Between 2 Hearts – Episode 70

  Some minutes later, Naomi was brought in by two guards, her appearance sparking a mix of shock and anger in the room. She looked weak, with a few bruises visible on her body. Alex’s eyes widened in surprise as he took in her condition. The knife slipped from his hand, clattering to the floor as he rushed to her side.

“Lala, what have you done?” King Luke yelled at his wife, his voice filled with outrage. Queen Lala lowered her head, avoiding her husband’s angry gaze. 

“Naomi,” Alex called softly, as he caressed her face. 

Naomi stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Alex’s heart ached at the sight of her bruises, and he quickly scooped her into his arms, climbing the stairs to his room.

 King Luke’s anger boiled over, and he strode away from the dining table, leaving the room in a huff.

In the bedroom, Alex gently laid Naomi on the bed and covered her with a blanket. He sat beside her, holding her hand firmly as he tried to process what had happened. Just then, a knock on the door broke the silence.

“Who is it?” Alex asked, his voice still laced with anger.

“It’s me,” Mrs. Ruth replied. Alex quickly opened the door, and Mrs. Ruth entered, carrying a bowl of warm water, a towel, and an ointment.

“Nanny,” Alex said, relief evident in his voice. 

“How is she?” She asked as she moved towards Naomi on the bed.

“Naomi,” Mrs. Ruth called softly, helping her sit upright with Alex’s assistance. Naomi groaned in pain.

“Son, can I get some clothes for her to change into?” Mrs. Ruth asked. Alex nodded and rushed to his closet, grabbing a pair of shorts and a white long-sleeve t-shirt.

 “Will this be okay?” he asked, placing the clothes on the bed. Mrs. Ruth nodded.

“I’ll excuse you two for a minute,” he said, moving to kiss Naomi lightly on the lips before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

    “Dear, are you okay?” Mrs. Ruth asked softly. Naomi nodded weakly, her eyes welling up with tears.

“What happened? What did they do to you? Were you touched?” Mrs. Ruth asked, her voice gentle but probing. Naomi rolled her head, sobbing uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, King Luke was confronting his wife, his anger and frustration evident.

 “What you did was wrong. Do you know that’s an act of kidnapping?” he yelled.

“I did what was right for my son. That lady is manipulating him,” Queen Lala replied, her voice defensive.

“You’re the one manipulating your son,” King Luke retorted. “Allow him to love his woman in peace. Now, let me make this clear to you: if anything happens to that lady again, then this marriage is over.” The queen’s eyes widened in surprise, taken aback by her husband’s ultimatum.

In the mini bar, Alex sat nursing a drink, having just ended a call with Mia to reassure her that Naomi was safe. Mrs. Ruth approached him.

“Nanny, are you done?” Alex asked, looking up at her.

“Yes, I’ve given her some medication to relieve the pain. She’ll be fine”.

“Thank you,” 

“You’re welcome. I made your breakfast. Should I serve you?” 

“No, Nanny. I’m not hungry”.

“But you haven’t had anything. You know drinking on an empty stomach isn’t good,”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Alex said, dismissing her concern. He stood up and climbed the stairs to his room, leaving Mrs. Ruth to stare after him before heading back to the kitchen.

   

Alex entered the room, finding Naomi fast asleep. He smiled softly and moved to join her on the bed, gently cuddling her into his arms. As he held her close, he felt a sense of peace wash over him. After some moments, his eyelids grew heavy, and he fell asleep as well, surrounded by the warmth and comfort of Naomi’s presence.

Meanwhile, at the veranda, Diva and Elora were engrossed in conversation when they noticed Nathan’s car driving into the compound. Diva’s face lit up with a smile as she stood up, expecting a warm reunion. However, her smile faltered as she saw Mia getting out of the car, holding hands with Nathan. Elora’s eyes widened in surprise, mirroring Diva’s shock.

 “Nathan, what are you doing here?” Diva asked, trying to compose herself despite her broken heart.

“I’m here to see Alex,” Nathan replied.

“And she? Why is she here?” 

“She’s here to see her sister as well. And besides, she’s my fiancée,” Nathan said, his words sending a shockwave through Diva. With that, he walked away with Mia, leaving the girls stunned and speechless.

“This is unbelievable,” Elora said, still in shock. Diva sat down, frowning deeply, her thoughts consumed by the unexpected turn of events.

Meanwhile, Nathan and Mia entered the living room, where Mrs. Ruth emerged from the kitchen to welcome them with a warm smile. She enveloped Mia in a gentle hug, noticing her elevated body temperature.

“Mia, are you okay? Why is your body temperature warm?” Mrs. Ruth asked, as she felt Mia’s forehead. Mia smiled weakly.

“It’s nothing, Mom. I’m fine,” she replied.

“She’s not fine, Aunt,” Nathan interjected. “She’s having a little fever. I tried to make her rest, but she insisted on coming to see Naomi.”

“Did you really have to tell her?” Mia asked quietly, her eyes narrowing slightly at Nathan.

“Yes, because you’re so stubborn,” Nathan replied, amused and Mia scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“He’s right,” Mrs. Ruth said. “You need to look after yourself. You know you’ll get scolded by your sister if she finds out you’re stressing yourself.”

“I know, but I’m getting better now,” Mia said, her voice softening. Mrs. Ruth pulled her into another warm hug.

“Nathan, you’re here,” King Luke said, his voice booming from the stairs. He walked up to them, his eyes scanning the scene before him.

“Good day, Your Majesty,” Nathan said, bowing slightly. Mia followed suit, her head dipping in respect.

“Mia, it’s good to see you again,” he said, his voice warm. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” she replied.

“I can see Nathan is really taking care of you,” King Luke observed, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Mia’s cheeks flushed pink.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Nathan said, smiling.

“You’re here to see Alex?” King Luke asked.

“Yes,” Nathan replied.

“Well, he’s inside his room with his fiancée. I don’t think he wants to be disturbed. He hasn’t stepped out for hours now,” King Luke said, his voice low.

“And he hasn’t had anything either,” Mrs. Ruth added, handing Nathan a tray of food. “Please try to force him to eat.”

“Okay, I will,” Nathan said, taking the tray from her. With that, he and Mia walked away.

  They arrived at the doorstep, and Mia gently tapped on the door, waiting for a response. When there was none, she knocked again. Alex’s voice came from inside, 

“Who’s it?”

“It’s me, open up,” Nathan replied.

“The door is not locked, you can come in,” Alex said.

The door opened, and they entered. Nathan placed the food on the table while Mia rushed to Naomi’s side of the bed. She was still fast asleep, with Alex cuddling her. Mia’s eyes widened in shock as she saw the bruises on Naomi’s body.

“What did they do to her?” Mia asked, her voice trembling with emotion as tears filled her eyes.

“Did your mom do this?” Nathan asked, surprised.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Alex said weakly. “The doctor has come to check on her. She’ll be fine.”

Nathan noticed Alex’s weakness and felt concerned. “This is so unfair,” Mia said sadly, holding Naomi’s hand tightly.

“I am sorry. It’s my fault,” Alex said, his voice filled with regret.

“No, it’s not,” Mia replied. “It’s just that big sis is just so unfortunate. It’s not her fault she was born dark-skinned and poor.”

“Hey, Mia, don’t say that,” Nathan intervened. “We don’t care about your background. We love you guys just the way you are.”

“I am failing in my responsibility,” Alex said, sadly. They both sighed tiredly.

Just then, Alex tried to get up to use the bathroom, but he felt dizzy, and everything spun around him. Nathan quickly held him to prevent him from falling.

“Alex,” Nathan called out, feeling his forehead. “You’re running a temperature.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Mia asked.

“He’s burning up,” Nathan replied. Alex groaned slightly in pain as he sat down on the bed.

“I’m fine,” he said weakly, his face bowed.

“You’re not,” Nathan said firmly. “Try to eat something. Naomi won’t be happy to see you like this.”

“I am not hungry,” Alex replied stubbornly.

“You’re burning up. Do you think Naomi will be happy if she wakes up and finds out you skipped food to take care of her? She won’t be happy,” he urged.

Before Alex could respond, Naomi opened her eyes weakly.

“Naomi,” Mia called out, and they turned to her. They helped her sit upright on the bed as she let out a groan.

“Are you okay?” Mia asked, and Naomi nodded.

“Do you feel better?” Alex asked, caressing her face. Naomi held his hand, feeling the heat.

“Alex, why is your hand hot?” Naomi asked, staring weakly into his eyes. She felt his forehead. “You’re running a body temperature. Why?” she asked, looking worried.

“That’s because he was worried about you and refused to eat,” Nathan explained.

“Alex,” Naomi called out sadly, holding his hands. “Why are you acting stubborn?” she asked.

“I’ll eat now that you’re feeling better,” Alex said, kissing her forehead. Nathan brought the food closer to him on the bed. He fed Naomi first before taking a bite. The others sighed in relief.

TBC