Page 50 of Believing in a Billionaire
“She is resting comfortably now, it seems. Hopefully, that’ll keep.”
Unfortunately, her peaceful slumber didn’t last long. She slept restlessly, moaning at times as she dozed on and off, her condition deteriorating.
Grant paced the floor at the foot of the bed, biting his thumbnail as he monitored her, each passing second more and more difficult to watch.
His heart thudded as they waited to see if she’d show any signs of improvement. With another moan, she fluttered her eyes open as the sun tinted the morning sky.
“Hey, Juju, how are you feeling?” Alicia asked as she rubbed her hand.
“Worse,” she admitted.
His heart dropped at the muttered word. Kyle pressed closer, monitoring her vitals. “Her fever’s higher than ever. She’s pale, and her heart rate is too high. She’s in enough distress that I don’t think we should wait any longer.”
Grant’s chest tightened with the words as Worthington left to call an ambulance.
Kyle pressed his phone to his ear. “I’m calling ahead to let the hospital know we’re coming.”
“Grant?” Julia’s weak voice called to him.
He pushed past Alicia and grabbed her hand. “I’m right here, Julia. I’m right here.”
Her eyebrows pinched as she struggled to do something, but he wasn’t sure what. Before she could, a tear rolled from her eye before her body went limp.
“Julia?” he called as he patted her hand. “Julia?”
His voice rose, shaking with panic. “She’s not waking up.”
Kyle pushed past him and pressed two fingers against her wrist. “Her pulse is thready and weak. Sierra, go wait for theambulance and bring them up here right away. Let’s get her on her side.”
Sierra’s eyes, wide with terror, met Grant’s for a fleeting second before she flew from the bed, her footsteps echoing like a desperate plea for help.
“Is she worse?” Grant asked.
“Yes,” Kyle said. “I want to make sure she doesn’t have any trouble breathing. So far, so good, but we need to get her to the hospital right away.”
Grant’s stomach churned at the words as panic filled him. Was this Lydia’s doing? But how?
The paramedics arrived moments later, escorted by Sierra who looked just as panicked as he felt. He wrapped an arm around his daughter who trembled against him, clinging to him for strength, but he feared he didn’t have it to give.
Kyle barked orders to the paramedics, offering insight on Julia’s condition. “I want her on oxygen immediately and a rapid saline infusion. We need to stabilize her now. She’s been suffering from nausea, headache, rapid pulse for the past several hours. Vomiting several hours ago, no food or water since. I’ll ride with her.”
The paramedics loaded her onto the gurney as Kyle shifted his eyes to Grant. “Dad, you coming along in the ambulance?”
“Uh, yeah,” he said, his voice weak. “Sierra…”
“Go, Daddy. Alicia and I will follow you. I’ll call James.”
“Okay,” he said as he left his daughter behind and followed the paramedics to the ambulance, climbing inside with Kyle.
His son monitored her vitals as he took a seat next to her, clutching her hand in his.
The ambulance doors closed and the engine revved. They lurched forward, sirens blaring on the way to the hospital.
“Prep a round of epi, just in case.”
Grant’s heart pounded against his chest. Kyle had used that medication the last time Julia had been critically wounded in the car accident. He’d used it when her heart stopped. Did he suspect that would happen now?
“Kyle? Is she–”
