Chapter 012
846 Words
Chapter 12
HARRIET'S POV
The hospital corridors felt endless as I paced outside the operating room. Six hours had passed since they wheeled my father in, his face peaceful from the anesthesia, his hand squeezing mine one last time before the doors closed.
"Miss Blackwood?" A nurse appeared, her scrubs pristine. "Your father's surgery was successful. He's being moved to recovery now."
The relief hit me so hard I had to sit down. The vinyl chair squeaked beneath me as tears rolled down my cheeks. After everything – the humiliation, the contract, Marco – it had been worth it. My father would live.
"You can see him in about an hour," the nurse added kindly, patting my shoulder before walking away.
I pulled out my phone, needing a distraction. Three missed calls from unknown numbers. Probably bill collectors – they hadn't realized yet that I could actually pay them now.
A text message caught my eye:
'Your shift starts at 9 AM tomorrow. Don't be late. - Manager, The Golden Spoon'
Right. My new job. I'd applied to the upscale café last week, before... everything. Before Marco. The pay was decent, the hours reasonable. A normal life. That's what I needed now.
"Harriet?"
I looked up to find Sierra Luciano standing in the hallway, a bouquet of white lilies in her arms. Edward's wife looked out of place in the sterile hospital environment, her designer dress and perfect makeup a stark contrast to the fluorescent lighting.
"Sierra? What are you doing here?"
She sat beside me, arranging the flowers in her lap. "Edward told me about your father's surgery. I thought you might need a friend."
Friend. The word felt strange. In Marco's world, there were no friends – only allies and enemies. But Sierra had been kind to me during my stay, offering advice when I needed it most.
"Thank you," I managed, touching one of the soft petals. "They say the surgery went well."
She nodded, her expression careful. "Marco will be pleased to hear that."
My heart stuttered. "You don't need to tell him anything. The contract is over."
"Harriet..." Sierra turned to face me fully. "You must know he's different now. Since you left..."
"Don't." I stood up abruptly, the vinyl chair scraping against the floor. "Whatever game he's playing, I'm not interested. I have a new job, a normal life ahead of me. That's all I want."
Sierra's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose slightly. "The Golden Spoon, right? Interesting choice."
Something in her tone made me pause. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing." She stood gracefully, adjusting her Hermès bag. "Just... be careful, Harriet. Normal isn't always what it seems."
She left me with the lilies and a growing sense of unease. I wanted to call after her, to demand answers, but a doctor appeared to tell me my father was awake.
As I followed him to recovery, Sierra's words echoed in my mind. But when I saw my father's smile, weak but real, I pushed everything else away. This was what mattered. Not Marco, not his world of power and secrets.
I was done with all of that.
MARCO'S POV
"It's done," Edward reported, standing in front of my desk. "The Golden Spoon is now under our complete ownership. The previous manager has been... compensated for his cooperation."
I examined the papers before me – deed transfers, bank statements, all perfectly legal on the surface. Amazing what money could buy in this city.
"And Harriet?"
"Starts tomorrow morning. The schedule has been arranged exactly as you specified."
I nodded, satisfaction curling through me. "Her father?"
"Out of surgery. Successful outcome. Sierra visited them this afternoon."
My pen paused over the contract I was signing. "I didn't authorize that."
"No, sir. She went on her own initiative."
Of course she did. Sierra Luciano had always been too soft-hearted for our world. But her visit might prove useful – plant seeds of doubt in Harriet's mind about her new 'normal' life.
"The other matter?" I asked, returning to my paperwork.
Edward's expression darkened. "Lady One has been seen meeting with Martinez's people. Three times in the past week."
The pen snapped in my hand, ink bleeding across the contract like spilled blood. That treacherous b***h. I'd known getting rid of her would have consequences, but going to Martinez...
"Keep watching her," I ordered, wiping ink from my fingers. "But don't move yet. We need to know what she's telling him."
"And Miss Blackwood? Should we increase her security detail?"
I looked out at the Las Vegas skyline, remembering how Harriet had looked this morning, walking away from me. So determined to escape. So naive about the world she was walking into.
"Double it," I said finally. "But make sure she doesn't notice. She needs to feel normal, safe. For now."
Edward nodded and left silently. I picked up a new pen, studying the contract before me. Two million dollars a month. A fortune to her, pocket change to me.
Soon, Harriet Blackwood. Soon you'll realize there's no escaping what you've started.
No escaping me.
- Writer
