LOGINLater that evening, the hospital finally released me. The discharge paperwork took longer than expected. But by the time the sun had dipped, I was finally changed into the clothes that was brought for me and ready to leave. By the time everything was completed, I felt both exhausted and relieved. Relieved because I was finally leaving. A few minutes later, I was wheeled out of the room till we got outside of the hospital where I stood up. Mom turned to give me a gentle and careful hug. "I'm going to head home now so you can go get some rest," she said, pulling back to look at me with a warm, reassuring smile. "But I am coming over to see you the first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll bring some fresh ingredients to make that chicken soup we talked about." "Okay," I smiled warmly. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Mom." She waved to us one last time before heading toward her car in the parking lot. Once she was gone, Adrian stepped closer to my side and reached down to hold my
AMELIA It's been three days so far. Three long days of hospital walls, medication schedules, neurological checks and endless instructions to rest. Thankfully, things were getting better. The headaches weren't as intense anymore and the dizziness came less frequently. Caden came visiting this afternoon and was doing his absolute best to keep the atmosphere lively with mom laughing from where she was sitting. Unlike everyone else who seemed to walk around me carefully, as if might break if they spoke too loudly, Caden behaved almost normally. Almost though. As Caden continued talking, my gaze drifted away from the conversation toward the far side of the room. It found Adrian who was standing several feet away from the bed, near the heavy curtains. His hands were tucked into his pockets, just quietly watching and observing. That was exactly how he had been for the past three days. He was just distant, watching and observing everything that happened in the room but rarely
Ryker stared up at me with his brow pulling together. "A hospital?" he muttered. "Your partner in crime here, who you sent, hurt her so bad, it landed her in the hospital," I retorted. He shifted uncomfortably but his face hardened. He let out a small breath and shrugged his shoulders as much as the restraints would allow. "Well... that's not on me," he replied. The lack of remorse in his voice was alarming. I stood there, looking down at him. He didn't care at all. A thought came to my mind. A dark one at that. If Caden and I had been just a few minutes late, what would have happened to her? If Ryker’s man had successfully taken her away, would they have even treated her well? Would they have cared that her head was injured? Would they have taken her to a good hospital quickly enough to treat the injury on her head, or would they have just locked her in some dark, filthy room and let her suffer? The thought alone sent a fresh wave of rage through me. I took a deep breat
ADRIAN The security vehicle finally slowed down and pulled into a parking area directly in front of an apartment complex. A few seconds later, Caden and I pulled in behind them. I shifted the car into park and immediately killed the engine. Caden opened his door immediately, his eyes scanning the windows and balconies above us as we both stepped out. Nobody wasted any time. The security team stepped out too and opened the rear door of their vehicle. The attacker was pulled out. "Lead the way," I told him. One of the men shoved him forward. "Move." He swallowed and nodded. We walked into the building and went up the stairs to the upper floor. Finally, the attacker stopped. He looked at the door, then at me, then back at the door before pointing a hand toward it. "This is it," he said. "This is his house." I walked past him and stood directly in front of the door. I raised my hand and knocked hard, three times. I waited a couple of seconds, ready to knock again, when
ADRIAN I stayed back at the hospital longer than I had originally planned. The truth was simple. Every time I thought about leaving, my eyes would drift back to Amelia and I would find another reason to stay. And the feeling that I figured she got hurt because she's involved with me was just so hard to deal with. And the whole situation just made me so angry. Eventually, I checked the time and knew I couldn't delay any longer. I had things to do. People to deal with. I sat on a chair by the side of the hospital bed, watching her. Slowly, I reached down, my fingers gently rubbing against her knuckles. "I have to leave for a little while," I murmured, keeping my voice as soft as possible to mask the tension underneath. "But I will be right back, though much later... but I'll be right back, I promise." She blinked at me, as her brows pulled together a bit. "You're leaving again?" she asked quietly. "Yes," I replied, leaning in a little closer so she could see the absolute cer
Carlton stared at me without saying a word and I laughed. "Don't you see it? That's exactly the point." "What point?" he asked coldly. I spread my hands. "It means she matters." "She isn't someone temporary. She isn't one of the women that came and went. She's different," I continued. "She means a lot to him." A slow smile spread across my face. "And that makes me know that he loves her." The satisfaction of that realization tasted sweet. Adrian Langford, the ice king of the corporate world had finally gone and given himself a weakness. Carlton stared at me, his expression twisting into something close to horror. "So you want to hurt her just to get to him?" "Oh, no. Not at all," I replied, waving my hand in dismissal as if he had just suggested something utterly absurd. "You're still not understanding." "I don't want to hurt her," I added. Carlton let out a scoff. "And yet, you had her taken." "I said I don't want to hurt her." I snapped. "I just want to see hi
When I got to the house, I unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind me.I kicked off my shoes near the entrance before heading straight to my bedroom.The moment I walked in, I dropped my purse onto the small table beside my bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. For a
I stared at the screen.For a moment I actually considered typing back. 'How did you get my number?' But then I shook my head. Of course he had my number.Someone like Adrian Langford could probably get anyone’s number if he wanted. Still… he could have at least pretended to ask first. I slipped th
Damn! I actually was attracted to him. The words hung between us, undeniable now that it has been said out loud. His gaze held mine for a second longer, like he was making sure. With his hand still resting on my cheek, he tilted his head to the other side of my face and leaned in as his lips b
AMELIA Did that really just happen? I mean… it did. I was there. But still. My legs were still shaky as I padded down the last few steps into the living room. I let out a quiet breath as I walked further into the living room, my steps slower than usual, like I was trying to process everything







