MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Once the potatoes were boiled, Crystal turned off the stove and took out the butter and milk from the fridge that she would need when she mashed them. Then, as she was reaching for the strainer, her phone rang. She answered it without checking the Caller ID and was shocked to hear Lucy's unusually anxious voice on the other end. Lucy was her parents' housekeeper.

Lucy: "Crystal, come to the hospital quickly! Your Father is dying!"

When Crystal heard that, it was as if all of her bones had turned into spaghetti, and she collapsed onto the floor. Upon hearing the noise, Nathan rushed into the kitchen and crouched down beside her. Then he wrapped his arms around her and asked her what was wrong.

"My father is dying…." Crystal replied lamely. Although she was not close to her Father, there was a bond between them that was undeniable. He was, after all, her Father. 

"Come on," Nathan said. "Let's go to the hospital."

****

Jessica and Joyce were snuggled up together in the Waiting Room, and Evan was pacing back and forth in front of the door to the Operating Room. Lucy was a devout Christian, so she was on her knees in prayer.

When Crystal and Nathan arrived, they went to the Nurse's Station first. She asked about her Father, and the nurse said, "He is still in O.R. The doctor had Mrs. Henry sign a Notice of Critical Disease, though, so... I would hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst…."

If it weren't for Nathan's strong arms around her, Crystal would probably have collapsed when she heard that. The thought that she might not see her Father before he died terrified her.

Crystal was aware that Jessica and Joyce were watching her, but she didn't care. They didn't seem like their usual bitchy selves anyway. Evan walked towards her. He glanced at Nathan, and then he said, "You're finally here. Before Dad went into the Operating Room, he told me that he wanted to see you as soon as he woke up."

Crystal nodded calmly, but on the inside, she was a bundle of raw nerves.

Two hours passed, and the nurses finally pushed Todd out of the Operating Room. Everyone who had been waiting outside crowded around him, and they asked for an update from the doctors.

The lead physician took off his mask and said, "The surgery was a success, but we are not out of the woods yet. The patient is still very weak. We need to send him to the ICU."

Evan followed the nurses and Todd to the ICU, and he didn't return for half an hour. Then, once he had everyone's attention, he said, "Dad's condition is temporarily stabilized.

Mom, Joyce, you can go home to rest. Aunt Lucy will take care of you. I'll stay here."

Lucy nodded, and she helped Jessica into the elevator.

Once they were gone, Evan took out a large yellow sealed envelope from his briefcase. He handed it to Crystal and said, "Dad told me to give this to you."

Crystal took the envelope and frowned. It was heavier than it looked.

Evan looked at Crystal expectantly. He was obviously anxious to see what was inside the envelope. She was hesitant to open it, though. Might it be better to wait until I have some privacy? - she wondered.

Just then, a nurse walked over with a pile of bills, and Evan excused himself so that he could deal with them. Once Evan was gone, Crystal unceremoniously tore open the envelope.

She looked inside and was taken aback by what she saw.

She pulled the red diary out and ran her fingers over the maple tree embossed on the cover. It was the same diary that she had seen in Nathan's room. She frowned and turned to look at Nathan. "Tell me what is going on!" she demanded.

Nathan nodded and said, "Your Mother instructed me to give this to your Father. Now, it seems that your Father is passing it on to you." 

Crystal sighed. This answered some questions, but it left so many unanswered. She still didn't know why her mother had left her legacy to Nathan or why the diary had gone to her Father first. She hoped that some of these lingering questions would be finally answered once she started reading the books. 

Crystal went to sit in the waiting room. She began to read, and she didn't stop until a nurse came by and told her that she could see her Father if she wanted.

To visit her Father, Crystal had to don a sterile mask, gloves, and gown.

Todd was lying on the bed with various tubes attached to different parts of his body. From just looking at him, Crystal could tell that he was frail. However, when he saw her, he smiled, and in the slightest of whispers, he asked her if she'd gotten the diary.

"I read it all," Crystal replied.

"Good," Todd said. "Now, there's something I have to tell you. If I don't tell you now, I'm afraid that I won't have another chance..."

Crystal held his hand and smiled.

After a few minutes, Todd continued. "I'm not your Biological Father," he said.

When Crystal heard these words, she was not shocked. She had read all about it in the diary. "But who asked is my Biological Father?" she asked.

Todd: "Your Mother was raped when she was twenty-one. When you were born, I felt bad for her, so I married her."

Crystal:" Okay! But you didn't answer my question!"

Todd: "I'm sorry, Crystal, but no one knows who your Biological Father is... your Mother said that she pulled off one of the man's cufflinks, but she didn't see his face. That cufflink is the only clue we have..."

Crystal gripped the diary tightly with trembling hands.

Todd: "Well, I've said what I needed to say. I have to rest now."

Crystal staggered out from the ICU, and when Nathan saw her, he wrapped his arms. around her. "Are you all right?"

Tears began to run down Crystal's eyes.. "How long have you known my Father's secret?" she cried.