The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot

"What’s wrong with him?" Zevian asked with a frown, having no clue that Dominic’s tumor had reoccurred. Natalie didn’t respond and sent him the address before ending the call.

"His tumor has returned," Evelyn murmured, making Zevian turn to her in shock. "She discovered it last night when they sat to sign the divorce papers," she added, recalling how Natalie had confessed to them this morning. It was a shitty mess and seemed to have gotten only messier.

"Let’s go!" Zevian murmured, picking up his coat. Evelyn nodded and picking a long coat from her wardrobe, she followed him out.

They reached the garage and taking one of the keys, Evelyn stated, "I’ll drive." Since John had already retired home after dropping Zevian, it was best if she drove the car instead of waiting for him to come again. It was past midnight and bothering other staff would only take much more time.

Zevian nodded and quickly hopped into the driver’s seat. Evelyn started the engine and raced through the city roads. They reached the Hope Hospital within a couple of minutes, one of the best cancer research hospitals in their city.

"Zev!" Natalie rushed to her brother as soon as they reached the neurosurgery department, with Avery waiting for them outside Dominic’s ward. Sabrina was already here and crying inside, so they decided to wait rather than give her a chance to make a scene in front of the unconscious Dominic and his doctors.

Evelyn reached to Avery who briefed her with a small sigh, "His assistant had called her and we rushed here. We informed Uncle John but not Rose who is asleep with Kia and Lily."

Evelyn nodded and the best friend held each other’s hands, glancing at Zevian who was trying to calm down Natalie. He thought his sister would be finally free from this shit but fate decided to take her all back to zero. As much as he hated Dominic for mistreating her all these years, a part of him felt bad for his state, having seen what he had gone through nine years ago. He just hoped that the past to not repeat itself and put Natalie in a cyclone again.

"What did the doctor say?" Zevian asked breaking the hug. His hand supported Natalie’s shoulder trembling in terror, her tears getting worse with each minute.

"We didn’t get to speak with them. Sabrina came as soon as we entered and asked us to get lost, so we are waiting here." Avery replied, her voice slightly tinged with frustration. That woman still acted like it was all their fault and felt like slapping some reality into her.

Evelyn sighed softly, her eyes fixed on Natalie. Avery had given a small briefing of how Dominic got sick and they had secretly shifted to Aracamia until he got better. Natalie had taken care of him day and night and this situation might have flooded her with all those memories, putting her in a tight spot to give up on him entirely.

They all waited a few more minutes, everyone lost in their trains of wrecked thoughts. The doctors came out of the room and Natalie was the first one to step forward. The main surgeon, Dr. Mathew sighed and requested them to follow them to his office.

"How bad is it?" Zevian asked as soon as they settled in his office, with Natalie and him taking the chairs while Avery and Evelyn stood behind them.

Mathew sighed and gestured for his junior to put up the MRI scan reports on the board. He switched on the light and Natalie squinted her eyes, trying to read them as she could understand bits of them from her past experiences.

"Though it’s benign, it’s bigger this time." Dr. Mathew cleared his throat and leaned forward, gesturing to the MRI scan displayed on the light board. The image showed a large, shadowy mass pressing against a critical part of the brain. His voice was low, but the weight of his words hit like a sledgehammer.

"The tumor is located near the hippocampus," he said, pausing to let that sink in. "This part of the brain is essential for memory and spatial navigation. Surgery this close to the brain’s memory center is always risky in that sense. Dominic if lucky might survive but lose some, or all, of his memories."

Natalie’s breath hitched, her mind spinning with the gravity of what the doctor was saying. The memories—those years they had spent together, the pain, the care—it could all disappear?

Dr. Mathew continued, his voice steady but solemn. "Dominic was against surgery when we discovered it a few months ago. He chose chemotherapy instead, but it isn’t working for him."

Mathew glanced at his team, who stood behind him, somber expressions etched on their faces. "If we perform the surgery, we might not be able to remove the tumor completely. But removing as much as we can should give him a better chance... it might extend his life for a few more years."

Natalie’s hands shook as she gripped the arms of her chair. "Then we have to do it. We have to go through with the surgery," she pleaded, her voice thick with desperation. "You can’t just let him suffer like this."

Dr. Mathew sighed, leaning back in his chair. "It’s not that simple, Natalie. Dominic explicitly refused surgery in his medical directive. His wishes were clear and we can’t go against it."

Before Natalie could argue further, the door burst open, and Sabrina stormed into the room. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but her voice was sharp as she spoke. "Do the surgery, Dr. Mathew. I’m his mother, and I’m telling you—save him."

The tension in the room thickened. Mathew’s jaw tightened, but he remained calm. "I understand, Ms. Grey. But-"

"You want him to die? After everything, you’re still just going to sit there?" Natalie cut him off, her voice desperate. "Please, Dr. Mathew. Please save him again!"

Dr. Mathew glanced between them, sensing the silent agreement between the two women. He nodded to his junior doctor. "Let’s prepare the OR. We’ll get started as soon as possible."

As the team moved quickly to prepare, Mathew looked at the group one last time. "Please call Fredrick too. He deserves to know it." He said, talking about Dominic’s father and also his once close friend.

Sabrina opened her mouth, perhaps to argue or shout, but Evelyn nodded, quickly took Natalie’s hand, and led her out of the room, leaving Zevian to deal with the details.

Outside, the hallway was eerily quiet. The tension that hung in the air back in the office now shifted to a dull, aching fear. Natalie leaned against the wall, her shoulders shaking as she tried to hold back the sobs building in her throat.

Evelyn stood beside her, silent but steady. After a moment, Natalie spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why is this happening again? He was supposed to be getting better..."

Evelyn didn’t know what to say. Words of comfort felt hollow in moments like this. Instead, she took Natalie’s hand, squeezing it gently, letting her know she wasn’t alone. They waited for what felt like hours, the hospital’s sterile lights flickering above them. Zevian paced restlessly, Sabrina muttering under her breath as the minutes stretched on.

Finally, Dr. Mathew emerged from the OR, his face unreadable. He approached them with measured steps, his hands folded in front of him.

"The surgery was successful," he began, and a collective breath of relief escaped the group. "But..." He paused, his eyes lingering on each of them. "Let’s wait for him to wake up"

The words hung heavy in the air, leaving them in limbo. All they could do now was wait. Evelyn and Avery supported Natalie while Zevian sighed out loud. It felt like they were back in the past and, his sister was getting stuck in this shit again.

———

For two days, the hospital became the home for the Reign family. The sterile smell of disinfectant clung to the air, and the rhythmic beeping of machines was a constant reminder of Dominic’s fragile state. Sabrina also rarely left, refusing to rest until he opened his eyes. Finally, on the third morning, Dominic stirred open.

The nurse quickly called the doctor and everyone moved closer to the ICU. Mathew examined and talked with Dominic before he gestured his team to get Sabrina.

Sabrina entered the restricted area, her sharp gasp echoing in the room as his eyes fluttered open. She rushed to his side, gripping his hand tightly. "Dominic! You’re awake..."

Dominic blinked slowly, his gaze unfocused. His brow furrowed as he looked at her, confusion clouding his features. "Who... who are you?"

The words struck like a blow, leaving Sabrina speechless. Her hand slipped from his, her body going rigid as tears welled in her eyes.

Mathew, who had been observing him, quickly stepped forward. "Mr. Grey, can you tell me what you remember?"

Dominic’s gaze flickered toward him, still dazed. He opened his mouth to speak, but all he could remember was one woman who had promised to be right beside him as soon as he woke after the surgery. "Where’s my wife?" he asked in a hoarse voice. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The room went deathly silent at his question. Sabrina’s tears spilled over, her chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. "I’m your mom, Dominic," she whispered, her voice breaking. "It’s me, Sabrina. Don’t you remember me?"

But Dominic didn’t seem to hear her. His eyes were scanning the room, searching for his wife and no one else. Mathew quickly instructed his staff to get Natalie. As soon as they informed her, Natalie rushed into the ICU, her heart pounding in her chest.

Dr. Mathew pulled Sabrina back, giving Natalie room to sit by Dominic’s side. The second she approached, Dominic’s face softened, his eyes locking onto hers. He smiled weakly and lifted his hand, reaching out for hers.

"You saved me, Nat," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "We did it..."

Natalie’s breath caught in her throat, tears flooding her eyes, it was the exact words he said after his first surgery in Aracemia.