said, his voice a threatening whisper. "I hope you haven't forgotten our previous conversation."

The doctor swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure.

"No, sir. I haven't forgotten anything."

"Good," Jarek said, his eyes never leaving Harris's. "Because if my grandson realizes this deception..."

Harris felt a knot in his stomach.

"If he finds out, Mr. Jarek... it could be the end for all of us."

Jarek let out a dry laugh. He was sure that with everything that had happened, Nathan wouldn't have time to suspect everything he had done against him.

"He's not that smart anyway," he thought with satisfaction, because he had finally gotten rid of him for a long time.

"He won't... and if he does, it will be too late for Suzanne to take him back. I'll take care of that myself," he said with conviction.

The doctor lowered his gaze, struggling against the doubt that overtook him. He was truly nervous that everything would be discovered and that he would be harmed.

"Mr. Jarek, he looked pretty bad... I'm sure he really loves his wife and his son... or rather, his children," he said with a trembling voice, recalling the scene.

Jarek clenched his fists, his voice hardening as he spoke. He wasn't going to let that weak doctor ruin his plans for anything in the world.

"He must not know that they are alive. Suzanne's life will be better without him. Nathan has already hurt them too much," he said seriously, convinced of it. "Believe me, I know my grandson well, and he is not the best for her."

"You shouldn't be playing God, Mr. Strong," Dr. Harris thought, unable to express his thoughts aloud.

He finally sighed, the weight of the situation falling on him like a slab.

"I understand, sir. I promise I won't say anything," he said confidently, his forehead beaded with sweat.

"I'll do it, even if it means losing my license if everything comes to light one day," he thought fearfully.

Jarek nodded, his expression softening just a little.

"Good choice, doctor. Now, continue with your work," he said with a satisfied smile.

Later, Jarek walked to the room where Suzanne was hospitalized.

The sunlight filtering through the curtains gave the room a calm and comforting atmosphere. Suzanne was sitting on the bed, and her eyes lit up when she saw Jarek.

"How are you, Suzanne?" he asked with an affectionate smile.

She returned the smile, though her eyes betrayed deep exhaustion.

"I’m calmer, Mr. Strong. Although… I’m still worried about all this.”

"I can’t tell him that I still have feelings for Nathan; he’s the one responsible for me almost losing my children, I have to hate him," she thought worriedly.

Jarek sat down next to the bed, taking Suzanne’s hand in his. He wanted so much to comfort her, to not see that look of uncertainty in her precious eyes.

"You don’t need to worry about my grandson. He won’t bother you anymore. When you recover, we’ll leave the country for a while,” he assured, trying to encourage her.

Suzanne sighed, her gaze drifting to some distant point. She still wasn’t sure if she was making the best decision, but what she did want was to live without fear, and Nathan’s presence only caused her unease despite everything.

"I just want to be at peace with my children," she said softly, not even knowing that Nathan thought she and their unborn child were dead.

She wouldn’t have agreed with this; she detested any kind of deception like that, which is why Jarek hadn’t told her anything, especially in her current condition.

Jarek nodded, his voice soft and comforting. Unlike the tone he used when speaking to his grandson.

"That’s how it will be, Suzanne. Trust me. I’ll protect you and your children. Everything will be alright."

She smiled at him, feeling a relief she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

"Thank you, sir. I don’t know what I would do without you.” she touched her belly longingly, looking forward to seeing her little ones in a few months.

Old Jarek returned the smile, his eyes full of iron determination.

"You don’t have to worry about anything else, Suzanne. I’m here to always take care of you. Now rest, you’ll need it before the trip," he said, leaning in to place a sweet kiss on her forehead.

Jarek left Suzanne’s room with a satisfied smile on his face. He had managed to calm her down and assure her that everything was under control.

As he walked down the hospital corridor, his mind was already occupied with the necessary arrangements for the trip.

He headed to the administration office, where he began to handle the documentation needed to move Suzanne out of the country. Everything had to be in order to avoid any inconvenience.

At that moment, his mobile phone began to ring. Jarek took it out of his pocket and saw Nathan’s name on the screen.

He frowned but answered the call without hesitation.

"What do you want, Nathan?" he asked coldly.

On the other end of the line, Nathan’s voice sounded agitated and desperate.

"How could you, Jarek? How could you cremate Suzanne without my consent?"

Jarek let out a dry laugh.

"It’s none of your business, Nathan. I warned you to stay away from Suzanne, and you didn’t listen. These are the consequences of your stupid actions."

Nathan was silent for a few seconds, his breathing audible and uneven.

"What are you saying? I had nothing to do with that, Grandpa."

Jarek’s tone became even colder.

"Suzanne and your child are dead because of you, Nathan. You killed them with your negligence and lack of care."

Nathan felt as if an iron fist had punched him in the stomach. Jarek’s words echoed in his mind, each one like a dagger stabbing into his heart.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and tears streamed down his cheeks in an unending torrent.

"That’s not..." Nathan whispered, his voice broken by pain. "That’s not true, I had nothing to do with it..."

"You see, I’m always right," Jarek concluded with calculated coldness.

Without giving Nathan time to respond, he hung up and put the phone back in his pocket.

With a satisfied expression, Jarek began to whistle cheerfully as he continued with the paperwork.

To him, every step taken was another step towards Suzanne and her children’s safety, away from Nathan and his destructive influence.