Ranon carried Carl back to the apartnt, carefully laying him down in the guest bedroom, the sa one Laurel had used during her previous visits.
Once Carl was settled, Ranon called a doctor to co over. From the look of it, the young boy was not in good condition.
anwhile, Hazel was on the phone with Laurel to tell her about what happened. "Your stepson is here," she inford her. "Yes, he is unconscious. I am not sure why he ca here, but he doesn’t look well at all. I have a feeling he might have run away from the hospital."
Hazel paused and waited for her reaction, but when there was none, she prodded.
"I really think you need to co and check on him yourself," she urged, glancing at Ranon as he spoke to the doctor.
A long silence stretched out on the other end of the line, indicating that Laurel was processing the shocking news and considering her options.
"Laurel," Hazel called her again, noticing that there was no response. "I can’t tell you exactly what happened, but it’s important that you co here."
After what felt like several minutes of silence, Laurel finally replied, her voice steady. "I am on my way." The connection abruptly ended.
As Ranon hung up from his own call with the doctor, he turned his attention to Hazel.
"Do you think we should call his father?" she asked.
Ranon didn’t respond right away; instead, he kept his eyes on Carl, who remained motionless and unconscious. "Laurel is coming, right?"
"Yes," Hazel affird. "She is on her way." That was what she said.
Ranon nodded slowly, making a decision. "Let her handle this." In his opinion, it was Laurel who should take charge of the situation, which included deciding whether or not to involve Jas.
***
Jas learned that Carl had escaped from the hospital, and an intense wave of anger surged within him, directed at Alia. "How could you not see him leave the room?" He demanded, the frustration palpable in his voice.
Alia was trembling; she struggled to find her words through her tears. "I don’t know! I am not sure. He was gone by the ti I woke up!" She sobbed, her voice cracking with distress.
But Jas struggled to contain his anger. He turned away, unable to look at her.
"Jas, please understand. Carl is my son. Why would I want to do him any harm? It doesn’t make sense."
Desperate, Alia stepped closer and grasped his hands, trying to pull his gaze toward hers. It shattered her to see him so resolutely avoiding her eyes.
Eventually, he did look at her, but the fierce glare he directed at her was not sothing that she expected.
"Why has Carl changed so much?" He asked, narrowing his eyes with suspicion.
Alia shook her head in confusion. "I don’t know. Maybe it’s Laurel’s influence that’s causing him to rebel."
"Don’t bring Laurel into this conversation," Jas shot back, his tone sharp as a knife. "She has nothing to do with this," he was adamant. From what he understood, Laurel had not had any contact with Carl, just as she had seemingly ignored him in the last few days.
"What are you trying to say?" Alia asked, taking a step back, startled by his ferocity. "Of course, it’s her."
"If it’s not because of Laurel, why is Carl like this?" She shook her head defiantly.
Jas moved closer, steadying her by placing his hands firmly on her shoulders as he locked her gaze with his. "Your relationship with Carl was pretty good. He listened to you. But now, I don’t understand why our son has changed."
"I told you; it was Laurel!" Alia insisted, but before she could elaborate, Jas interrupted her, his voice hardened.
"Don’t bring Laurel into this conversation. There must be a reason for Carl’s drastic change."
"What do you an?" Alia replied, feigning innocence, even though a part of her knew what Jas was trying to say.
"The last ti Carl spoke to , he claid you were having an affair with soone else. Is that true?" Jas’s delivery was blunt and confrontational; he didn’t beat around the bush.
Alia’s expression shifted to one of shock and disbelief. "What do you an by that? I haven’t done anything like that! You know ," she retorted, her voice raising in disbelief.
But Jas’s expression suggested he harbored doubts that were difficult for her to dismiss.
"That was a very harsh accusation, Jas," Alia replied, her voice quivering as tears welled in her eyes. The hurt was palpable in her expression as she tried to make him see her side. "You know I would never do sothing like that. I love you, and I love Carl. I want us to be a family again. Why would I jeopardize that?"
Jas’s expression remained impassive when he spoke again. "Then tell why Carl is acting out like this."
"I don’t know. It must be Laurel’s influence," she insisted desperately.
The mont her lips uttered Laurel’s na again, an explosive wave of anger consud Jas. In a mont of rage, he raised his hand and struck Alia across the face with a force that left her stunned. He had told her not to bring Laurel into this conversation, let alone to badmouth her.
Alia stumbled backward and fell onto the floor, shock radiating through both of them.
She never anticipated that Jas would hit her; he had never shown any tendency towards physical violence before. As she sat there, cradling her stinging cheek, she felt blood trickle from her split lip.
"What... What have you done?" She stuttered.
On the other hand, Jas stood frozen, equally stunned by his own actions. It was completely out of character for him.
"Did you just slap ?" Alia asked, and fear crept in.
His lack of response spoke volus; he was struggling to process what he had done. Then a minute later, in the silence that hung heavily between them, Jas finally spoke, his tone calm but resolute.
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