CHAPTER 96: CHAPTER 96: BLOOD SAMPLE

Hazel’s POV

I jolted awake at the sound of the door creaking open. My muscles tensed as Leo strode in, followed by three people in white lab coats.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Leo said, his tone casual as if this were a normal wake-up call. Despite the nickname, there was no affection in his tone. "Sleep well?"

I scrambled backward on the bed until my spine hit the headboard.

"What’s going on?" I croaked. "Who are they?"

The strangers stood silently behind Leo. Their expressions were clinical, detached. The woman carried a small case that she set down on the bedside table.

"Nothing to worry about," Leo said, but his eyes told a different story. "We just need a small sample from you."

"A sample of what?" I pulled the blanket tighter around me.

Instead of answering, Leo nodded to the woman. She opened her case, revealing several vials and a syringe. My stomach dropped.

"I’m not giving you my blood," I said, my voice stronger than I felt.

Leo’s expression hardened. "This can go two ways, Hazel. Easy or hard. Your choice."

The male doctors moved closer. One of them looked at Leo.

"We need at least three vials for the preliminary tests."

"Tests for what?" I demanded.

"Take what you need," Leo told them, completely ignoring my question.

When the woman approached with the syringe, I tried to scramble away, but Leo was faster. He caught my arm, his grip firm but not bruising.

"Don’t make this difficult," he warned, his face inches from mine.

"Let go of me!" I struggled against him, but it was useless. The other two doctors came forward, holding me in place while the woman swabbed the crook of my elbow with alcohol.

"The subject is displaying expected resistance," the woman remarked dispassionately. "Heart rate elevated, stress hormones likely peaking."

"I’m not your ’subject’!" I snapped.

The needle pierced my skin. I winced, watching helplessly as my blood filled the first vial.

"Might not want to move too much," Leo warned. "No one can help you if that needle breaks in your arm."

I gritted my teeth at his warning.

"Healthy flow," the woman commented. "Good vein access."

They spoke about me as if I wasn’t here listening. The woman connected a second vial, then a third. The room started to feel a little warm. Maybe it was my imagination, but the ceiling seemed to spin.

"What are you doing with my blood?" I asked again, my voice smaller now.

Leo watched with narrowed eyes. "Ensuring compatibility."

"Compatibility for what?"

He didn’t answer.

When they finished, the woman placed a cotton ball over the puncture site and applied a bandage. "All done. We’ll begin processing immediately."

Leo nodded. "How long until we know?"

"Preliminary results by this evening," one of the men replied. "Full analysis will take longer."

"Make it quick," Leo ordered. "Time isn’t on our side."

The doctors packed up their equipment. As they headed toward the door, a sudden wave of nausea hit me. I gagged, my hand flying to my chest.

The movement caught Leo’s attention. His eyes snapped back to me.

"Wait outside," he told the others.

After they left, Leo shut the door and approached the bed. I tried to control my breathing, but the nausea wouldn’t subside.

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His touch wasn’t gentle, but it wasn’t cruel either. His eyes scanned my face carefully.

"You don’t look good," he muttered. The back of his hand pressed against my forehead. "No fever."

For a moment, his touch softened, becoming almost tender. The gesture reminded me so much of Liam that my chest ached. Whenever I’d been sick, Liam had always checked on me like this, worried eyes and careful hands.

It didn’t help that they looked so similar.

I jerked away from Leo’s touch. "Don’t touch me."

His expression darkened instantly. Whatever gentleness I’d glimpsed vanished like it had never existed.

Another wave of nausea hit me, stronger this time. I barely had time to shove past Leo before I was sprinting to the bathroom. I fell to my knees in front of the toilet, heaving up what little was in my stomach. Mostly acid.

Tears sprang to my eyes from the burn in my throat. I clutched the porcelain, trying to catch my breath between spasms.

To my surprise, Leo followed me. He stood in the doorway, watching with an unreadable expression.

"Nice act," he finally said, his voice cold. "Being sick won’t change anything."

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, too miserable to be insulted. "I’m not acting."

"Right." His tone dripped with sarcasm. "Convenient timing."

"What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice raw. "What’s all this for?"

Leo remained silent, studying me. Even the way he gazed at me looked so much like the triplets’ but carried none of their warmth—at least not the warmth I’d grown accustomed to in recent months.

"You really don’t know, do you?" he finally said.

"Know what?"

He shook his head. "It doesn’t matter. You’ll understand soon enough."

"The blood," I insisted. "What’s it for?"

Leo turned to leave. "Rest. You look terrible."

"Leo!" I called after him. "What are you planning to do?"

The door closed behind him, leaving my question hanging in the air. I slumped against the bathroom wall, exhausted and confused. What kind of tests were they running? What did he mean by ’compatibility’?

I rinsed my mouth and splashed cold water on my face. The face that stared back at me in the mirror looked pale and drawn. Dark circles shadowed my eyes, and my hair hung limp around my face.

My thoughts turned to the triplets. Were they looking for me? Did they even know I was missing yet? An ache settled in my chest at the thought of them.

Did they even care I was gone?

I dragged myself back to the bed and curled up, pulling the blanket around me. Despite my situation, fatigue pulled at me. I closed my eyes, hoping sleep might offer temporary escape.

It felt like only minutes later when the door opened again. I sat up, blinking away sleep.

Leo stood in the doorway. Without a word, he tossed something onto the bed. It landed next to my leg with a soft thump.

I picked it up, confused at first. Then recognition dawned when my eyes landed on the label of the packaging.

It was a pregnancy test!