Heiress Return: His Unwanted Bride

Kayla's Pov Ding. The notification sound but through the quiet of my room. I grabbed it without thinking, expecting another pointless ping from my work group chat. But the words on the screen made my stomach plummet. [Please, come to the hospital as soon as possible] For a second, I forgot to breathe. My fingers trembled around my phone as a dozen questions crashed through my head at all once. What happened? Why the hospital? And why was the number from an American area code? I looked at the foreign numbers which were American numbers and blinked. But I lived in Italy. That made no sense. What could be so urgent for them to contact me from across the world. The air felt too thin like I was on dry land. I pressed my lips together to stop them from quivering and tapped the call button. “Hello?” I answered softly, praying this would be a prank from one of my colleagues. “Am I speaking to Kayla Morgan?” The stern voice on the other end of the line said. I froze. How did they know my name? “Yes. This is she.” I managed a whisper. Nothing had prepared me for what I was about to hear. “Alright,” the woman sighed. “My name is Doctor Harper and I'm calling from South Shore Hospital in New York. You were registered as his emergency contact so we thought to contact you, ma'am.” “Who?” My voice trailed off. “It’s about your grandfather, Miss Kayla,” she said, her tone calm and stern. “We need you at the hospital immediately.” “What?” I was sure I didn't hear right. “Your grandfather is in the ICU, Miss Kayla. You need to be here.” she repeated in that same calm tone. My body went rigid. I didn't notice when my phone slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor in a loud thud. “Miss Kayla? Miss Kayla?” Harper's muffled calls echoed around the living room but I couldn't hear it. All I could hear was the sound of grandpa's laughter as I told him an old Billy Joe joke. All I could hear were his words of encouragement when he told me how proud he was of me when I graduated top of my class at Harvard. The memory pulled a smile out of me, but it faded when my current reality sank in again. Grandpa was in the ICU. A tear streamed down my cheeks and my gaze dropped to the floor. My phone! I picked it up hurriedly and put it in the speaker. “Dr. Harper?” “Why weren't you answering? I was worried.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I was packing.” I sniffled as I ran to my walk-in-closet and threw my essentials into a duffle bag. “You have to calm down. We're doing our best to take care of him. We'll alert him that you're on your way here.” She said. I lived in Italy while grandpa lived in New York. It was a last-minute request but I could make it. “I'm on my way.” I replied then disconnected the call. After making sure my essentials were packed, I stormed out of the living room. At the last minute, I scribbled a quick note to my housekeeper. That and my absence should be self-explanatory. I hugged my arms around my waist as I took the elevator down to the lobby. I didn't care if anyone was staring at my tear-stained face, all I wanted was to see grandpa again. I hailed a cab and we drove straight to the airport towards the one place I could go that was safe. 7 hours later, I was home in New York. I rushed out of the terminal, my duffle bag hooped over my shoulder as I cut through the crowd. To my surprise, I saw a dark suited gentleman holding a placard that bore my name “Kayla Morgan”. Was that for me or someone else? I wondered. I was stunned to silence when the gentleman holding the placard crossed the distance between us. “Miss Kayla?” He said questioningly. “I am she.” I responded, wondering who he was. He reached for my bag and slung it over his shoulder. “The family sent me.” My brows dipped in a frown. The family sent him? I looked over his shoulder to find 5 other bodyguards on standby. Just what the hell is really going on? I could barely let out a word before he cut me off. “Welcome home. The car is ready to take you to the hospital.” “Okay.” I nodded quietly and followed him to where two SUVs were waiting. The truth is : I'd never been welcomed home like this. Ever. Not when I went for a competition in Switzerland and came first place or even the time I won a medal for fishing in the Cousins over the summer years ago, so this whole thing was a surprise. “This way, ma'am.” The one standing by the backseat, held open the door for me and I got in, hoping to God everything wasn't as worse as I feared it already was. The moment the car arrived at North Shore Hospital, I climbed out of the backseat. I rushed towards the lobby, ignoring the insistent calls of the bodyguards. I had bigger priorities than my own safety. “My name is Kayla Morgan. I'm here to see Richard Morgan. I'm family!” I said all at once as soon as I reached the front desk. The nurse behind the counter regarded me with a pitiful look before she directed me to the VIP room upstairs. I thanked her with a breathless sigh and practically ran upstairs. As soon as the elevator doors parted, I rushed into the hallway, darting my eyes left and right for the door. I caught sight of Room A2. I'd barely gotten to the door when I heard someone call my name. I recognized that voice instantly and spun around. Yvonne, her daughter, Isabel, and practically everyone in the family stepped into the hallway, staring at me lik e I was some stranger. “What the hell are you doing here?” Isabel’s voice brought me out of my head.