Kristov was taken to the emergency room of New York Hospital. He needed to undergo immediate surgery to remove the bullet from his abdomen.

I was still shocked by what happened. I felt like I was in a horrible nightmare.

My eyes riveted at the door of the operating room, waiting for anyone to come out to give an update on Kristov's condition. My hands were trembling, thinking of his welfare. The doctor said that he was in a critical condition, because he lost a lot of blood. They were afraid that he had damages in his vital organs.

Worried. Agitated. Anxious. Too many emotions overwhelmed me. I felt like my heart would explode.

I kept recalling what happened earlier, making me upset with myself. This should not happen if I settled the situation with Jacob differently. I was wrong to provoke him and declare my love for Kristov in front of him. That triggered him to fire the gun.

I felt so bad and blamed myself for being responsible for everything.

One hour passed, and I was still in the hallway of the operating room with Jack. I was sitting on a cold metal bench, hugging Kristov's jacket, waiting for the surgery to get done.

"I'll get another cup of coffee. What about you, do you want any drinks?" Jack offered.

"A bottle of water please."

Jack nodded and left me alone.

I texted Mom telling her about what happened when suddenly, there was a sudden commotion. Kristov's father, Pablo Stavrakos, arrived looking so frantic.

Feeling shy of meeting him for the first time, I stood up and greeted him. But all I got was a cold accusing stare.

"What the fuck! You got the nerve to show your face here, when this is all your fault! You and that lunatic boyfriend of yours, will pay for this!" He spatted and pointed a finger at me.

"I'm deeply sorry, Mr. Stavrakos. I'll take the blame, it's all my fault," I was teary-eyed, not able to look him straight in the eye.

"Good. Remember to admit that when you're in court! Get the hell out of here, and out of my son's life."

"Please, sir... I can't leave Kristov. He needs me... and we love each other."

"Love?" He twisted his lips angrily, "Love is not in the Stavrakos vocabulary. We marry for business and power. A woman in low status like you, has no place in our family. We know you only wanted to get access to his bank account."

I was taken aback at the insults he threw at me. Is that how he really sees me? That I'm only after their fortune?

I lifted my chin a little, and met his glaring eyes, "you're right, I'm way below your level, but I'm not after your family's money. Kristov and I believe in love, and we love each other so deeply."

"That's an illusion people commonly made, and only realized their idiocracy after a major fight," He cocked his head to one side, "stop seducing my son, and leave him alone."

"I never seduced him."

"Who are you kidding, Miss Rosi? You work as a maid to my son with an ulterior motive to seduce him," he chuckled nastily.

"That's not true, sir."

"Really? I know how that little brain of yours works. At first, pretending to be a middle-age woman, to intrigue him of you being mysterious, elusive and unattainable," his lips curled cruelly.

"I did it in favor of my aunt. Her arm got injured, and she needed to recover..."

"Ah, same old excuses made by all bimbos," he waved, dismissing my explanation, "a historian graduate working as a maid? That's suspicious. I know you have it all planned, Miss Rosi. You know that men love mystery, intrigue, and the thrill of a chase. And my son... became your victim."

"Believe whatever you want. But I never did such a thing. My conscience is clean, and Kristov knows that."

"The apple never falls far from the tree. You're just like your father, a liar, and most probably, also a thief!"

The mention of my father surprised me, "What has my father done?"

His lips pressed hard, then said, "He stole money from my company."

I was so shocked, hearing the accusation. My eyes grew big in disbelief.

"Dad won't do that. He may be a cheapskate, but he's an honest man."

"Explain that in court. The auditors did the report and the evidence is already in the hands of our lawyers. We're ready to file the case."

"How much... how much did he take?"

"Ten thousand dollars. Though he returned it the following day, it is still considered stealing," he clasped his arms together, "so you, your father and that crazy boyfriend of yours, will rot in jail together."

My heart felt heavier at the information he gave me. The agitation I felt intensified, that I did not know what to feel or think anymore.

I stood in front of him, paralyzed.

"Save yourself from the dilemma. Leave my son alone, and I'll withdraw my case against you and your father. I'll also give you a check of two hundred million dollars, if you promise not to get back to my son ever again."

"I don't need your money, Mr. Stavrakos. I love Kristov so much."

"Stop fooling me with your drama, Miss Rosi. You're just aiming for the whole pot!"

I shook my head, feeling so sad that Kristov's father was so mean. I looked down at the tiled floor, to calm myself.

"Think about it, Miss Rosi," he said, "I'll give you 24 hours for you to decide."

We were interrupted when one of the doctors came out from the operating room and talked to Kristov's father.

"We got the bullet out. He's lucky that no vital organs were damaged. He just lost a lot of blood. We're stitching him up, and he'll be under observation for two hours in the PACU. We'll inform you if we'll transfer him to his room."

"He'll be okay, right?" his father sounded worried.

The doctor heaved a sigh, "let's hope and pray for that. His vital signs are not yet stable. We'll probably give him another blood transfusion... we're doing the best that we can."

The doctor's statement only increased my worry. My heart felt so heavy that it was about to explode.

"Please save him. Do whatever you have to do, money is not an issue here. I'll pay you, whatever the amount. I just want him to live... I don't want to lose him, he's all that I got. Please... I beg you, save my son."

It was so heart wrenching hearing Mr. Stavrakos pleaded with the doctor. When the doctor was gone, he sat at the corner of the cold metal bench, cradling his head with his hands, crying.

I was supposed to be mad at him for being so mean, but I took pity on him. He looked so sad, lonely and miserable there.... He reminded me of Kristov before.

Jack arrived and gave me my bottled water. When he saw Mr. Stavrakos' state, crying at the corner, he kept his distance.

I opened the bottled water and sat beside Mr. Stavrakos. I gave it to him, hoping it would make him feel better.

He looked at me with distaste, but still took the water and drank it.

I stayed beside him in silence and stared at the OR door. I could feel his eyes glancing at me often.

"Put that jacket on, you're shaking and pale as a ghost," he snapped at me, and I did what he said immediately, putting on Kristov's jacket.

I heard him snort, then said, "Kristov is very talented. A genius. He excelled in everything that he put his hands into. He's really good at painting... he won grand prize in the first competition that he joined. That's brilliant, no one ever did that before... only him. Do you know that?"

I nodded, but still sat in silence.

"It took me years to get hold of that painting. The art museum that got hold of it would not sell. I did a lot of bargaining, until last year, they finally decided to take my offer. I just have to have it. Because it's my son's greatest achievement."

He snorted, tears kept falling on his cheeks.

"I'm so proud of Kristov, and it sucks that he doesn't know that," he wiped his tears with the back of his hand. I gave him some paper towel that I got from the bathroom earlier, and he took it.

"I don't want to lose him... God... not again. This is like the same scenario that happened nine years ago."

"Kristov is not going to die, Mr. Stavrakos. He won't," I said, with hot tears rolling down my cheeks.

He nodded, but not really convinced. He sobbed, "I have to act cold, strict and disciplinarian... to earn his respect. I want him to be in business, to stick with me. I hate being alone. That's why I have to give him too much responsibility. The more responsibility he has, the more he will stay with me."

I patted his arm. He snorted and continued, "that kid is full of surprises. He did a great job in the business. He put his heart and soul in it. The company grew ten-folds when he started managing it."

"He said he enjoyed the challenge of closing deals."

"Really?" his eyes lit up, "I'm always afraid that I only forced him to be in the business. You see... Kristov grew up stubborn, unpredictable and rebellious. He wanted to explore too many things, and art was his solace. It was hard to understand him at that time, so we clashed all the time. His older brother Anton was more... obedient and controllable, I would say. We were the same, who wanted power and wealth. But he didn't know how to control himself, especially when drinking. Because of that, it killed him and my wife."

"So it was not Kristov's fault."

"Never," he shook his head, "Anton was responsible for that accident. I refused to acknowledge it at first, because I admit, he was my favorite child."

"Why does Kristov feel like it was his fault?"

His forehead furrowed, taking time to answer, "if that's so, I feel responsible for it. I had been so hard on him, being so insensitive to his feelings," he heaved a deep sigh. "Growing up, he always seemed so tough, strong and unmoved on anything that I say to him. He was rebellious, so I thought it was okay to tell him anything hurtful. Anyways, everything he hears, he lets it pass to his other ear and forget."

"He's a very sensitive man, and he remembers everything. The accident is very traumatic to him, until now he could not get over it. I feel like he has this survivor's guilt and wishes that he was the one who died, not them."

He exhaled heavily, then stared at the floor, "it was my fault. I made him feel that way."

Two hours later, we were still sitting at the metal bench. Mr. Stavrakos fell asleep, after eating the sandwiches that Jack gave us.

Jack left to get us cups of coffee. I pulled the jacket closer, it was getting cold. I checked the time on my wrist watch, it was almost midnight. I leaned back comfortably, getting used to the cold bench and yawned, when the OR door opened.

A female doctor came out, and looked at me.

My heart pounded so fast, I stood up and asked her.

"How's Kristov?"

She smiled, and said, "he's awake, and looking for you."

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