Chapter Thirty-Nine
"Laurence?" Whispered Arianna, so softly as if she was talking in her dreams.
Laurence heard her distinctly. Relief flooeded his senses as a few tears of joy fell from his eyes. "Yes, I've found you Aria, " he spoke as more tears trickled down his cheeks.
"God, I beg of you, please don't let this be a dream, " she whispered hoarsely, almost to herself, nearly in tears. She was tired of dreaming of Laurence only to wake up to a harsh reality. It seemed as if she was in a trance without any wish to wake up.
"It's not a dream Aria. I'm really here. Come to your senses, please, " begged Laurence, softly touching her cheek so as not to hurt her. She looked so fragile lying on the hospital bed that he didn't know if he could touch her anywhere. Arianna opened her eyes wide and stared at Laurence for a long time, unable to believe that he was really here. Suddenly realisation struck her and her face fell.
"I wish you were mine," she said closing her eyes when she realised that he had moved on and remarried. He wasn't hers anymore. "It's too late. I've lost you," She said as she tried to get up and touch Laurence's face.
Before Laurence could answer her she fell to the bed again losing her consciousness. Laurence stared at her still body with shock. He rushed out to summon the nurse incharge of her. The nurse checked her,"Her pulse is abnormally quick. Sir, you need to let her gain normalcy first. She's undergone a shock. I'll check her now. Please could you wait at the lobby?" Asked the nurse politely.
Laurence nodded and went outside and sat down with his head in his hands at the ICU lobby. Sammy who was waiting at the same place noticed him and came towards him.
"Hello, Mr Lennard? Can I have a word with you?" He said politely. Laurence looked up not knowing the man who knew him.
"How do you know me?" He asked with surprise.
"I'm Samuel Hughes, my friend Ben Grimley and I met Arianna Willis when she was having a hard time and brought her here," he informed.
"Why did you bring her here? You should have taken her to her home?" Said Laurence not liking the man. It was because he brought her here that he hadn't been able to find her.
"Which home are you talking about? Did she have anywhere else to go with two hitmen hounding her in Las Vegas, ready to kill her?" Asked Sammy patiently.
Laurence stared at him with his jaws dropped. "Why should hitmen be after her?" He asked slowly.
"Because your parents appointed Jake Langley to kill her. She was lucky that our friend Jamie was driving the cab she was in. He saved her life and took her to his friend Ben and his wife Jane's house. They sheltered her while Jake searched for her everywhere. Jakes goons accidentally smashed their car into yours causing you and your friend the life threatening accident. It was actually meant for Arianna," said Sammy. Laurence was unable to utter a single sentence. He had no idea his parents could stoop this low.
"How do you know so much?" He asked the man named Sammy.
"I have lived it with Arianna, Mr Lennard. I've helped her since that fateful day. I know everything about her. I was there when she gave birth to Lauren. Ben and I have taken care of her like family. Who would know more if not me?" He asked Laurence vehemently. He couldn't say that he loved her more than he loved himself and for her happiness he had made it his life mission to help her out.
"Why did you bring her here and not anywhere else?" Asked Laurence curiously.
"Ben and Jane were relocating from Vegas to here in Russellville. Their family home parents and children lived here so we brought Arianna too here," informed Sammy and Laurence nodded in understanding.
"After my accident, when I recovered, you could have contacted me and brought her back to me?" Asked Laurence a little jealous with Sammy. Did he like Arianna and keep her here purposely for himself? He couldn't help the thought from coming to his head.
"You think I haven't tried?" Asked Sammy with disbelief. How this man was so ignorant about what his wife went through. Typical billionaires!
"I have left my work and for days stayed at Vegas trying to reach out to you. Your parents had appointed a more dangerous conman Antony Ramsden to hunt Arianna and kill her. Even Jake Langley was searching for her else your dad's wrath wouldn't let him return to Vegas. They tapped your office numbers, I couldn't call. They screened all who went to meet you, they stalked you like a shadow. You tell me how I could have met you? For the last four years I've tried my best to contact you. It was only because of your sister Lisa that I found your new number. I messaged her on Facebook and she replied instantly," said Sammy. Laurence listened intently understanding the gravity of the crime that his parents had committed.
"I'm sorry for everything that you all went through. I couldn't protect my Aria. I shouldn't have taken her to my house to meet my parents in the first place," he sighed.
"It's all in the past now. Why are you here Mr Lennard? We've seen your wedding pictures on your mom's Facebook profile. Please don't break Arianna's heart anymore than you already did," said Sammy, his voice breaking with suppressed emotions. This time he wouldn't listen to Arianna. Laurence was out of her life. He had moved on. So she might as well. Sammy decided to marry Arianna and adopt Lauren and cherish them for life.
"My mom was sick and dying. It was her last wish to see me married. I had no say in it. I was forced into it. But I had informed my wife that if I ever found Aria and my daughter, I would divorce her. She agreed as she loved another man and had been forced to marry me. So now when I found Aria, I've decided to divorce my wife. She agreed and had left before I arrived here," Laurence informed Sammy.
Sammy let out a sigh. He was glad everything was sorted. "Will you take them back with you?" He asked Laurence.
"Yes," said Laurence. The nurse treating Arianna walked out of the ICU. She stopped seeing them.
"She's sleeping. Let her rest and take it slow," she advised, walking away when they both nodded.
"Come I'll show you an angel," said Sammy getting up. Laurence understood that he was talking about his baby. He eagerly followed Sammy to the pediatric ward. Sammy spoke to the head nurse inchage of the ward. He came back to Laurence after a while.
"They're releasing Lauren since she's fine. I told them that her dad's here to take her home," said Sammy with a sad smile on his face. He knew that he shouldn't be selfish but he couldn't help his poor heart. After fifteen minutes the pediatric department checked Laurence's identity and after being satisfied that he was indeed Lauren's dad, they went to get Lauren ready.
She came rushing out and went straight to Sammy. He picked her up in his arms and Laurence felt very jealous of Sammy. It was clear that the child trusted him a lot. "Shammy, I got a boo boo, see?" She told Sammy who blew into her wounds and kissed them. Laurence watched them interact and his heart filled up with sadness. Maybe Lauren would never accept him as her dad.
"Better?" Sammy asked her.
"Yes. Where's mommy?" She asked looking around and staring at Laurence.
"Mommy's sleeping, so we will take her home tomorrow, " Sammy explained.
"Okay. Who aal you?" She asked, looking at Laurence.
"He's your daddy, sweetheart. He's come to take you and mommy home," explained Sammy. Lauren stared at Laurence for sometime and then embedded her face into Sammy's neck.
"You my daddy," she said with a sob. Laurence felt hot tears prick his eyes. All his hopes of uniting with his own baby were dashed.
"No baby. I'm your friend. See your daddy? He looks like you, he was sick many years and couldn't come to get you. Now he's fine and he has found you. Shouldn't you love him? He doesn't have anyone to love him," explained Sammy. Lauren stared at Laurence for sometime.
Her little eyes filled with tears as she stared into Laurence's sad eyes. "Aal you my daddy?" She asked in her sweet angelic voice.
"Yes sweetheart, I am," Laurence said hopefully. "Will you come to daddy? I'm waiting to take you in my arms," he said softly.
Lauren looked at him properly. "No one love you daddy?" She asked curiously.
"No princess, no one loves me," he said. He opened his arms to her and she jumped into his arms.
"I will love you daddy," she said kissing his cheek. Laurence hugged her small body to himself and tears of joy fell from his eyes.
"Don't cry daddy. I will take care of you," she said hugging her poor poor daddy and wiping his tears away.
Laurence felt a strange bonding with this little girl from the moment he saw her. He felt a tug at his heart as she accepted him as her daddy. He silently thanked God. Looking at Sammy he nodded silently and mouthed a thanks for everything that he had done for him and his family. He was indebted to Sammy.
