Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter Book 2) Read online

  “Your mom doesn’t like him, huh?”

  “She hates him,” I correct. “She hates the fact we are together, and she’s firmly against our relationship.”

  “It’s not easy for her, I imagine. Your mother has been coming here every single month. Each time she leaves, she cries. She loves you a lot.”

  “You know her?” I ask, feigning my surprise.

  “Yes. My parents are also from Rotterdam. She’s a very strong lady.”

  “Yeah… And very stubborn too.”

  Nel lets out a quick chuckle. “She told me the same about you.” I mirror her laugh for a moment, but we keep quiet afterward.

  “I can’t live without him.” Shut up, Petra! “I mean, in my dream,” I amend after seeing the astonished look on her face. “It was not the reality I wanted.”

  “You mean, you… you ended your life in your dream?”

  I nod, not wanting to admit it to myself. And I even confessed it to her. Damn it.

  “That’s okay. It means your brain was trying to somehow escape a reality it felt trapped in. I have patients who jumped from bridges in their own dreams. It might have been the reason why you woke up.”

  “Please don’t say a word to my mom,” I plead. “She can’t know I’m awake. She can’t know anything.”

  “Relax. It’s not up to me to do so. I’m just here to help you.” Nel looks over to the cardiac monitor and continues taking notes, then she reaches for her briefcase again, taking something from it. “Now, let’s check your blood pressure. Shall we?”

  Alexander Van Dieren

  When I told Roy over the phone that his daughter was awake, he not only said he would cancel all his meetings for the day, but told me in a sobbing voice that he would be here in thirty minutes. I also told him that she was in a consultation with Dr. Nel and to pass by my office before going to see her. While he agreed without hesitation, I have no idea how I am supposed to tell him I’m engaged to his daughter. I know I can’t marry her, and I know perfectly well that I’ve got to move to Singapore now that she is awake.

  And yet…

  Here I am, a pen between my fingers, trying to figure out how to tell him otherwise. After all, despite what I should or shouldn’t do, being engaged to her feels exactly how it should—so right and natural.

  Glancing briefly at my watch, I expect Roy to arrive anytime. Thirty minutes seems quite implausible if he’s coming from Manhattan, but just forty minutes after our call, I hear a knock on my office door. And as I order the person to come in, I see Maria opening the door wide, and then Roy smiling at me with a twinkle in his eye. I mimic his smile and good mood before inviting him to the sitting area. There I take a seat in the armchair, while he sits on the sofa beside me. And as he observes me rolling a pen between my fingers, his glowing face switches into a stern one. “What do I have to know before seeing her?”

  He knows me so well. “It’s not that easy…” I tell him.

  Blowing out a loud, exasperated breath, Roy starts ruminating. “Did she lose her memory?”

  A bit astonished by his question, I say, “Um, no, I don’t think so.”

  He nods pensively and then asks, “Can she talk, see, and hear?”

  “So far she seems okay…”

  But Roy doesn’t stop there. “What about walking? Does Dr. Nel know if she will ever walk again?”

  “Dr. Nel is still in there. But I believe after an intensive physiotherapy, she should be able to walk again, yes.”

  Roy exhales quickly in relief. “So what are you so worried about?”

  Knowing there’s no escape, my heart keeps thundering as I look him in the eye and decide, for better or worse, to tell him the truth. “We are engaged,” I announce. “And before you say anything, she’s the one who proposed.” Then I remain silent as Roy draws in a deep breath, and, in a failed attempt to calm himself down, starts rubbing his eyelids tiredly. “That is not what we agreed upon,” he snaps back in a strident voice. “Engaged or not, you will have to leave.”

  I observe the distress written all over his face, and as I do so, I realize how easy it is for him to lose his temper when his reputation is at stake. “There must be another way,” I tell him. And leaning over, I ask in a low tone, “Did they find anything against Tess?”

  Roy glances around before leaning closer to me and saying, “They searched quite a lot, but no. They could find neither the files, nor anything against her. Not even a damn traffic ticket.” He exhales once more, his gaze darting down for a moment, before looking back at me. “As it said on the report, she’s the apogee of a law-abiding citizen.”

  I can’t help but chuckle at his comment. “What a good, obedient woman she is,” I tease. “I’m surprised she didn’t share your lifestyle.”

  But Roy is not in the mood for jokes. “You will have to leave,” he says once more, his tone unusually grave. And since I don’t reply, Roy keeps observing me. “You know that, right? We’ve discussed it many times.” But I’m not convinced, and as he reads my answer in my gaze, his torment keeps growing and his voice rises. “I thought we had an agreement!”

  The fear I might break it is something we both share. “I know.”

  As I ponder my next words, Roy asks, “When are you going to tell her?”

  “I don’t intend to tell her anything.” And before he can yap or get physical, I add, “Tess is coming back in three weeks. We have some time ahead of us.”

  “And what do you intend to do until then?”

  Leaning back in my chair, I observe him for a second more before saying, “I intend to invite my family over and have an engagement party.”

  Roy doesn’t hide his bewilderment. “Oh, I see…” he mumbles pensively. “An engagement party? But of course!” His sarcastic tone is now borderline offensive. “Have you lost your fucking mind or what?”

  “Petra would like one. It’s the least I can do before—”

  “Before you leave?”

  Leave. I hate the meaning of that word, and I hate even more the fact that Tess is anxiously waiting for me to do so. Maybe even Roy. But for now, I just nod at him in agreement. Today is a great day. A day I’ll never forget, August 27, 2020—the day Petra woke up, the day we got engaged, and the day my life made sense again.

  “Very well. I guess having a farewell party before your departure seems appropriate.”

  I ignore his nasty comment and say, “One more thing: be nice to her.”

  Roy looks at me with raised brows. “Of course I’ll be nice to her! Why on earth wouldn’t I be?” He might look outraged, but he knows very well why.

  “And no remarks about the engagement,” I add as Roy mutters something under his breath. “You might not approve, but don’t scold her about it.”

  I’ve never seen Roy shed a tear. Not even the day he found his daughter in a coma. His face might have gotten unusually gloomy and somber, but I never saw him cry.

  Until now.

  Until he met his daughter’s blue eyes for the first time in nearly six months.

  “Hey, darling,” he greets softly before plunging Petra into a hug. “I missed you so much,” I hear him saying in a broken voice.

  “I’m sorry…” she mumbles, sniffling against his shoulder.

  “Hey, it’s not your fault. You are finally awake, that’s all that matters.” I’ve never seen Roy being so soft, compassionate, and friendly. It’s good to see this side of him for once. Then, with a contemplative smile, he asks, “How are you feeling?”

  “Um, I’m okay… A bit dizzy, but I guess that’s from the medicine.” I notice how Petra tries to hide her left hand as Roy releases her from his embrace. “Dad, I…” She then glances over at me. “I have to tell you something.”

  “I already know.”

  “Oh…” Her eyes widen in surprise. “You do?”

  “Well…” He presses his lips against her forehead, swallowing the bitter remarks he might hold against the engagement. “If that’s what you want, I�
��m happy for you.” My lips curve up at his comment; it’s a decent one. One that makes my fiancée smile at him and give him another hug.

  “Thank you so much. It means a lot to me,” she tells him, her eyes closed as she rests her head on his shoulder.

  What a pity that Roy doesn’t mean it.

  I remain leaning against the doorframe of my bedroom, observing the dearest person of my life as she talks to her father about the engagement party. There are no words to describe such a miracle. Petra is alive, so alive.

  Seeing Dr. Nel ready to leave the bedroom, I discreetly ask, “May we have a word before you go?”

  She cringes at the question, knowing all too well the subject of the conversation. Nevertheless, she agrees, and we leave the bedroom in a frigid silence, making our way to my office.

  There, I open the door, inviting her in. “Please, make yourself at home.” Dr. Nel enters the room, already on guard, her face unsmiling as I close the door behind us. The air between us is as cold as her glare. “Have a seat.” But she just looks at the armchair and sofa with suspicion. “May I offer you a drink?” I ask still, trying to warm the atmosphere.

  She lets out a breath while I open the decanter and pour some Macallan in a glass.

  “I won’t be telling Tess about the engagement, if that’s what you are worried about.”

  Ah, I forgot how direct she is. “I’m not worried about the engagement,” I say, adding an ice sphere to my drink. “Because you won’t tell her anything.” I take a first sip, my lips curving up at the taste. “Not even that Petra is awake.”

  “Tess has the right to know that!” she barks immediately. “She’s her mother.”

  “And a fucking threat,” I reply just as fast, glaring at her.

  “She pays me the same as you. I owe her the truth.”

  “You don’t owe her anything. The only person you owe the truth to is to your patient—to Petra.” Dr. Nel drops her gaze to the floor, pondering my words. “She’s the only one who has to decide if she wants to see Tess or not.”

  “Petra needs to start physiotherapy,” she announces, most likely to switch the subject of our conversation. “At least thirty minutes a day to make sure she recovers as fast as possible from her atrophy.” She then opens her briefcase, taking a business card out. “This is the doctor I told you about.”

  “We’ll do as you recommend. You may call her now.”

  Despite my instruction, she keeps studying me behind her big frames. “And she needs her mother.” She draws in a breath before exhaling loudly again, this time her head shaking. “Not an engagement party.” The room falls into a twitchy silence at her unsolicited comment. “I’ll make the appointment with the physiotherapist today,” she says.

  “Perfect. Many thanks.” I brush her off.

  Then Dr. Nel finally leaves, taking her disapprobation away from my sight.

  Chapter 2

  Bedford Hills, August 27, 2020

  Petra Van Gatt

  It’s a strange feeling to be alive again, especially because when you are in a coma, you don’t even realize you are no longer a part of this world. When I close my eyes, though, all I can see is the reality of my nightmare—being in Manhattan, but only with Mom, while Dad and Alex are gone… Jeez, I remember absolutely everything about it as if I were still there. Despite Dr. Nel saying it was just a way for me to escape my subconscious, I’m pretty sure I didn’t have that nightmare out of nowhere. After all, nightmares and dreams do tend to mean something.

  “Is there something troubling you? You seem worried.”

  My gaze lands on Dad, who is still sitting on a chair, softly stroking my hair. He hasn’t left the bedroom since he arrived, but he’s been quiet for a while, doing nothing but contemplating me with a twinkle in his eye.

  But my attention shifts toward the sound of a knock on my door. And after Dad orders the person to come in, we are welcomed by a bunch of new faces. Accompanied by Dr. Nel, my nurse Cynthia, and Alex, my new physiotherapist and her assistant are introduced to me.

  “Petra, this is Dr. Jade, your new physiotherapist, and her technical assistant, Kylie,” Nel explains.

  “You may just call me Jade. How are you? Nel told me you are suffering from atrophy, especially in your legs. Have you tried to stand up yet?”

  “Hi, Jade. No, not yet,” I reply. “My lower body feels like stone.”

  “Let’s take a closer look. May I?” Dr. Jade pulls down the sheet and starts pressing her fingers into my legs. “Do you feel anything?”

  “Yes.” And I’m quite relieved I do.

  She then moves to my knees and does the same. “And here?”

  “Yep.”

  Then she moves to my feet and squeezes them. “And here?”

  “I do.”

  Afterward, she takes my right leg and bends it. “If I bend your leg like this, does it hurt?”

  “Nope.”

  With a smile on her face, she says, “Good. It seems your muscles are just very weak. We’ll start today with electrical stimulation on your legs so you can at least bend your knees and do some basic movements. It’s fundamental that you do daily workouts and trainings to develop your muscles. I also recommend you do aquatic rehabilitation at least three times a week and eat a diet rich in protein.” Dr. Nel nods and adds everything to her notebook. “If you follow everything, you should be able to walk within a week or two. Not run, not jump, but at least walk.”

  “Do you think I can start back at Columbia this fall?” I ask her. “It’d be great if I could get back to a normal life as soon as possible.”

  Dad, Alex, and everyone else in the room fall into a weird silence, as if I said the craziest thing in the world. They even look at each other without saying a word.

  “Did I say something wrong?” I ask, my gaze landing on Dad.

  “Petra,” Alex starts. “Um, did anyone tell her?”

  “Tell me what?” My question goes to everyone, but no one seems to want to answer.

  “I didn’t,” Dr. Nel says.

  “Neither did I,” Dad replies.

  My heart starts thundering as I observe everyone remaining mute, their faces grave like at a funeral. “What’s going on?” Yet no one answers. “I got expelled from Columbia?”

  “No, of course not,” Dad blurts out instantly. “They are aware of your situation.”

  “So what’s going on?”

  “Normal life will be a bit different this year,” Alex says.

  “I know I’m gonna have to work harder, but I can do an intensive program and pass last spring’s exams this year,” I tell them. The last thing I need is to be treated like a fragile little girl. Since no one seems convinced, I add, “I’ll spend more time at the library, and I’m sure my friends will help me out.”

  “I don’t think you can go back to Columbia this year,” Dr. Nel says. “Given your current state, you should remain at home and do online learning.”

  “No,” I snap back. “I want to have a normal life. I don’t want to stay here alone. I want to go back on campus and meet my friends. And have lunch with them, and…”

  “You can’t do that anymore,” Alex interposes. “Even if you wanted to.”

  My heart freezes, and my brows furrow instantly. What are they planning against me? “Why? Why not?”

  “The world has changed,” Alex says. And my brows continue to crease, wondering if they are playing some prank on me. “And not for the better.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There’s a global pandemic out there,” Dad finally announces. I can’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it, but they remain just as serious.

  “What kind of pandemic?” I ask.

  “Let me show you.” Dad pulls out his iPhone, types something on it, and gives it to me. It’s a PDF file from the Rockefeller Foundation—aka one of his go-to sources of info to know which stocks and securities to buy next—with the title “National COVID-19 Testing & Tracing Action Plan.”

>   I start reading it, and the more I read of the report, the more the words pandemic, economic losses, social distancing, and facial coverings become regular vocabulary. “Is this some sort of prank?”

  “No,” Dad snaps as he takes his iPhone back. “And we’ve made three times more than in a normal year, our best year yet, actually. We switched most of our investments into pharmaceuticals and consumer tech. It was challenging, but a great strategy for the coming years.”

  “Three times more? That’s impressive,” I tell him, sharing the same enthusiasm. I wish he could’ve been just as excited for the engagement party. But when I announced it, Dad couldn’t even feign interest in it. As I suddenly recall something, I ask, “By the way, um, did you end up buying an island in the Pacific?”

  Dad’s jaw drops at my question. “Um, yes, I did. For my birthday. How do you know that?”

  “I… I kind figured it out. You’ve always wanted one,” I lie, as there’s no point in telling him the truth. That nightmare must stay between Dr. Nel and me. “How is Emma? Is she here?”

  “I think so,” Dad replies before looking at Alex. “Is she already out of jail?”

  “What!” I can barely believe it. “Jail? She was in jail? Why?”

  “From what her dad told me, she was caught at an underground party, violating safety measures, then non-compliance with police and incitement on social media. She refused to put a mask on and shouted the f-word at a cop.” Despite Dad’s serious tone, a smile settles on my lips, and I try hard not to chuckle. Oh, my Emma. How much I’ve missed her. “Can I invite her over? She could have lunch with us.”

  “Let me check if she’s out.” Dad walks a few steps toward the door, and after pressing the call button, he puts his phone against his ear, waiting for Emma to pick the call.

  “Meanwhile, we will start your physiotherapy,” Dr. Jade announces. “Today’s session will only be thirty minutes. Is that okay with you?”

  I might have done only thirty minutes of electrical stimulation, but the real struggle came after—when Cynthia gave me a walker and helped me go to the bathroom and shower. My legs feel heavy like stone, and despite the first session, I can barely bend or move them. It’s a real hassle to take one single step, let alone walk. Nevertheless, being my first lunch with Dad and Alex, I’ve decided to be as presentable as possible. Wearing nothing but a bathrobe, I walk into Alex’s closet with Cynthia’s help, and I’m surprised to find so many clothes of mine in it. Most of them brand-new.