Not long after, Beckett and Vivianne began doing the things they had planned in Agrianthropos. They also informed Ella about what was going to happen so she wouldn't be surprised when she started to feel pain in her heart.
Now, they were at the Allamino mansion. They were alone because Alfred was in the office reading documents. The mother and daughter were eating dinner, and Vivianne had already put medicine in her drink.
They were chatting while eating. Vivianne was discreetly checking the time. She and Beckett had planned this specifically, so they had a schedule to follow. Vivianne was waiting for it.
“Child, I think it's time for me to watch my favorite KDRAMA,” Ella said.
It was a code. Ella was asking if it was time for her to drink the water on the table which contained the medicine.
Vivianne looked at the clock before nodding. “Yes, it's time, mom. I’ll take you back to your room after we finish eating.”
“Alright.” Ella finished eating and then drank the water.
Ella did not immediately feel anything in her body even after drinking the medicine. According to Beckett, it might take a few minutes to take effect, so Vivianne remains attentive.
“Come on, mom,” Vivianne said.
She was smiling, thinking the medicine would take effect soon, but she was greatly surprised when her mother’s nose started bleeding. Ella almost fell to the floor, but Vivianne quickly caught and supported her.
“Mom… What’s happening?!” Vivianne asked upon seeing Ella clutch her chest and gently pound it, seemingly having difficulty breathing.
Vivianne wasn’t acting anymore. She was genuinely worried about Ella, especially since the pain she was feeling was real. She looked at the guards around, who did nothing to help them.
“Prepare the car. I’m taking her to the hospital!” Vivianne shouted in panic, glancing back and forth between her mother and the guards, but none of them moved. “What are you doing? Can’t you see what’s happening here?!”
“Sorry, Ma’am Vivianne. We need Alfred's permission before we can help—”
“Damn it!” Vivianne couldn’t hold herself back. In her anger, she threw the glass on the floor, scattering its shards. “Permission? My mother is in pain and needs to be taken to the hospital. You still need permission?!”
“Bring her to the hospital.”
Someone suddenly spoke from the stairs. They all looked there and saw it was Alfred. He found out what was happening because a maid informed him about what was happening to Ella.
It was a maid who was genuinely concerned about Ella.
“Quick. She might die,” Alfred added in a serious tone when he saw that his staff still hadn’t moved.
Only then did the guards start to move. One of them quickly went out to prepare the car, while the others approached Ella to carry her out.
Vivianne took a deep breath but still shot Alfred a glare before following her mother outside. She got into the back seat of the car, and while they were on their way to the hospital, Vivianne just held her mother's hand.
Vivianne comforted her mother by squeezing her hand tightly. “Mom, hold on…”
“Y-Yes… child,” she said before completely losing consciousness.
Vivianne smiled sadly but full of hope as tears rolled down her face. She hadn’t expected the medicine to have this effect on her mother.
Ella was suffering more than she had expected. It felt like her heart was also aching as she heard her mother’s groans and saw the pain in her expression.
‘We have to endure the pain. It won’t be long, and we’ll be free from this suffering. This will all be over soon…’ Vivianne thought to herself.
But that wasn’t what happened.
Several minutes had passed since they brought Ella to the hospital, but no one had come out of the hospital room. It even seemed like the doctors were panicking as they entered the room.
Vivianne became worried, but she thought it might be part of the medicine that Beckett had given her mother.
“Quick! She might die.”
Vivianne suddenly remembered what Alfred said earlier. The serious tone of his voice made her heart pound with anxiety. She was pacing outside the hospital room, biting her finger.
She was getting more and more restless. Even Beckett’s men in disguise, waiting for the real doctors and nurses to come out of the hospital room, were getting worried.
This wasn’t part of Beckett’s instructions to them. They were supposed to be able to enter the room after just a few minutes.
‘Something’s off…’ Vivianne thought to herself before stopping in her tracks.
Someone suddenly blocked her path. When she looked up, she saw it was Beckett. He couldn’t wait any longer and had left the parking lot where he was supposed to wait according to their plan.
“What happened? Why are you still out here?” Beckett asked in confusion before turning his gaze to the room where Ella was. “Are the doctors still inside?”
“I think… She’s not waking up.”
“What?”
“She hasn’t woken up yet!” Vivianne was almost panicking as she realized it. “What’s happening? Why hasn’t a doctor come out to tell me she’s okay? I thought it would only take seven minutes?!”
“It should be,” Beckett replied without hesitation. “I tried it myself a few times, and the pain fades after five to seven minutes.”
“But that’s not what’s happening! Her nose even started bleeding!”
“She had a nosebleed?” Beckett’s forehead creased upon hearing that. “That’s impossible. I never experienced that even after trying it. I even asked some of my co-members to try it just to make sure.”
Vivianne ran her hands through her hair in frustration, not knowing what to do. “Are there any side effects? This is still a medicine, so it could have one.”
“I formulated it based on your mother’s DNA, so there's none.” Beckett sighed, looking at the floor. “I don’t know what’s happening. I’ll check—”
“Who is the guardian of Herella Allamino?”
Beckett stopped speaking because a doctor came out of the room where Ella was. Vivianne quickly approached him.
“I’m her daughter,” Vivianne said to the doctor. “How is my mom?”
“I’m sorry to say this, but she’s in a coma.”
“A coma?” Beckett asked incredulously.
“Due to the sudden cessation of her heartbeat and her other conditions, complications arose in other parts of her body. There’s no certainty as to when she will wake up, but we need to monitor her,” the doctor explained. “I’m sorry.”
That was all the doctor said before leaving. Those words echoed repeatedly in Vivianne’s mind. She couldn’t take the information any longer, causing her to stumble to the ground. Beckett tried to support her, but she quickly pulled her arm away.
“Ha! I knew it. You’re taking revenge on me.” Vivianne laughed bitterly as her tears continued to flow. “You managed to get along with Alfred even though he killed your parents to get revenge. How much more with me?”
“Vivianne—”
“I’m the child of the person you hate. That’s enough for you to hold a grudge against me, and I understand that…” Vivianne raised her head, and their eyes met. “I wish you had just hurt me. Why did you have to involve my mom?!”
“Vivianne… That’s not true.” Beckett could barely hear his own voice as he said that.
It pained him to see the look Vivianne was giving him now. Her eyes were full of pain and anger.
“I don’t believe you anymore.”
But it was going to get worse.
He did nothing but love Vivianne, even during the times when they were miles apart… but it only took one misunderstanding for their relationship to break.