The Billionaire's Regret { Regret Series #1}

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

{CHARLES, PLEASE WAKE UP}

She couldn't believe this was happening. It felt like a nightmare, a cruel and heart-wrenching nightmare that she couldn't wake up from. She reached out and gently brushed her fingers against his cheek, hoping for any sign of warmth or response. But there was nothing. Charles remained unresponsive, his eyes closed and his body still.

Tears streamed down her face as she desperately tried to rouse him. "Charles, please wake up," she pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion. "You can't leave us. You can't leave me and Lana alone in this world. Please, don't do this to us."

She felt a surge of panic and desperation grip her heart as she thought about their daughter, Lana. She only just found out about her father some months ago, and the thought of her growing up without her father was too much to bear for Kathleen. How could she possibly explain to her sweet, innocent baby girl that her father was gone? How could she raise Lana on her own, knowing that she would never know and experience the love of her father again?.

"Charles, wake up," she cried, shaking him lightly. "Don't you want to see Lana grow up? Don't you want to be there when she enters middle school?, highschool, college, her graduation?  Please, Charles, wake up. I can't do this without you."

She leaned over and pressed her forehead against his chest, clutching onto him as if her life depended on it. "I love you, Charles. Please, don't leave me. Don't leave us."

A sob escaped her throat as she felt a deep, profound sense of loss wash over her. She couldn't imagine a life without Charles, without his love, his care, and his presence. They had been through so much, she wanted to be happy with him now,  and she couldn't bear the thought of facing the future without him by her side.

As she continued to plead with him, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered doubt and fear. He's really dead, she now had to go on without him, alone and shattered How could she possibly carry on, knowing that their future together had been ripped away from them?

But she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the here and now. She refused to give up on Charles, on the love they shared, and on the daughter they had created together. She couldn't lose him, not like this. Not when they had so much left to live for.

"Please, Charles," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I need you. We need you. Please, come back to us."

Time seemed to stand still as she waited for any sign of life from Charles. The machine still remained silent, the sound of her own breathing, and the distant murmur of David, the nurses, and doctors outside the room faded into the background. All she could focus on was Charles, and the deep, consuming fear of losing him. She just couldn't lose him.