Veils Of Illusion

Trust at Risk

The coldness of her skin sent a chill of fear through him.

“s**t, the rain, Ella!” Panic flashed through him as her limp body leaned against him.

“We need to take her to the hospital,” Chris said, adjusting the shirt he had helped Ella put on. He stood up and carried her in his arms, ignoring Clara’s accusations. He wasn’t going to waste more time explaining.

“I’ll explain later. For now, she needs to be treated.” His voice was calm and reassuring as he looked at the two people before him. But Evans stepped in front of him with a dark expression. “Give her to me.” His voice was thick with distaste; he hated that Chris had his fiancée in his arms.

Chris looked up at him, his patience snapping. “Move. I’m not asking.” His words cut through the tension like a warning.

“You won’t go anywhere until we know what happened,” Evans countered, his eyes hard.

Chris’s face hardened with fury. “Get the hell out of my way. I won’t tell you again.” His voice was filled with a quiet intensity that made Evans hesitate; the determination in Chris’s eyes was undeniable. As Evans stepped aside, Chris wasted no time and bolted out of the tent. His footsteps pounded on the muddy ground as he clutched Ella tightly in his arms.

Family members were already close by, and the smiles on their faces vanished when they saw Chris holding Ella to his chest. His shirt covered her, and both Evans and Clara stood outside the tent with bitter expressions.

“Oh my God, what happened to her?” Bianca asked, following her son. Clara's voice rang out in protest, but there was no time for arguing. “Mum, where's the key?” Isabella opened the backseat for Chris as he gently laid Ella down and shut the door. He got into the driver's seat and pulled away.

“What in heaven’s name was all that about?” King Charles whispered, turning back to look at his son and Clara.

“We will talk about this later; for now, we have to get to the hospital.” They all nodded as they took their places in the cars. Both Evans and Clara said nothing, following silently.

An uneasy silence hung in the air, leaving everyone confused about the situation. Why was Chris carrying Ella in his shirt, and why did Clara and Evans look so lost? An old woman sat calmly by the window, scanning the world as it blurred past, a strange knowing glint in her eyes as she smiled softly to herself.

The king noticed and asked, “Why are you smiling at a time like this?” He frowned in confusion as her calm, cryptic voice broke the silence.

“The rain has washed away the surface, revealing what’s truly underneath. What we saw today was just a glimpse of their bond; it is deeper than this.” The smile on her face never faded as she explained.

Her words did little to ease the tension. Clara looked at her through the rearview mirror, clenched her fists, and bit the inside of her cheeks to prevent herself from lashing out. The old woman’s smile annoyed her even more.

“No one cares about your damn riddles, old woman! Why don’t you just tell us what happened between them?” Clara snapped. The old woman, however, said nothing as her gaze returned to the window. The king gave Clara a steady look, and she understood the message. Once again, the car was enveloped in silence as the cold thickened. Both Clara's and Evan’s thoughts spiraled. The image of Ella pressed against his brother’s bare chest with her pale skin kept replaying in Evan’s mind. Clara, however, was haunted by a darker suspicion. The scene looked so intimate, fueling her fear that something had indeed happened between them. Confusion hung in the air like the mist left behind by the storm—heavy, elusive, and full of mysteries.

The first car came to a halt at the royal family's private hospital. Chris quickly got out and opened the back door. “Chris, you need to—” Bianca didn’t get to finish her sentence before Chris scooped Ella into his arms and rushed inside. “I’ll get her there myself; it will take time for them to wheel her in.” Bianca glanced at her friend, whose tears had dried on her cheeks as she watched her son’s retreating figure. “Don’t worry, Bella, your daughter will be okay.” Isabella nodded gratefully to her friend before following Chris into the hospital. Soon enough, the other cars came into view, and everyone rushed inside.

The private hospital loomed grandly, yet the atmosphere felt suffocating and heavy with tension. Chris rushed forward and gently placed Ella on the bed, running his hands through his hair. “Doctor, please do anything in your power to make sure she gets better.” The doctor nodded in understanding and asked the nurses to wheel the bed inside. Chris pulled the doctor back and locked eyes with him. “She has to be okay.” The doctor swallowed, gave him a shaky smile, took a deep breath, and walked away. He paced the hallway, still in the trousers and shoes from the previous day’s event, his hands buried deep in his pockets and a worried expression on his face.

The hurried footsteps of family members echoed through the room. Clara's eyes were locked onto Chris, her expression twisted with anger.

“What happened between the two of you?” she demanded sharply. Chris stopped pacing and stared down at her. Taking a deep breath, he replied, “Clara, can we talk about this at home?” All he could think about was Ella and how she was doing in the ICU.

“No, I want an explanation right now!” Clara's voice caught the attention of the others. Overwhelmed with worry, Chris struggled to respond. Bianca stepped in, her voice calm yet authoritative. “Clara, that's enough,” Bianca said, positioning herself between them. “We’ll discuss this at home.” She turned to Clara with a gentle expression. “Ella needs resilience, not chaos.”

Despite Bianca's intervention, Clara was determined to get answers. “Chris, I know you're hiding something. What happened between you two?” Her words pushed Chris to the edge, and he faced her. “Nothing happened. Ella was in trouble, and I helped her. That's it,” he snapped, frustration rising within him.

“Helped her?” Clara scoffed, narrowing her eyes. “I’m not blind; I saw you two together. You were so close.”

“That’s enough,” Chris replied sharply, stepping closer to her. His voice dropped to a low tone. “Try to be reasonable for once. We all know what happens when Ella gets caught in a rainstorm.” Clara rolled her eyes and took a seat. “Fine, but you still have some explaining to do.” She crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly. Around, but deep down her heart was still aching.

“Well, I want an answer now,” Evans said calmly, his gaze fixed on Chris as he took intimidating steps toward his younger brother.

“She was in danger; I had to step in,” Chris replied, his fist clenched. “Ella needed me. She needed assistance.”

Clara stepped in, her voice trembling with hurt. “Oh, so you didn’t think of my feelings before taking this step? Didn’t you even consider how I would feel seeing you in that position? With a woman?” She stood up and walked toward him.

“Best friends or not…” Chris looked around at his family members, each displaying different expressions. Turning back to his fiancée, he replied in a low voice, “That’s Ella we’re talking about.” He pointed at the ICU. “I don’t give a damn about her. Why does it have to be Ella?” This time, his voice dripped with venomous hatred, and tears streamed down Clara’s cheeks.

“That's enough,” the king, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up. Chris gave him a grateful look and continued pacing the hallway. Clara had no choice but to return to her seat. Silence fell over the group once again, as various emotions filled the atmosphere.

They saw a doctor walking out of Ella’s room with a chart in his hands. He approached them and cleared his throat. They waited anxiously for the doctor’s announcement. Chris almost collided with the doctor. “How is she?” he asked in concern.

“She’s stable at the moment. We will have to keep her here for 24 hours to make sure everything is okay,” the doctor said, adjusting his glasses.

“Her body is exceptionally sensitive to environmental changes, especially when rain hits dry ground. It pollutes the air, which some people might describe as an earthy scent, but for Ella, it’s a trigger.” The doctor tapped the page gently. “We know how sensitive she is when it rains, but this has never been this severe.” Isabella finally spoke, her voice a bit hoarse from crying.

“That’s because she was exposed to it for too long. When that happens, it can cause a type of allergic bronchospasm.” The doctor paused and looked at the family members.

“Meaning?” the king asked.

“Meaning that her airways tighten, which led to her fainting and fatigue.”

“She needs to avoid exposure to rainfall after a dry spell, or she can use medication to help her breathe.” He scribbled something on a paper and handed it to Chris. But before Chris could fully comprehend the situation, Evans had already taken the note. To avoid conflict, Chris let it slide and focused on the doctor.

“Can we go see her?” Isabella asked urgently.

“Yes, but only for an hour; after that, she needs rest,” the doctor nodded and walked away.

“Please, compose yourselves. Ella doesn’t need any noise, am I clear?” Bianca’s voice was soft but firm. Chris, Clara, and Evans nodded as her cold gaze settled on them.

“Just warn him to stay away,” Evans mumbled as he walked into the room. Bianca released a deep breath and followed him inside. They all entered the room quietly.

Clara stood up and turned to Chris. “It’s so nice to have a fiancé who cares about you, right?” She walked away before Chris could respond.

With no other options, Chris ran his hands through his hair and opened the door, but he wondered why his heart rate was increasing.