The Abandoned Wife's Second Chance (Scarlett and Jasper) novel Chapter 177

Chapter 177

(Scarlett’s POV)

+25 Points:

The police swarm through the warehouse like ants, their boots echoing against concrete, their radios

crackling with static and urgent voices. Someone’s calling for medics. Someone else is securing the

perimeter.

But I can’t focus on any of it.

Virginia and I are still on our knees beside James, our hands covered in his blood. Jasper stands behind

us, one hand on my shoulder, the other on Virginia’s. Dorian’s talking to the officers, his voice low and

urgent, explaining what happened.

“We need to move back,” one of the paramedics says gently. “Let us work.”

“No.” Virginia’s voice is raw, broken. “I’m not leaving him.”

“Miss, please. We need space to-”

“He’s my father!” She screams it, the words tearing from her throat. “He’s my father and I just found him

and I’m not leaving!”

The paramedic looks at his partner, uncertain. They both know what I can see in James’s face–the gray pallor of his skin, the way his chest barely moves, the blood that’s stopped flowing because there’s nothing

left to pump.

He’s dying. Maybe already dead.

But then his fingers twitch.

“Wait.” I grab the paramedic’s arm. “Look. He’s still-”

James’s eyes flutter open, unfocused and glassy. His lips move, trying to form words, but only a wet,

rattling sound comes out.

“Papa!” Virginia leans over him, her tears falling onto his face. “Papa, we’re here. We’re both here.”

His gaze shifts slowly between us. Recognition flickers in his eyes, dim but present.

“My girls,” he whispers. The words are barely audible over the chaos around us. “My beautiful girls.”

“Don’t talk.” I press my hand over the wound in his chest, even though I know it’s useless. Even though I can feel his life slipping away beneath my fingers. “Save your strength. The paramedics are going to help

you.”

“No.” He manages a weak shake of his head. “Too late.”

“Don’t say that.” Virginia’s sobbing openly now, her whole body shaking. “Don’t you dare say that. You’re

going to be fine. You have to be fine.”

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< Chapter 177

+25 Pasto

James reaches up with trembling fingers, touching first Virginia’s face, then mine. His hand leaves bloody streaks across our cheeks.

“Listen,” he rasps. “Both of you. Listen to me.”

We lean closer, straining to hear over the noise.

“You’re sisters,” he says. “Real sisters. Blood doesn’t matter. What matters is-” He coughs, blood bubbling at his lips. “What matters is you have each other now.”

“Papa, please.” Virginia clutches his hand. “Please don’t leave us.”

“I need you to promise me.” His eyes lock on Virginia’s. “Promise me you’ll take care of each other. Support each other. Be there when–when it gets hard.”

“I promise,” Virginia chokes out. “I promise, Papa.”

His gaze shifts to me. There’s so much in that look–regret, love, pride, sorrow. A lifetime of unspoken

words compressed into a single moment.

“Scarlett.” My name on his lips sounds like goodbye. “I’m sorry. For everything. For not–not being there for

you when you needed me. For failing to protect you both.”

“You protected us tonight.” Tears blur my vision until he’s just a shape in front of me. “You saved us both.”

“Good.” A faint smile touches his lips. “That’s what fathers do.”

The words break me completely. I press my forehead to his, our tears mixing with his blood.

“I love you,” I whisper. “I love you so much. You gave me everything–a home, a family, a chance at happiness. I wouldn’t be who I am without you.”

“And I love you.” His voice is fading, each word costing him. “Both of you. My daughters. My precious

girls.”

Virginia’s sobbing so hard she can barely speak. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything I did. For hating you. For believing Morgan’s lies. I wasted so much time-”

“No.” James squeezes her hand weakly. “No wasted time. You’re here now. That’s all–all that matters.”

His breathing is getting shallower, more labored. The paramedics are trying to move in, but Jasper holds

them back with a look that says let them have this.

“Stay together,” James says, his voice barely a whisper now. “Promise me. No matter what happens. No matter how hard it gets. You stay together.”

“We promise,” I say, reaching for Virginia’s hand. She grabs it immediately, holding on like I’m the only thing

keeping her anchored to earth.

“We promise, Papa,” she echoes.

James looks at our joined hands, and that faint smile returns. Peaceful. Content.

< Chapter 177

“Blair,” he murmurs. “Tell Blair I–I tried my best. Tell her I love her. Tell her-”

“You’ll tell her yourself,” Virginia insists. “When you wake up. You’ll tell her yourself.”

But we both know that’s not going to happen.

James’s eyes drift closed. His chest rises once, twice, then stops.

“No.” Virginia shakes him gently. “No, Papa, come back. Please come back.”

+25 Points:

The paramedics move in quickly, checking for a pulse, starting compressions. But I can see it in their

faces–the resignation, the knowledge that they’re going through the motions for our sake, not because there’s any hope.

“Time of death-” one of them starts.

“No!” Virginia launches herself at them, trying to push them away from James’s body. “No, you don’t get to

say that! He’s not dead! He’s not-”

Jasper catches her, pulling her back gently but firmly. She fights him at first, then collapses against his

chest, her screams dissolving into broken sobs.

I sit back on my heels, staring at James’s still face. His eyes are closed now, peaceful. Like he’s just

sleeping.

But he’s not sleeping. He’s gone.

Really, truly gone this time.

The man who chose me when my birth mother didn’t want me. Who taught me to ride a bike and helped

me with my homework and walked me down the aisle. Who gave me everything and asked for nothing in

return.

Gone.

Dorian appears beside me, crouching down. “Scarlett. We need to get you checked out. You might be

injured-”

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