"Niall is perfectly fine." Maxwell assured him. Lucas felt as though a thorn had been pulled out of his chest. He was so relieved he wanted to cry.


    "Where is he?" He asked. Knowing Niall is fine wasn''t enough. He wanted to see the child and see to himself if he was really alright.


    "Follow me," His friend said, ushering him to a room next to the emergency room. When Maxwell opened the door, he found Niall lying on the bed. Sleeping.


    With lightning speed, Lucas was already on the bed, checking the child for any injury, even though Maxwell had assured him the boy was fine. After a moment of inspection, he found nothing, not even a wound. He checked Niall''s arms, then carefully, he pulled the pajamas covering his legs to see if he was hurt there, but still he found nothing, not even a tiniest scratch.


    Relieved, the thundering in his chest eased.


    Lucas reached for the child to pull him into his arms, but stopped in his tracks. He didn''t want to awaken Niall, who was sleeping so peacefully in the bed. He let his arms drop to his side as he turned Maxwell.


    "He has no injury. Not even a scratch." Lucas voiced out his thoughts aloud.


    "I''m quite surprised, too. Considering the severity of the ident, it was a miracle Niall was left unscathed." Maxwell replied, thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, the situation was quite the opposite with the truck''s driver. He died on the spot." His friend added with a sigh.


    Lucas felt sorry about the man who died in the ident. He thought of the man''s family waiting for him at home. Perhaps his children and his wife were eager for him to return, only to learn about the ident and realize he''s noting back.


    Alexandria''s selfishness had destroyed another life again.


    "How is she?" Lucas forced the words out of his mouth. He doesn''t give a damn about his wife now. But it was only right for him to ask about her condition, even though they weren''t on good terms.


    Knowing whom he was referring to, Maxwell replied. "She''s in the emergency room. I''m returning to her room now."


    Lucasid a soft kiss on Niall''s temples. Assuring himself that his child was safe and sound, he finally moved to the door.


    They entered the Emergency Room. Lucas found his wife lying on the hospital bed with various apparatuses attached to her body. Her head was heavily wrapped with bandages, but her face was fine except for a few bruises that would eventually heal in time.


    His gaze swept over the exposed skin on her arms which the long hospital gown wasn''t able to cover and he saw deep nt wounds carved through her skin. Drifting down to her legs, he found her delicate left foot wrapped heavily with a bandage, too.


    Alexandria will never perform ballet again with that injured foot. Lucas thought and for the first time, he actually felt a tinge of pity for her.


    "Alexandria shielded her body to protect Niall. That''s why she received most of the damage." Maxwell spoke, breaking the silence.


    Turning to his friend, he sullenly looked at him. "Alexandria is not a hero. If I recall, she''s the one who started this." Lucas bit back in irritation.


    "I''m not telling you to praise her. I want you to at least appreciate her efforts. It nearly cost her life, you know."


    "You''re taking her side." Lucas growled. "You still have feelings for him, don''t you?"


    Maxwell gasped. Surprised that Lucas had changed the topic so swiftly. "No, of course not." He denied, a bewildered expression crossed his face as he shook his head.


    "You are." Lucas stated, so sure of himself.


    "Why are you bringing that up?" Max sighed heavily. "I admit I used to have feelings for her, but that changed when you married her." He added. His expression showed how upset he was.


    "I didn''t ask you to exin."


    "I want to clear things out."


    Silencepsed inside the room as they drifted into their own private worlds. The beep of the monitor and the hum of the air conditioning unit were the only sound they could hear.


    "Listen to me Lucas—not as your best friend, but as a doctor." Unable to take the silence, Max began. "When Alexandria wakes up, life will never be the same for her. She will never y ballet again. Society will turn its back against her. Just treat her well, but if you can''t, at least be civil with her when she wakes up."


    Lucas clenched his fists on his sides in growing exasperation. He didn''te here to get a lecture from a man who never knew what it felt like to marry a woman like Alexandria.


    Maxwell was clueless of how evil and manipting that woman could be. She was the perfect definition of a wolf in sheep''s clothing. No matter what his friend says, he has no sympathy for the woman who once threatened to abort his child if he pursued divorce and almost got that boy killed tonight.


    "I had had enough of this." He said wearily, turning to the door. "You said what you have to say, Maxwell," Lucas said, aware that his friend was watching him with his deep blue eyes. "Your words will not change my decisions, nor what I feel for her. I still hate Alexandria. Every part of me loathed her."


    Max must have sensed how furious he was that he kept his mouth close. Lucas appreciated his friend''s silence. It encouraged him to continue. "When Alexandria recovers, I will have to file for divorce and I will make sure I will get sole custody of Niall. She already knew that." He paused again and sucked in a deep breath to keep his emotions under control. "If you still want her, go ahead.


    She''s all yours."


    Lucas walked out of the door without a backward nce, knowing if he stayed longer, he would say something bad he would regretter. He felt his friend''s gaze followed him until he was out of sight.


    He doesn''t care what Maxwell thought of him now. He just wanted Alexandria out of his life.


    The sooner she''s gone, the better