The Hour He Never Gave Chapter 08
Pierce’s finger stopped.
He’d reached the day Daphne came back with Jared.
From that moment on, the center of his life slowly shifted toward the two of them.
He stopped messaging Lucia first.
Even when she texted him, he’d wait until everything else was done before replying..
Their conversations got colder and colder.
Until eventually, everything blew up into the worst fight they’d ever had.
Lucia had completely lost it back then, her words sharp enough to cut. Like she hated him.
He’d never seen that side of her before. She’d seemed just like some unreasonable crazy woman.
He couldn’t understand it. They were both mothers, so why couldn’t Lucia show Daphne a little compassion?
He’d only helped that poor mother and son a bit more.
And Lucia had actually brought up divorce.
Pierce rubbed his temple and kept scrolling.
After they remarried, Lucia’s messages were mostly about money.
Sometimes she’d mention Ellie’s condition too.
Pierce barely responded.
Realizing he’d neglected Ellie lately, he finally decided to ask about her.
He’d just typed a few words when a volleyball suddenly smacked into him.
Pierce looked up, irritated, and saw Daphne running over with Jared.
“Pierce, what are you doing? We’re at the beach, and you’re seriously sitting here glued to your phone instead of playing with us?”
As she spoke, Daphne deliberately brushed against his arm.
Even through the thin fabric of her swimsuit, Pierce felt uncomfortable and stepped aside.
“You two go ahead. I need to deal with some work stuff.”
Daphne’s eyes immediately caught the words on his screen.
“Pierce, you’re worried about Ellie, aren’t you? Lucia’s unbelievable. No matter how mad she is, she shouldn’t disappear for this many days.”
She watched his expression before adding, “But relax. If something had actually happened, she would’ve contacted you already. She’s just staying quiet to make you give in first.”
Usually, a few words like that were enough to push Pierce back toward her side and make him ignore Lucia and Ellie again.
But this time, his brows stayed tightly furrowed.
“I still don’t feel right about this. I need to ask. Ellie’s surgery wasn’t something minor.”
He turned and headed back to the hotel.
After thinking it over, Pierce didn’t message Lucia. He called his assistant instead.
“Dylan, go to the hospital and check on my daughter’s recovery. Ask the doctor how long before she can be discharged and what precautions we need to take after surgery.”
Half an hour later, Dylan called back.
Pierce answered almost immediately.
But the second the call connected, he heard Dylan’s shaky voice.
“Mr. Emery, you need to come back right now.”
Pierce’s grip tightened around his phone, his heartbeat spiking. “What happened? Did the surgery fail? Talk clearly!”
Dylan went quiet for a second before speaking again. “Please watch the video I just sent you…”
Pierce fumbled to open the chat app. Dylan had sent over the hospital security footage.
The operating room was a disaster. Equipment had been knocked over. Blood streaked across the floor and out into the hallway.
Lucia stood there clutching a surgical knife, desperately trying to keep the reporters back.
And Ellie was lying alone on the operating table, her chest still open.
Pierce almost blacked out.
The video ended abruptly. He instantly sent Dylan a voice message, practically roaring into his phone.
“Where are they now?! How’s my daughter?! How did something this serious happen without anyone notifying me?!”
