he had raged. “Children just vanish into thin air!”
That’s when Tamara Evans appeared, having conveniently replaced her predecessor. She knew where Alex was. She quickly realized this wealthy man needed the boy for more than just fatherly affection. He had his own agenda. What it was, she didn’t particularly care. She was more interested in the sum Michael had promised if she could get him his son quickly and without complications. And she succeeded. Alex was now in his country house. The final test results would be ready soon, and the paperwork for the boy was already done. Soon, they would fly to Nick. Yes, his son would be saved.
Did Michael consider Alex his son? No. To him, he was just some kid, an inconvenience. But the life of his beloved son depended on this inconvenience.
Julia waited impatiently for her husband’s return. Everything was working out perfectly. They didn’t have to negotiate with the boy’s mother. She had conveniently died at just the right time. The boys’ blood types were a match. They would do the surgery for Nick and then send this other boy back to his country, to a group home. Where else would he go? Raising her husband’s love child was definitely not part of her plan.
Michael was furious that morning. How could this have happened? The boy seemed perfectly healthy, an ideal donor by all accounts. And now it turned out he had a heart condition. Probably inherited from his useless mother. She had died from it, after all. What rotten luck! How was he going to tell Julia? The doctors had told him flat out that no clinic in the world would perform the transplant with such a condition. It would be a death sentence for Alex. Michael cried out of sheer helplessness. Was his Nick, his own boy, doomed? He wasn’t thinking about Alex. He felt no pity for him. But Nick, how could he help him now? Without the surgery, he wouldn’t last a year.
Just then, Julia called.
“When are you flying out?” she asked impatiently. “The doctor from the clinic called and said they’ve started prepping Nick for surgery. Hurry up, darling. Our boy is so weak.”
“Julia, I don’t know what to do,” Michael said. “Something has come up…”
He told her about Alex’s condition. Julia was silent for a long time, then erupted in a stream of curses. She cursed Michael for his wild youth, his former mistresses, and the late Ellie.
“I thought at least something good would come out of your affairs. And now you tell me this. You know what, darling? I don’t care how you do it, but you have to bring that boy here,” she declared.
“But Julia… the doctors said…”
“I don’t give a damn what they said. We’ll find a doctor who will do the surgery.”
“So you’re saying…”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. I don’t care what happens to that puppy. My son must live, and that’s final.”
Michael was taken aback by his wife’s harshness, her cruelty, but she was right. That’s what he thought. Right now, the only thing that mattered was Nick. He called the clinic and asked them to prepare all the documents. A doctor he knew, who was in on the plan for a hefty sum, reminded him of the risk.
“Don’t you lecture me!” Michael snapped. “Just get the paperwork ready.”
He then called the airport and booked two tickets for the next day.
Alex lay in his room. He hadn’t eaten properly for days, throwing most of his food away. His mind was clear now, but he was weak from hunger. He had to get out. The boy noticed that when the young maid came, she left the key in the lock. The old woman was cunning; she always put the key in her pocket. But the girl didn’t. He would have to trick her somehow, lock her in the room, and escape. He needed to get to a phone and call Aunt Susan. Only now did Alex begin to understand what a terrible mistake he had made. He thought his own father would love him. But that hadn’t happened. The man was completely indifferent. He had locked him up for some reason and never came to see him. Alex would tell Aunt Susan everything; she would know what to do. She was a good person, Aunt Susan. And Uncle Paul was good, too. It was a shame he was only realizing it now.
The key turned in the lock. The smiling girl entered.
“Eat!” she said sweetly in broken English.
“Hey, the bathroom is flooded!” the boy blurted out, the first thing that came to mind. “Can you see what’s wrong?”
The girl looked at him, confused. Yes, her English was clearly not her strong suit. Alex gestured for her to come to the bathroom, trying his best to explain the problem. The girl went into the bathroom first. Alex slammed the door shut and slid the bolt. The maid screamed and started banging on the door. Alex ran out of the room and locked the main door behind him. It was a solid door; the noise from inside was barely audible. Clutching the key, he ran down the stairs. The problem was, he had no idea where he was going. There had to be a landline phone somewhere in the house. But where?
He heard footsteps downstairs and ducked into the nearest room, hiding behind a curtain. Michael and the old woman, Emma, entered the room.
“Emma, pack the boy’s things. We’re flying out tomorrow,” Michael said.
“You’re still going?” the old woman inquired.
“What other choice do I have? Without this surgery, my boy won’t survive.”
“Mr. Sinclair, forgive me, but I have to say this. He’s your son, too. Don’t you feel any pity? What if the boy doesn’t survive?”
“Emma, watch what you say!” Michael shouted. “What son? He’s just biological material for my real child. I didn’t ask that Ellie to have him. But since he’s here, he might as well do some good.”
“At the cost of his own life…”
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