3
~ Bella's POV
The hospital was quiet, except for the soft beeping of the machines keeping Mia stable. I sat beside her bed, holding her hand. She looked so small, so fragile, with tubes everywhere.
"Noah, go grab some water," I said, glancing at my brother slouched in the corner. He nodded and left the room, his shoulders hunched.
"Miss Bella Carter?"
I turned to see a tall police officer standing at the door. His uniform was neat, and his face looked serious but not unkind.
"Yes, that's me." I stood, brushing my sweaty palms on my jeans.
"I'm Officer Hughes. I need to ask you a few questions about the fire."
"Now?" I glanced back at Mia, reluctant to leave her side.
"It won't take long," he assured me.
I hesitated, but then nodded. "Alright."
We walked out into the hallway, stopping near the empty waiting area. My heart pounded as he pulled out a notepad.
"Miss Carter, I know this is difficult, but can you tell me what happened that night?" he asked gently.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "There was a crowd outside—angry people. They said my dad scammed them. They were shouting, breaking things... and then someone threw a bottle. The fire started so quickly. It spread everywhere. My mom…" I paused, my throat tightening.
"She didn't make it," I finally said, my voice breaking.
Officer Hughes gave me a moment before speaking. "Did you recognize anyone in the crowd?"
"No," I said, shaking my head. "It was dark, and I was scared. Everything happened so fast."
"Do you think this was intentional?" he asked.
"Yes," I said firmly. "They set our house on fire. They wanted revenge because of what my dad did."
He scribbled something in his notepad. "Alright. We'll investigate this thoroughly. If we find anything, I'll let you know."
"Thank you," I said, though my voice sounded hollow. What could the police do now? My mom was gone. My home was in ashes.
He nodded, gave a brief smile, and left.
I stood there for a moment before heading back to Mia's room. Noah was back, sitting by her side.
"How's she doing?" I asked.
"Still the same," Noah said quietly.
I sighed, leaning against the wall. The weight of everything, the hospital bills, Mia's condition, and our empty future, pressed down on me.
The next day, I decided to check the bank. There had to be something left, some savings we didn't know about.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I asked Noah before leaving.
"I've got it," he said, forcing a smile. "Just go."
I hurried to the bank, my stomach in knots. When I reached the teller, I explained who I was and asked to check the accounts.
The woman typed for a moment, then gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Miss Carter, but there's nothing left."
"Nothing?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"No savings, no checking, everything's been withdrawn."
I felt like the air had been knocked out of me. "Are you sure? Maybe there's a mistake?"
She shook her head. "I wish there was. I'm really sorry."
I stumbled out of the bank, my chest tight. How were we going to survive? The hospital bills were already piling up, and now there was no safety net.
When I got back to the hospital, I saw something that made my blood run cold. Two police officers were standing by Noah, holding his arms.
"What's going on?" I shouted, running toward them.
"Miss, stay back," one officer said, stepping in front of me.
"No! That's my brother! What's happening?"
Officer Hughes appeared, his face grim. "Miss Carter, your brother is being arrested."
"Arrested? For what?" I demanded, my voice rising.
"He's accused of stealing a large sum of money from a wealthy woman. We have evidence against him."
Noah's face was pale, his eyes wide with panic. "I'm sorry, Bella, I was only trying to help!"
I turned to Hughes. "There has to be a mistake. Noah wouldn't—he couldn't—do something like that!"
"The victim identified him," Hughes said firmly. "She's not willing to settle."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at Noah. "Please, you can't take him. He's all I have left!"
"I'm sorry, Miss Carter," Hughes said. "We'll handle this properly, but he needs to come with us."
"No!" I cried, grabbing Noah's arm. The officers gently pulled me away as they led him down the hall.
"Noah!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the hospital.
He looked back at me, his face full of fear and sadness. "Take care of Mia!" he shouted before disappearing around the corner.
I stood there, frozen and shaking. Everything was falling apart, and now I was completely alone.
I stood there, frozen in the middle of the hospital hallway, unable to breathe. The sight of Noah being led away in handcuffs replayed in my mind like a nightmare I couldn't escape. My legs felt like jelly, but somehow, I managed to move. I had to go after him—I couldn't just let them take him without doing something.
"Mia, I'll be back," I whispered, even though she couldn't hear me.
I grabbed my bag and ran out, catching a taxi to the police station. My heart pounded the entire ride, my thoughts racing. What if they locked him up? What if I couldn't get him out?
When I arrived, I pushed through the heavy glass doors and went straight to the front desk. "I'm here for my brother, Noah Carter," I said, my voice trembling.
The officer at the desk gave me a once-over before nodding toward a waiting area. "Have a seat. Someone will be with you shortly."
I sat down, gripping the edge of the chair as if it would stop me from falling apart. Minutes felt like hours before Officer Hughes appeared.
"Miss Carter," he said, motioning for me to follow him. He led me to a small room where Noah was sitting, his head in his hands.
"Noah!" I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He looked up at me, his eyes red and full of tears.
"Why did you do that?" I asked, my voice cracking.
Before he could answer, the door opened, and a tall woman walked in. She was dressed in expensive clothes, her heels clicking loudly against the floor. Her face was cold, her expression unforgiving.
"That's her," Noah whispered. "She's the one accusing me."
I stood, trying to stay calm. "Ma'am, there has to be some mistake. My brother wouldn't steal anything."
She raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, there's no mistake. Your brother took a large sum of money from me, and I'm not letting this go."
"Please," I begged, my voice breaking. "We've been through so much already. My mom just died, my sister is in a coma, and now this? Please, don't do this to us."
She crossed her arms, unmoved. "Then pay me back what he stole."
"How much?" I asked, my hands shaking.
"Ten million," she said, her tone icy.
I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. "Ten… ten million?"
"Yes. If you can't pay, then he'll face the consequences." She turned to leave, her heels echoing in the silence.
"Wait!" I cried, running after her. "Please, I don't have that kind of money. Isn't there something else I can do? Anything?"
She stopped and turned, her eyes narrowing. "I don't do charity, sweetheart. Get the money, or your brother stays locked up." With that, she walked out, leaving me standing there in shock.
I sank to the floor, tears streaming down my face. Ten million. Where was I supposed to find that kind of money? We didn't even have a dollar to our name, let alone millions.
Noah sat across from me, his face pale and full of guilt. "Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"It's not your fault," I whispered, wiping my tears. But deep down, I didn't know how to fix this. I didn't know how to save him.
As the officers came to take him away, I stood frozen, my mind racing. Desperation clawed at me, but I had no answers. No solutions.
The officer's voice broke through my thoughts. "Miss Carter, you can visit him during the scheduled hours. Until then, he'll remain in custody."
I nodded numbly, watching as they led Noah away. My heart ached as I thought about Mia lying in a hospital bed and Noah now behind bars.
I stepped out of the station, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. I had to find a way to raise the money. I had to. But how?