CH.2

MAYA

Pain was the first thing I felt when I woke. It cut through me, sharp enough to steal my breath.

My eyelids felt glued shut, but I forced them open.

A white ceiling swam into view, and somewhere beside me, a monitor beeped steadily.

The memories didn’t return in pieces, they slammed into me all at once.

The cold metal table. The blood. Harper’s smug smile through the glass. Kyle’s voice ordering the doctor to let me die.

'He took my kidney.'

I shifted, and agony tore through my right side.

“Ah—!” My hand flew to my abdomen, meeting a thick layer of bandages.

My breath hitched.

The physical pain was nothing compared to the sickening crater in my chest.

Every smile, every gentle touch, every promise Kyle had made to me—it had all been a trap.

The door clicked open and a nurse stepped in with a clipboard tucked to her chest.

“Oh, you’re awake.” She glanced at the monitor.

I swallowed the dry taste in my mouth, forcing myself to sit up despite the blinding pain.

“How long?” My voice came out thin and cracked.

The nurse adjusted the blanket near my feet. “You’ve been unconscious for a week. We were beginning to worry you wouldn’t wake up.”

A week.

He had left me here to rot for an entire week.

“My husband.” I stared at the blank wall, my tone eerily flat. “Did he ever come back?”

The nurse lowered the clipboard, offering a pitying look. “No.”

A dark, hollow laugh threatened to bubble up my throat, but I swallowed it down.

“I need my clothes.” I gripped the edge of the mattress.

The nurse’s smile faltered slightly. “Your wedding gown was ruined, I’m afraid. But you don't need to worry about that.”

She walked over to a small cabinet and pulled out a neatly folded stack of clothes—a soft, warm sweater and a comfortable pair of dark trousers.

She laid them at the foot of my bed.

“Where did these come from?” My voice was raspy. “Did my husband leave them?”

“Your husband hasn’t been here,” the nurse repeated gently. “No family has come at all since the operation.”

A bitter taste flooded my mouth. I already knew they wouldn't, but hearing it again still stung.

“Then whose are these?” I pointed to the clothes.

The nurse’s eyes lit up, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. “A gentleman came to check on you. Twice, actually, while you were unconscious. He brought the clothes, settled your medical bills, and donated generously for your recovery.”

I stared at her in disbelief. “A gentleman? Who?”

The nurse sighed dreamily. “Oh, he was dead handsome. Tall, incredibly broad shoulders, with this dark, commanding energy. Honestly, he looked like he stepped right off the cover of a magazine. The whole ward couldn’t stop staring.”

My brow furrowed. I didn't know anyone like that.

Kyle was wealthy, but this didn't sound like any of his friends.

“What was his name?” I pressed.

The nurse shook her head, her expression turning apologetic. “He demanded absolute discretion. His identity was not to be shared. He also arranged a private car for you. The driver is waiting downstairs to take you wherever you need to go.”

She patted my foot gently. “Just consider him a good Samaritan. Let me help you get dressed.”

She helped me slip into the soft clothes that fit perfectly and walked me to the entrance.

“The black sedan at the curb is yours,” she said, pointing outside. “Take care of yourself.”

I thanked her, my legs shaking slightly as I stepped out into the cool air.

Just as I started toward my arranged car, a commotion near the hospital doors caught my attention.

A group of men in dark suits stepped out, parting the morning crowd with silent authority.

Within seconds, a fleet of black luxury cars flooded the entrance, blocking the entire lane and leaving other vehicles to honk and edge around them.

The revolving doors opened and a man stepped out, speaking quietly into his phone.

The guards straightened at once at his presence.

I recognized him immediately.

The sharp jaw, the cold, composed gaze—I’d seen his face in magazines and heard Kyle curse his name often enough.

Alpha Dorian. Kyle’s biggest rival.

He was even more striking in person, tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and a presence that commanded the very air around him.

He started toward his convoy, then paused.

His nostrils flared as he tilted his head slightly, as though catching a particular scent on the breeze.

His deep, penetrating gaze swept over the crowd before landing directly on me.

He took in the new clothes I wore, my pale complexion, and the way I clutched my side to stay upright.

A flicker of something dark and dangerous crossed his expression.

For one unsettling moment, his eyes locked onto mine, causing a shiver to creep down my spine, but I didn't look away. I had nothing left to fear.

Finally, Alpha Dorian raised a single hand, gesturing sharply to his men.

The guards moved instantly, stepping back to wave the idling sedan forward and clear a direct path to where I stood.

My brows pulled together.

How did he know the sedan was my ride?

The driver pushed open the back door, leaving me no time to dwell on the mystery.

I climbed inside, biting the inside of my cheek until it bled to endure the burning pain in my side.

Alpha Dorian remained standing on the pavement, watching me for a few more seconds. His expression was completely unreadable when he finally slid into the back of his car.

Then his convoy pulled away smoothly.

I sank back against the leather seat.

“Take me to the Hanson estate.” I handed the driver the address of the house Kyle had bought for us as a wedding present.