Married to a cripple billionaire

Episode5

The Unwinding

Camille's breathing became short and panicked as the nurse's words kept repeating in her head. *His condition has worsened. We don't know how much time he has left. The surroundings started to blend together for her, with Fred's confident look, Adrian's worried stare, and the chilly hospital atmosphere all becoming a blurred swirl.

Her father’s life was coming to an end. The individual she had struggled to shield, the sole motivation she had endured this horror for, was starting to escape.

Adrian's voice cut through the fog, calling out to Camille. His gentle touch on her arm brought her back to reality. "You must visit him."

Her lips quivered, unable to vocalize as the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her chest. Despite Fred's imminent danger, her father was her sole concern at the moment.

"I have to leave," she stuttered, her voice trembling.

Fred's smile remained unwavering, his deep eyes shining with contentment. "Go on, run off now." However, Camille, keep in mind that your time is running short. We are both aware of what action you need to take in order to rescue him.

Camille felt a chill in her blood. She understood perfectly what Fred was implying. The wedding ceremony. The agreement. His retaliation. From the beginning, he had clearly stated that she had to choose between her father's life or her freedom.

"Ignore him," Adrian interjected, his voice soft yet resolute. Other methods exist. You don't need to proceed with this.

However, Camille was no longer certain. She had attempted various strategies to elude Fred's trap, but he consistently stayed ahead of her, drawing her further into his scheme. With her father's life at stake, how could she possibly consider retaliating?

Camille reiterated, her voice feeble yet determined, "I need to leave."

She spun around, with her legs wobbly, rushing down the corridor as the nurse guided her towards the ICU. Adrian called out to her, but she was unable to halt. Not at this moment.

The dog ran quickly to catch the ball in the backyard.

Upon entering her father's room, she immediately noticed the antiseptic scent in the air. Machines made steady beeping sounds, with tubes and wires linking him to different monitors. His appearance was delicate, his previously robust body now shriveled and colorless. She felt a sharp pain in her heart as she saw it.

"Father," she murmured, tears welling in her eyes as she neared his hospital bed. "I have arrived."

He moved a little, his eyes opening with a flutter. Pain obscured their vision, yet a spark of recognition remained when he spotted her.

"Camille..." He spoke softly, barely heard over the noise of the machines.

She kneeled next to him and held his weak hand in her own. "Dad, I have arrived." I am present here.

His eyes became gentler, yet there was a weight in his face that caused Camille's chest to constrict. He attempted to talk, but he struggled with shallow breathing.

"You are not required to do it," he croaked, his words barely audible.

Camille's heart leaped for a moment. What is it that you are referring to?

He gently grasped her hand, but the force behind his grip was quickly diminishing. Fred.... he... he's not telling the truth. Do not... tie the knot with him.

Confusion and fear swirled inside her as her eyes widened. "What is your source of information?"

Her father's mouth opened as though he was going to speak, but instead he coughed strongly, his body shaking with the effort. Camille frantically pressed the nurse call button, unable to look away from him. What was his intention in conveying that message to her?

The nurse quickly entered, her expression serene yet pressing as she assessed his vital signs. She said his state was not steady, as she looked at Camille. "We will give our all, but he is extremely feeble."

Camille nodded with a numb feeling, her heart racing as her father's words repeated in her head. *Fred is not telling the truth.* But not telling the truth about what? What about the agreement? What are his reasons? Her father was aware of something - something he had never disclosed to her before. And at this moment, time was dwindling away.

While the nurse was changing his IV, Camille's father unexpectedly grabbed her wrist firmly. "He said not to believe him," he wheezed, his eyes widened and panicky.

"Who is it?" Camille murmured, her heart beating quickly.

He gasped, his chest rising and falling irregularly, calling out to Fred. "He's not... as you imagine."

Camille was about to inquire further when his body suddenly convulsed, causing the machines to sound alarms. Nurses hurriedly entered the room and pulled Camille away, her heart pounding in her chest while they attempted to stabilize him.

"Whispering 'no,' her body shook as they hurriedly tried to save her father who was declining."

As they carried out emergency procedures, time appeared to slow down with the room spinning around her. Camille's thoughts raced, her father's mysterious caution echoing repeatedly in her mind. What did Fred do? What was the intention of her father?

After what seemed like forever, the doctor backed away, his expression solemn. "He is currently in a stable condition, but I fear that we are running out of time." If you wish to bid farewell..."

Camille's knees gave out, causing her to lean against the wall to steady herself. The words struck her with the force of a freight train. Saying farewell? How can she bid farewell when there is still so much she hasn't learned yet?

She departed from her father's room feeling disoriented, with a heavy heart and swirling thoughts. Fred stood in the hallway waiting for her, with his eyes as cold and calculating as always.

"Any news?" he inquired, his tone feigning concern. "Did you have the opportunity to bid farewell?"

Camille was seething with anger. She asked, her voice quivering with feelings, "What are you keeping secret?" "What was the meaning behind my father's accusation of you lying?"

Fred's facial expression remained steady, however, there was a hint of darkness in his eyes. Camille, your father is close to death. He may not be thinking rationally.

She snapped, "Don't talk down to me." "What is it that you are keeping from me?"

Fred's grin disappeared as he squinted his eyes. "It's irrelevant." What is important is the agreement we reached. If you agree to marry me, your father will receive top-notch care until he passes away. If you withdraw now, you will be responsible for his death.

Camille felt her stomach churning. Fred's voice had a chilling coldness to it, hinting at something unsaid. She couldn't solve the puzzle of her father's warning yet, but she was certain that Fred was not being fully honest.

She whispered that she would not marry him, her voice shaking but firm.

Fred's eyes filled with anger. "You will come to repent this."

Adrian appeared with a tense expression before Camille could reply. "Camille, I just received a phone call." There is something that you must look at.

"What is that?" she inquired, still processing the discussion with her father.

Adrian spoke solemnly about your father's accident and Fred. I believe I have discovered something that will alter everything.