Reborn As Mr. Coldwell's Wife
Chapter 203: Holding On

Chapter 203: Holding On

Ellen opened her eyes to the scent of antiseptic and the soft beeping of all the medical stuff nearby. The bright lights overhead cast a weird light in the room, making it all feel like a strange dream. She blinked, her mind groggy at first, but slowly, the events leading up to this moment began to flood back. The gunshots, the shattered glass, the fear that had gripped her so tightly she couldn’t even move.

Her throat felt dry, and she shifted slightly, feeling the cool sheets under her fingertips. A nurse entered, noticing she was awake. "Good, you’re up," the nurse said gently. "How are you feeling?"

Ellen cleared her throat, trying to find her voice. "I... I think I’m okay," she managed to say, though her head was still swimming with questions. "What happened? Am I hurt?"

The nurse smiled, shaking her head. "You’re fine. The doctor said it was just shock. You fainted, but other than that, you don’t have any injuries."

Ellen let out a shaky breath, relief washing over her. "Geez," she muttered under her breath. This isn’t like something out of a romance novel, right? Except now, it felt like the genre had shifted entirely. She wasn’t living in some cute, romantic love story anymore. No, this was more like a mystery thriller—a terrifying, nerve-wracking kind of thriller where her life was on the line. "What does this person even want?" she whispered to herself.

But despite the situation, Ellen found herself grateful. Thank God for the bodyguards, she thought, recalling how they had shielded her, keeping her safe. Mason was right—they were necessary after all. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what might have happened if they hadn’t been there. A chill ran down her spine at the thought, and she shuddered.

Soon after, the doctor came in, confirming what the nurse had said. "You’re lucky, Mrs. Coldwell. It could have been much worse, but you seem to have just experienced an extreme shock. You can go home as soon as you’re ready."

Ellen quietly said thanks, feeling relieved but still a little uneasy. She knew she needed to leave the hospital and get back to normal, but a part of her wondered if things would ever feel ’normal’ again. The attack had shaken her in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

**

A few hours later, Ellen was back home, sitting in her bedroom, the familiar surroundings offering little comfort. She sat cross-legged on the bed, staring blankly at the dark blue curtains fluttering in the breeze. She could still hear those gunshots ringing in her ears, and it felt like they were haunting her. What did this person want from her? she thought. Why terrorize her like this?

The door suddenly burst open, and Ellen jumped, startled from her thoughts. It was Mason. He walked into the room quickly, looking both panicked and relieved at the same time. Before she could say anything, Mason pulled her into a tight hug, his arms wrapping around her as though he was afraid she might disappear if he let go.

"God, Ellen," Mason breathed out. He held her so tightly she could feel the rapid thumping of his heart against her chest. "Are you okay?"

Ellen hugged him back, feeling how warm he was and the way his body was all tensed up. "I’m fine, Mason," she murmured, though she wasn’t sure she entirely believed it herself. "I’m okay."

Mason pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes scanning her face for any sign of injury, of pain, of anything wrong. "I let you go outside one time and this happens," he said, clearly irritated. "No, that’s it. You’re not going outside again."

Ellen sighed, gently pulling away from the hug to meet his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly still agitated. "Do you have any idea how scared I was? When I got the call, my heart nearly stopped. I couldn’t breathe, Ellen. I thought—" He cut himself off, shaking his head as if trying to push away the worst-case scenarios that had run through his mind. "I can’t lose you."

Ellen’s heart hurt at the real emotion in what he said. She reached out, placing her hand on his arm. "I was scared too, Mason," she admitted. What if the bullet had hit me? What if I hadn’t been so lucky?

Ellen bit her lip, debating whether to tell him the truth that had been gnawing at her for days. She knew she couldn’t keep it from him any longer. He deserved to know everything.

"Mason," she started. "I haven’t been completely honest with you."

Mason raised his eyebrows, showing a hint of confusion on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked. "What haven’t you told me?"

Ellen took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Before all of this happened... before the break-in and everything today, I was already being... terrorized."

Mason’s eyes widened slightly. "What? Ellen, why didn’t you tell me?"

Ellen looked down, her fingers fiddling nervously with the edge of her shirt. "I didn’t want to worry you. I thought it was just... pranks or something small at first. But now, after everything..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked up at Mason again. "I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner."

Mason’s expression softened, and he let out a long sigh. He moved closer to her, taking her hands in his. "Ellen," he said quietly, "you should have told me the moment it started."

Ellen nodded, feeling both guilty and relieved at the same time. "I know. I just didn’t realize how serious it was until now."

Mason’s grip on her hands tightened slightly, as if to reassure her that he was there, that he wasn’t going anywhere. "We’ll tell this to the police," he replied. "But from now on, you have to tell me everything, okay? No more keeping things from me."

Ellen nodded again. "Okay," she whispered.

Mason pulled her into another hug, holding her close as if he could protect her from everything. And for a moment, in the warmth of his embrace, Ellen felt like maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright. But deep down, the fear was still there, and she knew they were nowhere near the end of this nightmare.

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