Chapter 80: An opportunity
A whirlwind of confusion swirled in Zack’s mind. Selena’s words slammed into him – advance salary for months? He had never done such a thing. Bella had never requested it, nor had he been aware of her mother’s surgery.
He vaguely knew the issues related to her ancestral house and the financial crisis she had been facing. But this surgery – it was a whole new thing he hadn’t known existed.
Zack was perplexed. A fierce curiosity burned within him. How had Bella managed the money for this surgery? What had she sacrificed to get her mother the treatment she needed? He wanted to know everything about her.
Schooling his emotions, Zack plastered a reassuring smile on his face. "Get some rest, Mrs. Dawn," he said gently. "I’ll be back to see you and..." He reached into his wallet, pulling out a business card. "Here, take this. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything at all. I want to help."
Selena’s face creased into a grateful smile. "Thank you so much, Mr. Hudson."
With a curt nod, Zack left the room, his mind racing with a thousand questions.
Selena watched Zack leave, hope and anticipation bubbling within her. "He seems like Bella," she murmured, clutching his business card. "I must talk to her about him."
Outside the hospital room, Zack’s demeanor remained calm, but inside, he resolved to find out everything. He met Selena’s attending nurse.
"Excuse me!" he called out with urgency. He intercepted the nurse before she could disappear around the corner. "Can you tell me about the patient in room 302? What’s wrong with her?"
The nurse eyed him with suspicion. She had not seen him visit Selena before. "Are you a family member?" she inquired, her tone guarded.
Without missing a beat, Zack fabricated a story. "Yes, of course," he asserted, his voice firm. "I was out of town on business. Now that I’m back, I want to catch up on everything."
The nurse’s skepticism softened slightly. "Her liver is failing," she explained with a grave expression. "She needs a transplant immediately. Without one, she won’t make it. We’re waiting for a suitable donor so we can proceed with surgery."