Chapter 71

JAMES

I sprang up from my bed, panic surging through me as the call with Silvana ended. I called her number again but it didn't go through. Without wasting anymore time, I bolted out of my room, heading straight out of the house to my car.

I started the car and drove off roughly, heading straight to Vana's house. As I drove, her screams replayed in my head, almost making me go crazy. My heart was pounding in my chest as I hoped to meet Vana safe and sound at her house.

It took me thirty minutes to get to her house, considering my speed and even at that, it felt like hours. The car screeched to a halt and I rushed out of the car, heading straight to the door. I rang the doorbell, pressing the button continuously as my patience grew less at each passing seconds.

The door finally opened and Cynthia showed up.

"Si – " I pushed her out of the way before she could complete her words and went in, almost rushing upstairs when she spoke up.

"She is not home."

I stopped in my tracks, slowly turning around to face her.

"You said?"

"Miss Silvana is not home." She replied and I felt a bang in my forehead. Her screams... they don't mean something bad, right?

In haste, I rushed out of the house, dialing Chad's number on the way. He picked at the first ring.

"Yo! What – "

"I need you help in tracking Silvana's location." I cut in.

"Why? Is something wrong?!"

"Just do it." I replied almost snapping, and hung up.

As I awaited a response from him, my fingers drummed impatiently against my phone screen, and after some minutes, I finally got a response from him - Silvana's location. I immediately got into my car, driving out of the house. I started driving to the location in the message. It was by the intersection bridge and I couldn't help but wonder why she was at the bridge. At the back of my mind, I kept hoping nothing happened to her. She just went to bridge side and nothing else.

I increased my pace, speeding through the road. It didn't take long before I got there, but the crowd and ambulance I saw there gave me chills. I quickly came out of the car, scanning the whole place for any sign of Vana, but there was no sight of her.

"This wouldn't have happened if they had just repaired the guard rails."

My forehead tightened into thin lines and I slowly approached one of the ladies in the crowd.

"What's going on?" I asked and the lady turned to me. "A car fell off the bridge. I heard a lady was in the car."

My eyes widened, and I immediately dived into the crowd, pushing my way forward. After seconds of endless pushing, I finally got to the edge of the bridge, there were some uniformed men trying to get someone out of the water below.

With racing heart, I looked down and the first thing that caught my eyes was the car which was half floating in the water. I would recognize it anywhere, it was Silvana's Bugatti and... I shook my head not wanting to believe Silvana was the one in there.

'It can't be her, it can't be.' I mumbled repeatedly, shaking my head.

"I got her!" The worker who was inside the water yelled out and the rest immediately got to work.

I watched in shock as Vana was brought out of the water. My breath became shaky and I stumbled back, my fists folded tightly. The scene in front of me was too familiar. This was exactly how my parents died. Does this mean – No. I shook my head, it can't be.

My gaze went to Vana who was placed in the ambulance. I immediately rushed over to them before they could leave. When I told them I was her guardian, they let me in. As I settled down on the bench, the paramedics was busy doing on her but she was not reacting to it.

My gaze travelled from Vana's wet body to her face, which had oxygen mask over her nose, and the side of her head was bleeding profusely.

Biting my lip hard, I reached out to take her hand, which were cold as ice.

"Stay with me please, stay with me." I continued mumbling as I rubbed her hand gently.

After a few minutes drive, the ambulance pulled up in front of a hospital. Silvana was taken into the hospital building using the stretcher and I followed her all the way to the emergency room where she was attended to.

The doctor discovered a bleeding in her stomach and a damage to her head as a result of hitting her head on something sharp. Silvana needed surgery and I immediately offered to sign the consent form but I was turned down, because I was not her legal guardian. I had to contact Vince to send Mr Greg's number since he was the only one I could reach who knows about her family.

Just as Vince had sent the number and I was about calling Mr Greg, a figure sprinted into the hospital. I immediately recognized him as the man who was with Silvana at golf club - her Uncle.

He was allowed to sign the consent form and Silvana was taken into the operation room. Just some minutes after Silvana was taken in, Karen rushed in with a worried look.

"Where is she? Is Silvana okay?" She asked in one breath

"She should be." Her uncle told her and for the first time since he came here, he turned to me.

"Are you ber boyfriend?"

I nodded my head slowly, and he sighed.

"How come you were here so fast, did you see it on the news?"

"No, we were on a call when – " I trailed off as the rest of the words got caught in my throat.

Nobody said a word after that, just silence. After long grueling hours of waiting, they were finally done with the surgery. Silvana was taken to the ICU for recovery but days passed, and nothing happened.