Evan Hollen POV
"Mr. Hollen! Wait!" I heard the doctor calling after me when I reached the lobby but I was too devastated to respond.
Grief was taking control and the reality of everything was compiling like bricks in my head.
I found Jasmine still sitting in the waiting room. Susan was with her now.
"Honey?" she said when she saw me with bloodshot eyes, "You've been crying, haven't you?" Jasmine rose and pulled me into her arms where I sobbed quietly.
"Ah! Mr. Hollen, I finally caught up with you," the doctor said when he joined us.
"Doc, I'm sorry but I'll need a moment."
"Please take all the time you need. Your son would be waiting."
"Waiting? Are you trying to be funny, doctor, because if that's your sense of humor, you should consider a next profession!" Susan snapped.
"I'm sorry if I may have offended..."
"Of course you've offended us! Jevan was my grandson! You don't make fun of the dead!"
"My apologies ma'am but...."
"Leave us! You've done enough!"
~
I gathered myself once again and headed back to the VIP wing at the top floor. I met the doctor and we walked into the room.
There he was. My son. I couldn't move another muscle in my body.
I froze in place as I took him in.
"Pardon me, Mr. Hollen, but this is what I've been trying to explain to you. Your son isn't dead. He's very much alive."
"But.. But.. We received a phone call stating he had passed away."
"We thought we had lost him. We did lose him. Somehow, he came back and when we tried calling you again, we couldn't reach you or your wife nor a Miss. Blossom Wright."
"I smashed my phone against the wall and my wife and Blossom probably still got their phones on airplane mode. We were travelling to New York. After hearing the news, everyone was distraughted," I explained.
"Understood."
"So you're telling me, my son is alive?"
"He is. He received two gunshots wounds. One to the lower back but the bullet missed his spine by exactly one inch. The other tore into the left of his chest and it miraculously didn't even grazed his heart. However, he has lost a great deal of blood. He hasn't regained consciousness as yet but with my care, he's going to pull through."
"So he's alive, right, he's not dead?" I asked again to make certain I wasn't hallucinating or hearing words I wanted to hear.
"Mr. Hollen, your son is alive. His heart rate monitor is right there beeping along to the beats."
Tears of happiness took over and I ran to get my wife again.
"Jas! Jasmine! He's not dead. He's alive. Jevan is alive!"
"Oh my God! What? How?"
I couldn't utter more words. The three of us rushed to Jevan's room and the doctor explained what transpired from the time Jevan arrived at the hospital. When Jasmine couldn't stop herself from crying with happiness now, she went over and planted a kiss on Jevan's forehead.
"Baby, it's mommy. I'm right here. You gave us quite a scare but this is the best news I've ever heard. Now, you take your time and get better for us very soon. We all love you so much it's beyond words," she said to him.
I stood next to her. "Jevan, it's your father. I'm here too and I'll always be here for you. We need you to make a full recovery very soon. You got a family who needs you although they are in good hands with everyone else but we can't replace you. No one can. I love you."
"Jevan, it's Grandma Susan. Oh baby. I'm so sorry you're in this state. You shouldn't have to be fighting for your life right now. But I know you're strong. You got that Blackman and Hollen blood. You're going to pull through this. You're going to see your kids again and your wife. I love you so much."
"Evan, I think you should call home. Let everyone knows he's alive and in recovery," Jasmine said. She handed me her cellphone and I stepped out and made the call.
"Dad, it's me. We're now at the hospital and we've got the most amazing news. Jevan is alive and he's currently in recovery. The bullets missed his spine and his heart. He's going to be okay. Can you let everyone know?"
He responded with a cheerful voice and said he was going to let everyone else know immediately.
"Dad...listen," I started.
"I already know what you're going to say, Evan. I know. And I'm going to take care of it. Focus on Jevan and leave the rest up to me, okay?"
"Thanks, dad."
___________________
Blossom's POV
A knock came on the door again. I got up and Ethan was standing there.
"Did I wake you?" he asked.
"No. I couldn't sleep," I responded.
"Blossom, come downstairs."
I followed behind him and everyone else was already sitting there in silence.
"Everyone, I heard from Evan moments ago. Jevan is alive."
Everyone's gasped but their eyes were glistening with happiness from the shocking news.
"Alive?" I asked.
"Yes, and he's in recovery. He's going to be okay."
"YESSSS! OH MY GOD!" Cheers were up and everyone turned to each other with hugs and pats on the back. Tears flooded my eyes but they were happy tears now. Jada pulled me in for a hug and I looked up to the heavens.
"You heard my cries and saw my pain and sent him back to me and his kids. Thank you so much. You're merciful," I whispered and, maybe I was crazy, but I saw a bright light appeared before my eyes and it quickly vanished.
~~~~~
Breaking News
"The Hunter Sax's case just took another turn for the worse. Lastnight, remains of his missing ex-fiancee of two years was found by local police in Sax's backyard. Sax had the grounds cemented after her. His ex-fiancee was claim to have fled the country after stealing from Sax's money but police and FBI are now wondering if it was a scheme slash cover-up story for a murder. Sax's father, who's the chief of police is now under investigation as an accomplice. If convicted of such a gruesome crime, both men would face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Much earlier, Hunter was arrested for the murder of Jevan Hollen but news are now reaching the media, that Jevan has survived the attack and the charges are now going to be changed to 'Attempted Murder'. Found guilty, Hunter is going to face twenty-five years to life imprisonment. I would not want to be Hunter Sax right now."
Emma reduced the volume of the television. "I would never understand what goes through a man's head to hurt a woman, kill her, conceal her into the ground and add cement to her shallow grave so people wouldn't find out," she said.
"All those times I was at Hunter's mansion, her body was out in the backyard. Hunter is a monster. The devil," I said as my skin grew cold. It could have been me too. It could have been my son as well.
"Mommy, there's something I never said to you. Something I never said to anyone. Not even daddy," Jason said when he walked into the room to join the family. He couldn't sleep either.
"What is it son?" I asked. Everyone staring at him.
"Hunter.. once put his hands on me," Jason said.
"WHAT!!!!!?" Ethan yelled and rose from his seat.
"When I knocked over one of his vase, he twisted my hand so hard. And he said if I was to tell anyone, he would put me and you in the ground."
"Hunter doesn't deserve life imprisonment. He deserves the death penalty and I'm going to use every power in my name to make sure that that happens and I want to be there for when it does," Ethan said, "He crossed the wrong family."
Right away, he excused himself and started making calls.
___________________
Hunter's POV
"Happy now?" my father asked, sitting across from me in the jail cell, "We're both in here and all I ever wanted to do was to keep you out of trouble. And look where it has gotten me."
"Yeah. You suck at being a father. You were better as an accomplice."
"Don't You Dare!"
"Don't dare what, huh? You want to withdraw yourself and send my ass 'down the river' as if you never got your hands dirty! Have you forgotten all the cover ups and plots?"
"I warned you. I told you to stay away from The Hollens and what did you do? You shot Jevan. You really think The Hollens would let this slide? They'll want blood, especially Ethan and Evan."
"Oh please, they're not going to do a thing. The Hollens are all talk, no action. Their hands aren't dirty. I'm going to beat this as I beat all those charges and cases. The most I'll do is five years or even less!"
~~
"SAX!" an officer shouted as he approached the bars, "Just heard something through the grapevine and I shouldn't be telling you any of this but I want to see the look on Hunter's face."
"What are you talking about, pig?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
"They're pushing for the death penalty and it's only a matter of time before it's granted."
I couldn't stop myself from peeing in my pants.
No! Not that. Anything but that!!
___________________
*Teaser For Next Chapter*
"Get your husband to stop seeking the death penalty or else I'll tell your dirty secret."
"I have no secrets, Hunter."
"You sure on that? The world will know your father was a drug lord and that he abandoned you for a kilo! Imagine the headlines. Ethan Hollen's marriage to druglord's daughter is now in question."