Beyond the vow (a love born in shadows)

Chapter 2

Olivia's world stopped. The paintbrush fell freely from her hands , and she felt like she was drowning in a sea of uncertainty.

"What...what happened?" she stammered

"How come"she asked no one In particular, her voice barely audible. She was seriously panicking

Samantha was scared at the sudden development as her eyes widdens in shock."oh my God, Olivia what's wrong,talk to me ".

Olivia's heart skips as she tried to process the news concerning her parent. Her parents, the ones who had always been there for her, were...were...she couldn't even think it, it was all a dream.

"Olivia, please speak to me!" Samantha urged,she was totally confused.

Olivia took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. "It's my parents...they've been in an accident." She broke the news

Samantha's expression turned from concern to shock. "Oh my goodness That's terrible! What happened?"

Olivia shook her head, she was as surprised as Samantha she clearly had no Idea "I don't know...the caller didn't say much."

Samantha quickly took charge, guiding Olivia to a nearby bench. "Common seat ,We need to get you out of here."

As they sat down, Olivia felt a wave of numbness wash over her. She was in Total denial of the whole thing. Her parents, the ones who had always been her rock, were fighting for their lives

Impossible!.

Olivia could heard the sound of her heart from her chest as she grabbed her phone and purse. "I need be in the hospital," she said to Samantha, her voice already shaking.

Samantha nodded and took Olivia's hand. "I'll drive"

They rushed out of the garden, leaving the painting materials behind. The short drive to the hospital felt like an eternity. Olivia's mind was occupied with so much thoughts and fear of the unknown

As they arrived at the hospital, Olivia's eyes scanned all through emergency rooms, searching for any signs of her parents. She spotted a familiar figure, her father's lawyer, Mr. Johnson and rushed over to meet with him.

"Mr. Johnson, what's happening? How are my parents?" Olivia asked, her voice already trembling

Mr. Johnson's expression was grim. "Olivia, I'm so sorry. Your parents are in critical condition. They've been taken to the ICU for immediate attention."

Olivia felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She couldn't breathe it felt as though her lungs couldn't function properly. Samantha's hand on her shoulder brought her back from her thoughts.

"We need to get to the ICU," Samantha said calmly. "Come on, Liv." Samantha urged

As they rushed to the ICU, Olivia mind was filled with fear and questions . What could have happened to her parents? Will they be okay?

Olivia's heart skips as she and Samantha enters the ICU. The beeping of machines and the sterile smell of the hospital filled the air. A doctor in scrubs wear approached them, looking tired but compassionate.

"Ms West, I'm Dr. Smith in charge of your parent. We are doing everything in her power to revive them.They are both in urgent need of surgery."

Olivia felt a wave of fear wash over her. "What happened doctor? Will my parents get better?" She sniffed

Dr. Smith's expression turned grim. "We don't know anything for sure our work is to treat God does the healing. Right now, our focus is on saving your parents' lives."

Samantha squeezed Olivia's hand. "What can we do, Doctor?"

"We need to get them into surgery as soon as possible. They have limited time ."

Olivia nodded, feeling numb. "Do it. Whatever it takes to save my parent please do it ." She pleaded

Dr. Smith nodded. "We will. But there's something else,Ms West . Your parents...they were carrying a mysterious briefcase. It was with them in the car. We don't know what's inside for sure , but it might be relating to the accident."

Olivia's eyes widened. "A briefcase? What could it be ?"

"But I heard from the detectives that it was stolen from the scene of the accident"He chipped in

Olivia frow her brews. "The briefcase was stolen from the scene?"

Dr. Smith nodded. "Yes, it was taken before the police arrived. We don't know who took it or why, but the detective knows what to do."

Samantha's eyes sparkled with determination. "We need to get it back, olivia.it could be the answer we are looking for."

Olivia's heart raced. Who could have taken the briefcase? But one thing was for sure if the briefcase was stolen then it simply means that her parents were murdered. It was not just a mere coincident. The thought alone scared her.

Just then, a detective approached them. "Ms West, I'm Detective Jones . We're investigating the accident and the theft of the briefcase. Can you tell me more about your parents and their connection to the Woodsons?"

Olivia hesitated, unsure of what to say . But something about the detective's kind eyes made her trust him.

"It's a long story, Detective. But I think it starts with the merger between our families' companies...

It is somehow complicating , Detective. My parents and the Woodsons were in the process of finalizing a business merger. But I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt them." She sniffed her voice already cracked from stress.

Detective Jones nodded thoughtfully. "We'll look into all possible connections and be sure not to miss anything. Can you tell me more about the merger and your relationship with the Woodsons?"

Olivia took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. "The merger would unite our family businesses. I'm supposed to marry Alexander Woodson soon...but I don't know if that will still be possible considering everything that's happening right now."

Samantha's eyes met with Olivia's, both thinking the same thing.

Olivia sigh things just got complicated.

"But detective there's something strange, if the briefcase was stolen from the scene then it means it was not just a car crash , someone had it already it" she whispers her voice barely audible.

"It okay Ms West we would look into the case with care" detective Jones quickly said

Olivia nodded with a feeling of helplessness "I understand, Detective. Please, just keep me updated on any progress."

Detective Jones only nodded. "Of course, Ms West .We'll do our best to find out what happened."

As the detective walked away, Olivia turned to Samantha, her eyes welling up with tears. "Sam, I'm so scared. What if my parents don't make it?"

Samantha hugged her tightly. "We'll get through this okay ,We'll stay strong together."

Olivia sat in the hospital cafeteria, staring emotionlessly at the food in front of her. She haven't had anything to eat or drink for the past hours and her face looked puffy from so much crying , meanwhile Samantha was trying to talk her into taking a few bites.

"Liv, please, you need to eat something," Samantha said gently. "You can't go without food for too long. Think about your health."

Olivia shook her head. "I can't, Sam. I just can't. My parents are fighting for their lives, and I'm supposed to think about food?"

Samantha put a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard, but you need to take care of yourself too. For your parents' sake, if no anything else."

Olivia sighed, feeling really tired and stressed out. She picked up a spoon and forced herself to take a few sip of the soup in front of her.

As she ate, she couldn't help but think about her parents' condition. Were they going to be okay? Would they ever recover? What will be her fate if things go wrong? The thought frightened her.

Just as Olivia was taking a few more sip of her soup, Mr. Johnson, the family lawyer, walked into the cafeteria. He looked somber, but his eyes seemed to lack any empathy.

"Ms West, I need to speak with you about the marriage contract," he said hitting the nail on the head.

Olivia felt a surge of anger forcing through her vein. "Now? Really? My parents are fighting for their lives, and you are busy being worried about the marriage contract?"

Mr. Johnson shifted uncomfortably. "I understand the timing is not right, but the Woodsons are pressing forward with the merger, and the marriage is a crucial part of the deal."

Samantha's eyes narrowed. "Can't it wait? Olivia's parents are in the ICU, crying out loud!"

Mr. Johnson hesitated, but his expression remained the same . "I'm afraid not, Samantha. The Woodsons are eager to finalize the details, and Olivia's presence is required."

Olivia's eyes flushed with anger, but she bit back . She knew that Mr. Johnson was just a messenger, and that the Woodsons were the ones pulling the strings.

"Fine," she said calmly. "Let's get this over with. But make it quick, I need to get back to my parents."

Mr. Johnson nodded, pulling out a folder filled with documents. "Very well. The Woodsons have made some changes to the contract, and they require your signature."

Olivia's heart raced as she scanned the documents, her mind racing with thoughts of her parents and the merger. She knew that she was signing away her freedom, but she felt trapped.

As she was about signing the papers, she felt a sense of resignation wash over her. Was she really doing this for her parents, but at what cost?