Lily turned to her husband, confusion etching her features. Mike, offering a helpless smile, reassured her, "I'll explain later." The policemen took charge, demanding her attention.
"Now, Mrs. Andrews, if we may have your attention," the policeman asserted.
Lily, still in a state of bewilderment, turned back to face them. Mike couldn't help but feel a rising unease at the way they were addressing his wife. Couldn't they see she was wounded and weak?
"We'd like to see if we got your statement correctly," the policeman continued.
Mike's attention sharpened, sensing the gravity of the situation. The other policeman began to read from the statement he had taken down.
"You were driving to a private celebration when you saw a friend, Mrs. Leslie Caldwell, enter a dangerous-looking building," the policeman stated.
Mike's surprise registered; Leslie was involved. He hoped she was okay.
"You knew that the building was dangerous because of the neighborhood it was in, and you had seen thugs around there before. You were worried and couldn't leave your friend in such a place, so you waited outside. But you suddenly heard her scream and you called the police while you entered the building. When you went in, you saw them attacking your friend with a bat," the policeman continued, narrating the events from Lily's statement.
Mike listened in shock as the policeman detailed the harrowing events that had unfolded. Lily's ordeal seemed like something out of a nightmare, and Mike's protective instincts flared as he absorbed the gravity of the situation.
"You reported your location, but you were suddenly stabbed in the back and dropped the phone. Your friend was unconscious at that time. The men in the building passed lewd comments about you, and it seemed like they wanted to sexually assault you. You tried to buy time by offering them money, but they only seemed to consider it after you mentioned that your father's name was Caldwell. After negotiating with them to release the two of you at fifty million, they agreed, but the police arrived at that time and you were saved," the policeman concluded, laying bare the terrifying sequence of events.
Lily nodded, confirming the accuracy of her statement. "Okay, Mrs. Andrews, we'll contact you if we need more information," the policeman said before both officers left.
The room fell into an uneasy silence as the weight of what Lily had endured settled in.
"Honey, I'm so sorry I wasn't there," Mike expressed, his voice filled with regret.
Lily, however, smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. "You're here now. I'm grateful for that," she reassured him.
Mike's eyes softened as he looked at his wife. "I wish I could take your pain away. You don't deserve to suffer like this," he confessed, his concern evident.
"You know, honestly speaking, I'm glad you weren't there. You would have fought and probably taken a beating for me," Lily said, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Anything for you, my love. If you need anything or are in pain, tell me right away," Mike insisted.
"Yes, hubby," Lily responded, and in that shared moment, the couple found solace in each other's presence.
"Are you worried about Leslie?" Lily suddenly asked, breaking the calm.
Mike froze for a short while before smiling a helpless smile. "You always know what I'm thinking," he admitted.
"You can go and see her. I'm okay," Lily said, giving her husband permission to address his concerns for their friend.
"I'm not leaving you. You need me more," Mike asserted, shaking his head in response to Lily's suggestion about checking on Leslie.
"How about this, I'm worried about Leslie, so could you check on her for me?" Lily proposed, her eyes employing a puppy-dog expression.
Mike resisted, sticking to his resolve, "I already told you, I'm not leaving."
"But you said you'd do anything for me," Lily countered, using her irresistible charm.
Mike, succumbing to the power of her puppy eyes, reluctantly gave in. "Fine, but I'll be right back," he conceded.
Mike hurriedly got up and left to check on Leslie, leaving Lily alone in the hospital room.
As soon as he was out of sight, Lily's warm and affectionate demeanor transformed. Her eyes turned cold, and with calculated precision, she pulled out a phone from a secret compartment in her bag.
Sending a message to a contact labeled "Sweetheart 1," Lily's words were cryptic yet revealing. "I'm fine, love. How are things on your end?" she typed. The response was swift, a series of hearts and three words, "Good, no evidence."
Lily smirked, satisfied with the communication. She switched the phone off and concealed it back in the secret compartment of her bag.
---
As Lily lay in her hospital bed, her parents and stepbrothers entered the room. Erica, her mother, rushed to her side and took hold of her hand, her face etched with concern.
"Baby, how are you feeling?" Erica asked, her voice reflecting the worry in her eyes.
Lily managed a small smile in response. "I'm fine, Mother. It was just a small scratch," she reassured, trying to ease her mother's concerns.
"They wouldn't use this many bandages if it was just a scratch," Lexis, one of Lily's stepbrothers, pointed out.
Lily dismissed their concerns with a light-hearted tone, "You guys worry too much. I promise it's not as bad as it looks."
Richard, Lily's stepdad, joined the conversation with a frown. "Where's Michael? Why isn't he here yet?" he inquired, his worry evident.
Lily took a moment to explain, "Mike was here a while ago, but I sent him to check on Leslie. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be with your wife, Ethan?" Lily directed her attention to her other stepbrother.
Ethan scowled at the mere thought of his wife, displaying a clear reluctance to see her. Instead, he expressed his preference to be with his beloved sister. His eyes filled with affection as he gazed at Lily. "She's probably fine. You need us more," Ethan declared, emphasizing his commitment to supporting Lily during her time of need
Lily shook her head, insisting, "Ethan, your wife needs you more. Mike will be back soon, so I won't be alone."
Ethan hesitated, torn between his loyalty to his sister and the pressing need to check on his wife. Lily's eyes, a reflection of trust and understanding, made him waver and eventually give in. "Fine, I'll be right back," Ethan said with a sigh before he left the room.
After Ehtan left her mother prompted her to share the details of what had transpired. Lily began to recount the events, describing the harrowing experience she and Leslie had gone through. Her family listened intently, expressions ranging from shock to anger as they absorbed the gravity of the situation.
---
Meanwhile, Mike arrived at the room where Leslie was being treated. Bandages wrapped around the top part of Leslie's head, and Mike could see her making a feeble attempt to turn her head.
"Ethan, is that you?" Leslie asked weakly.
Mike corrected her, "It's Mike."
A hint of disappointment flickered across Leslie's face. "Oh," she responded, clearly expecting someone else.