The billionaires betrayal

Hailey's POV: As I sat at my father's reading table, surrounded by a stack of documents that revealed his love of engineering, the fluorescent lights flickered overhead. His commitment was shown in each blueprint that he brought home. He worked in the engineering department at Greenwood Medical Center, and the aroma of coffee filled the air reminding me of the mornings I spent with him as he went over his plans for the hospital. “Could you show me the blueprints for the new medical devices you've been developing, Dad?” I asked, hoping to distract him from the tension that had settled over him in recent weeks. He hesitated, glancing at the clock. “Not now, sweetheart. I need to focus on this project.” I watched as he gathered his things that morning, his brow furrowed with worry as he left for work. I remember waiting for him to return home, the clock ticking away as I flipped through channels, trying to find anything to distract me. The news anchors spoke in hushed tones about an explosion at the hospital, and my heart dropped as I heard the words “fire” and “emergency response”. “Dad!” I screamed, grabbing my phone to call him. The line rang and rang, but there was no answer. With a pounding heart, I grabbed my jacket and rushed out of the door racing towards the hospital. The street of the hospital was chaotic, filled with flashing lights and the wail of sirens. As I drew closer, the awful smell of smoke and the sight of flames licking a side of the building sent a wave of fear crashing over me. When I reached the entrance, firefighters were rushing in and out, carrying patients on stretchers, their faces were grim and determined. I spotted a familiar face among the chaos, I've seen her one of those times I brought lunch for my dad. “Dr Tasha!” I shouted, pushing through the crowd. “Have you seen my dad?”. She turned her eyes wide with concern. “He was in the engineering department when the fire broke out. They think he's still inside!”. Panic surged through me. “What happened?”. Dr Tasha shook her head, running a hand through her hair. “There was a malfunction in the electrical system. It caused an explosion in the lab where they were testing the new equipment. The fire spread rapidly before anyone could react.” My heart raced as I fought through the crowd desperate to find my father. As I neared the entrance to the engineering department, the heat intensified, and I could see flames dancing in the windows. Firefighters shouted orders barely audible over the roar of the inferno. “Stay back!” One of them yelled as I attempted to push my way through. “It's too dangerous!”. “I have to get in there! My dad is inside!” I pleaded, tears streaming down my cheeks. A firefighter caught my eye, his expression softening. “We're doing everything we can. Please, you need to wait outside!”. But I couldn't. The memories of my dad teaching me about engineering flooded my mind, how he would spend countless hours at the hospital, committed to making the building safe for everyone. The irony was suffocating. How could he be trapped in the very place he had dedicated his life to protecting?. I pushed past the barricades, the smoke thickening, wrapping around me like a dark shroud. Just as I crossed the threshold, I saw him. A figure silhouetted against the flames, surrounded by chaos. “Dad!” I screamed, but my voice was swallowed by the roar of the fire. He was at the control panel, desperately trying to override the system, his face filled with sweat. The sight of him sent a jolt of fear through me. “Get out!” he shouted, his voice hoarse. “It's not safe! You need to leave now!”. “No! I can't leave you!” I cried, stepping closer, but the heat was unbearable. I felt a wave of heat wash over me, and I stumbled back, gasping for air. Suddenly, the ceiling above us began to creak ominously. “Get out! Now!” he yelled again, urgency etched into every line of his face. Just then, the fire alarm blared, a deafening sound that echoed through the hall. The lights flickered before plunging us into darkness, leaving only the glow of the flames illuminating my father's desperate expression. At that moment, everything seemed to slow down. I could see the determination in his eyes, a fierce resolve to protect me, even at the cost of his own life. “You need to leave now!” he shouted as he turned back to the panel, desperately trying to shut down the system that was now feeding the fire. A massive explosion rocked the building, sending debris flying. The force of it threw me against the wall, and I watched in horror as the flames surged forward consuming everything in their path. “Dad!” I screamed, but my voice was lost in the chaos. The last thing I saw was his silhouette disappearing into the smoke, the fire enveloping him in a blaze of fury. I remembered waking up on the hospital bed the next morning to the news of my father's death. No one knows what was the cause of the fire, some said it was faulty wiring while others whispered about negligence. Present Day The city's cold wind snapped me out of the memory, but the sting of guilt remained. It’s been two weeks since the fire incident and the death of my father but the news of it replayed in my mind like a broken record. I could still see him,the way he used to fix anything that was broken, from an old radio to my spirit. Now, all that remained was the smell of smoke in my nightmares and the whispered condolences from neighbors who didn’t know what to say. I could still feel his presence in the corners of the apartment, seeing his smile in the framed photo that sat on our kitchen table. It made coming home each night feel like reopening a wound that refused to heal. Tonight was no different. I went up the creaking stairs to our floor, each step resonating with exhaustion that had nothing to do with work. The door creaked as I pushed it open, and immediately, a sense of unease settled over me. The air inside felt heavy, diffused with an unnatural silence. “Mum?” I called out, my voice echoing in the silence. A soft cough came from the living room, and I found her there, lying on the couch with an ashen look that made my chest tighten. Her eyes opened at the sound of my voice, she turned her head slowly and a weak smile flitted across her lips, her eyes were dull and sunken. “Hailey,You’re home,” she whispered, her voice weak like she’d break if she spoke any louder. I forced a smile. “Yeah, just got off my shift.” The café had been busier than usual, and every extra hour I put in was supposed to help in taking care of ourselves. But even with the overtime, the bills were piling up, and I was starting to drown in them. “Did you eat today?” she asked. “Yes I did, what about you?” I answered while dropping my bag. “Yeah, Isabel came as usual to cook for me and helped to wash my clothes”, she answered, trying to lift herself up on the pillow, but her effort only led to a painful cough that made me rush to her side. Her color has drained from her face, and her breathing was shallow, each inhale accompanied by a pained wheeze. Don’t push yourself, Mom,” I said, helping her lean back. Her skin was cold to the touch, and I felt the familiar sting of fear grip my chest. I knew she wasn’t well. Since after the death of my dad, she hasn’t been able to put herself together, she fell ill after then but today she looked worse like a wilting flower that couldn’t find the sun. “Mum, what's wrong?” fear clawed at my throat as I placed my hand on her forehead. She was burning up. “I’m fine, it's......just that I'm very weak,” she said but her voice lacked conviction. The strain in her eyes told me what she wouldn't say: it was more than weak. “No, we're going to the hospital,” I insisted, already grabbing her coat and wrapping it around her frail body. She tried to protest, but a fit of coughing cut her off leaving her too weak to resist as I helped her to her feet. I needed to take her to the hospital, but deep down a terrifying question clawed at me. What if she didn't make it?