All Chapters of Mr. Hayes’ Secret Heir: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I woke up slowly, my eyes adjusting to the light. The first thing I noticed was that I was lying in a hospital bed.I pushed myself up, still a little weak. “What happened?” I asked, not really to anyone.“You fainted.”I turned. Mason was sitting in the chair beside me. “The doctor said it was exhaustion,” he added. “You haven’t been eating.”I let out a small breath. “Oh.”My mind snapped back to Lior, and panic rushed through me. “Lior… what about Lior? What’s going on? Is he okay?”“Calm down,” Mason said. “The surgery went well.”It took a moment to sink in, and then relief hit so hard I didn’t think. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him.“Thank God.” The words came out in a rush. Then I realized what I had done.I pulled back quickly. “I’m sorry. I just… I’m happy.”He didn’t say anything. He just watched me.“Where is he?” I asked. “Can I see him?”“He’s in the ICU. They’re still monitoring him. He’ll be moved out in a few hours. He’s fine.”“You, on the other hand,

As I stepped out of Mr. Mac’s office, I saw Jane waiting nearby and couldn’t help but chuckle.She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward a corner. “How did it go?”Instead of answering, I pressed play on the video and handed her my phone. Her face lit up immediately.“Oh my God…” she laughed, her eyes wide with excitement. “Mia, this is even better than I imagined. I thought your good heart would get in the way, but this?” She shook her head, still laughing. “This is wild.”“Send it to me,” she added quickly. “So on bad days, I can just watch it and feel better.”I laughed. “I actually made it for you.”She grinned. “There’s a reason you’re my friend.”After I sent it, she looked at me again. “So, does this mean you have your job back?”That hadn’t even crossed my mind. “I honestly don’t know,” I admitted. “But I’m just glad he doesn’t have his anymore.”Jane nodded, satisfied with that.“I’m heading back to the hospital. I want to be there when Lior wakes up.”“I’ll come by later,” she

Half-asleep, I thought I heard Lior call me. “...Mama.”My eyes fluttered open, blinking as I tried to focus. My head was resting on Mason’s shoulder. I must have fallen asleep while we waited.That was all we had been doing since he was moved back to his private room.I shifted, about to lift my head, when I heard it again. “Mama…”I turned, my heart stuttering when I saw him looking at me.Everything in me snapped into motion. I pushed off Mason’s shoulder so quickly that it startled him awake too, but I didn’t stop. I rushed to Lior’s bedside and dropped beside him. “Mama’s here, baby… Mama’s here.”My voice broke as I reached for him, tears already spilling. Behind me, I heard Mason move.“I’ll get the doctor,” he said, already heading out.“My baby… you’re awake,” I whispered, my hands shaking as I held his.“Why are you crying?” Lior asked softly.I let out a small laugh through my tears. “I’m not crying because I’m sad… I’m crying because I’m happy. You’re awake now.”Mason was

Lily’s voice, reporting me to her mother with lies about how I had “physically assaulted her,” was the last thing I heard before I shut my door.I unpacked, changed, and went straight to bed, lying on my back and staring at the ceiling, hoping for a bit of quiet. It didn’t last. The sounds started not long after, low moans and rough grunts carrying through the walls, and I turned my head, already knowing what it was.Ruben’s room wasn’t even close to mine, which meant they were doing it somewhere I could hear on purpose, and all it earned from me was a small laugh, because if they thought that was going to get a reaction out of me, they were wasting their time.Nina’s voice got louder, drawn out and exaggerated, and I couldn’t even tell if she was enjoying herself, in pain, or just performing.Either way, it didn’t matter. Lior was okay now, and I could finally focus on getting out, saving up for a divorce lawyer and ending this.My phone dinged, Mason’s name popped up on the screen.

When we got to Mason’s house, the same woman who had opened the door the first day I came was in the kitchen, setting down a cup of coffee. Mason thanked her, and she disappeared right after.He picked up the cup and handed it to me, the heat seeping through my fingers. “Drink it. Then go take a hot shower. It’ll help.”He glanced around the kitchen, said nothing else, then walked away.I let out a quiet breath as he left, watching the set of his shoulders until he turned the corner. Something in my chest pulled tight. He hadn’t really looked at me since we got in, and the distance felt intentional.I cradled the cup and took a careful sip. Heat spread through my hands, then my throat. My mind went back to the drive, the way his hands gripped the wheel tight, his jaw set the whole time.He was upset.I just didn’t know if it was about me.I finished the rest, set the cup down, and headed upstairs.The shower helped, just like he said it would. The heat took the edge off the cold still