Chapter 2

The patient who’d spoken up froze.

“You mean Adrian Pierce of Summit Group?”

The man in the suit lifted his chin. “Now you understand. Know when you’re out of your depth. Sign, take the money, and get yourself better. There’s no need to make this unpleasant for everyone.”

Silence fell over the room. The patients exchanged uneasy looks, but no one dared argue. One by one, they signed.

Then a woman’s cool voice came from the bed at the far end.

“You said Miss Grant is Mr. Pierce’s wife. Does he know you’re saying that?”

Every head turned.

Sophie was slender and pale, but her amber eyes were steady. Something in her calm stare made the man hesitate. For a moment, he wondered who she was.

Then he scoffed. She didn’t even have a friend or family member at her bedside. She was probably just someone who’d moved here for work.

Sophie held his gaze.

“Everyone knows Mr. Pierce’s reputation. He’s supported countless charitable causes over the years. Who gave you permission to use his name to threaten people and drag Summit Group through the mud?”

Adrian had built Summit Group himself. He’d risen quickly on the strength of his own abilities, turning it into one of the country’s most talked-about companies.

The public saw the success. Sophie knew the sleepless nights and setbacks behind it.

He’d wanted to prove himself to his family, and she’d stood beside him every step of the way.

She didn’t know what the woman from the fire meant to him. She couldn’t explain why the check had come from his account. But she refused to believe Adrian had ordered this, or that he’d let anyone tarnish the company he’d worked so hard to build.

The man laughed in her face.

“You talk like you know Mr. Pierce personally. Who do you think you are, questioning me?”

He pulled out his phone, opened a social media app, and shoved the screen in front of her.

“Take a good look.”

A row of trending headlines filled the screen.

''#SummitGroupCEOConfirmsMarriage''

''#AdrianPierceAndHisWifeAreRelationshipGoals''

''#AdrianPiercesFirstPostIsAboutHisWife''

Not long after Summit Group took off, someone had taken a candid photo of Adrian. It went viral almost overnight. With his handsome face, six-foot-one frame, and broad shoulders, people had dubbed him a real-life romance novel CEO. Millions followed his account.

Adrian had glanced at the attention, frowned, and said, “People are exaggerating.” He’d never posted a response.

Until now.

His once-empty account held a single post.

''Glad you’re back.''

There were three photos: a nighttime view, a candlelit dinner, and a woman seen from behind. She wore an oversized sweatshirt and held up two fingers in a playful peace sign.

The post was from three hours ago.

When Sophie went still, the man opened the comments with a smug smile.

“See for yourself. Mr. Pierce confirmed it personally.”

Of all the comments pouring in, Adrian had replied to only one.

''@SavannahTheCoolest:'' Good thing you’ve always been there for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

''@AdrianPierce:'' I’m here. Don’t be afraid.

More replies crowded the screen, but Sophie couldn’t read them. Her eyes had filled with tears. She kept staring at Adrian’s profile picture.

A deep ache spread through her chest, leaving her whole body numb.

The man pulled his phone away and thrust the agreement into her hands.

“Get it now? Take some advice from me. You can’t afford to cross people like them. Don’t make trouble for yourself.”

Sophie was the only patient left who hadn’t signed.

The bodyguards closed in around her.

“Sign it,” one of them barked.

Sophie took the agreement. Then, with everyone watching, she tore it into pieces.

“What the hell are you doing?”

The man in the suit hadn’t expected her to fight back.

Sophie stood, clutching her broken phone as the bodyguards clenched their fists.

“I already texted the police. They’ll be here any minute.”

The man’s face darkened.

“Fine. If you’re asking for trouble, don’t blame us. Once the people above me get involved, you won’t even know what hit you.”

The police arrived soon after. They took statements, but the men in suits refused to leave the ward.

Somehow, they brought in two large speakers and blasted a piercing noise through them at full volume. It carried through the entire floor, the vibration making Sophie’s chest ache.

They seemed used to doing this. They argued, stalled, and pushed every limit without giving the police an easy way to remove them.

The other patients turned on Sophie.

“What are you trying to prove? You’re not even that badly hurt. They offered you money, so take it! How long would it take you to earn five hundred thousand?”

“She’s right. Take the money and let it go. The rest of us need to sleep!”

Sophie drew a breath, picked up her phone, and forced herself out of bed. Every step hurt, but she kept walking toward the door.

The police stopped the bodyguards from following her.

The man in the suit whistled at her back.

“You think you can get away? Just wait.”

Sophie didn’t turn around.

The pain in her body had faded into a heavy numbness. All she could feel was the pounding of her heart and the endless, piercing ring in her left ear.

---

By the time she got home, dawn was breaking.

She stripped off her charred clothes and dropped them in the trash, then took a quick shower. After changing into pajamas, she collapsed onto the bed.

She dragged the comforter around her cold body and curled up beneath it.

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

She should confront Adrian. She should find out what was going on.

She didn’t have the strength.

Exhaustion finally pulled her under, along with her tears and all the questions she couldn’t stop asking herself.

The next thing she felt was someone gently tucking the comforter around her.

Sophie’s eyes flew open.

Adrian was beside the bed.

There were faint shadows beneath his eyes, and he looked tired. When he saw she was awake, his expression softened.

“Did I wake you?”

She’d been caught in a suffocating nightmare. Cold sweat dampened her temples, and for a moment, she could only stare at him.

Adrian frowned and reached toward her forehead.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling…”

Her palm cracked across his face.

His words stopped. He touched his stinging cheek, stunned for a second.

Then he smiled.

“Sophie. Is this because I didn’t answer your calls?”