Rudra and Tomas burst through the hospital doors, their steps echoing down the sterile corridor. Inside the ICU, Star was barely clinging to life, her fragile body tethered to machines, oxygen masks covering her face. The beeping of monitors was steady but haunting.
Tomas's breath hitched. "What happened to my daughter?" he asked, tears already falling.
"Doctor, please," Rudra urged, his voice strained. "I brought her father. We don't have much time."
The doctor shook his head solemnly. "We can't proceed with just one blood donor. Not for a pregnant patient in this condition."
"What do you mean?" Tomas snapped, eyes blazing. "Look at her! She's dying!"
"We see it," the doctor replied, calm but firm. "But if we administer blood now without compatibility for both mother and fetus, the baby will die. And that will create more complications, possibly fatal for the mother too."
Rudra pulled out Star's phone and recorded a short video of her fighting for breath. He sent it to Mandume without hesitation.
Tomas was still processing. "But… will she live? If I give my blood, will she survive?"
"Yes," the doctor answered. "But it would mean putting her in a medically induced coma—for up to four months. It's not a simple decision. I explained this to Rudra. We need the father of the baby."
The words sliced through the room like a blade.
Rudra took a breath and dropped the truth. "The baby… it's a result of rape."
Silence.
Tomas stared at him, hollow-eyed. The doctor froze in place.
Meanwhile, back at the estate, Mandume was in his room grabbing his phone for Lazarus when it slipped from his hands and hit the floor with a loud crack.
He stared at the shattered screen. "God. How many things will I break today?"
Lazarus stepped in from the hallway. "That's the third glass, one vase, and now your phone. In my village, they'd say it's a bad omen. Someone close to you might be dying—calling out for help."
Mandume gave him a glare. "You always talk rubbish. Here—turn it off after your call."
He tossed the phone to Lazarus and walked out. As Lazarus was about to dial, Rudra's message notifications lit up the screen. He tapped the latest video.
His face paled. "This is… Sir's friend."
Mandume, halfway to his office, suddenly noticed something strange in his coat pocket.
"Star's phone?" he murmured, pulling it out. "How do I have this? And all these missed calls?"
The phone unlocked with his fingerprint. Inside, only Christine's calls and messages showed up—nothing from Rudra.
"Where's the rest? How'd her phone get in my pocket?" he muttered, looking around the hallway as if Star might appear from the shadows.
Just then Lazarus rushed in.
"Sir… I think this is more important than any business deal," he said, showing Mandume the video of Star gasping on life support.
Mandume's world tilted. Without a word, he grabbed his coat and keys, dragging Lazarus behind him.
Elsewhere, Maria was entertaining David's business partners in a private lounge.
"Everything's falling back into place," she smiled. "I just wish David were here to see all of Mandume's hard work."
"He sees it," one of them assured her. "And feels it. The boy is passionate, driven… he's doing this for his father, and that's what makes him unstoppable."
At that moment, Olivia entered the room. Maria waved her over proudly.
"Let me introduce someone important. This is Olivia—Mandume's fiancée. Olivia, meet the Davids' top investors."
Olivia extended a graceful hand. "I'm Olivia Jackson. Soon-to-be Davids. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"The pleasure is ours," one man said.
"She's got that business instinct," another chuckled. "Can't wait to be part of us—just like a Davids."
"If you treat marriage like business," a third added with a wink, "you'll never make a loss."
Olivia beamed, proud of the reception.
Back at the hospital, Tomas was trembling.
"Star was raped?" he asked, his voice barely audible.
Rudra nodded grimly. "She only found out at four weeks. By then, it was too late to go to the police—no proof, no DNA, nothing to back her claim."
Tomas sat down hard. "I… I had no idea my little girl was going through this."
Then, suddenly, he stood. "Doctor! I don't care. I'll stay with her in a coma if that's what it takes. We're not going to find the baby's father."
"It's the only option now," Rudra added. "Coma is better than death."
But then Tomas froze, his expression shifting from resolve to dread.
"What's wrong?" Rudra asked. "Go give blood!"
"Tomas?" the doctor pressed.
Tomas turned, his voice cracking. "I'm not her biological father… Rudra, I'm not!"
Rudra's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no… this is it. We're out of time!"
"What?! What's your blood type?" the doctor asked quickly.
"A+," Tomas said, still panicked.
The doctor's face lit up. "That's exactly what we need. Come with me—now!"
And with that, they disappeared behind the emergency doors, racing against death.