chapter 6
1035 Words
I sat at Alexander’s desk long after they wheeled him out, staring at the blank computer screen. My hands still shook. Miracle recovery. Those two f*****g words kept looping in my head like a damn curse I couldn’t shake.
I needed answers. And the only person who had them was Dr. Leonardo Hart.
I opened a new browser tab and typed his name with fingers that still felt cold. Award-winning cardiologist. Head of the private wing. Spotless reputation. Too f*****g spotless. People like that always hid something.
My phone buzzed on the desk. Sophia.
Sophia: How are you holding up? You didn’t answer earlier.
I stared at the message for a second, then locked the screen. I couldn’t talk about feelings right now. Feeling meant remembering Marcus’s smile the morning of the surgery. Feeling meant breaking into a thousand pieces all over again.
The elevator dinged outside the office.
I quickly closed every tab and stood up, pretending to organize a stack of contracts. My heart jumped hard against my ribs when the door opened, but it wasn’t Alexander.
A woman in her mid-fifties stepped in like she owned the entire goddamn floor. Perfect blonde hair. Cream-colored coat that looked like it cost more than my yearly rent. Pearl earrings. She smiled softly, the kind of smile rich people practiced in mirrors.
“You must be Elena,” she said, voice smooth and warm. “I’m Isabella Voss. Alexander’s mother.”
Stepmother. I already knew that from the company files. Still, I forced a polite smile onto my face even though my stomach twisted.
“Mrs. Voss. It’s nice to meet you.”
She walked closer, eyes scanning me from head to toe like she was measuring every inch of me. I felt suddenly small and cheap under that stare, even though her expression stayed soft.
“I heard what happened this morning,” she said, placing a perfectly manicured hand over her heart. “My poor boy. His heart has always been so fragile. I came the moment I heard.”
Something about the way she said “my poor boy” made my skin crawl. It sounded practiced. Fake.
“He’s in the private wing with Dr. Hart,” I told her, keeping my voice steady. “They said he’ll be fine.”
Isabella’s smile tightened just a little at the corners. “Leonardo is the best. He’s taken care of this family for years. We trust him completely.”
Taken care of this family. The words stuck in my head like a warning.
She moved around the desk slowly, fingers trailing over the back of Alexander’s leather chair like she was claiming ownership. “You seem very dedicated, Elena. Staying behind after such a scare. Most secretaries would’ve run home the second the ambulance left.”
“It’s my job,” I said simply.
“Of course it is.” She stopped right in front of me. Up close, her perfume was heavy and sweet, almost choking. “But jobs can disappear very quickly in this building. Especially for people who start asking the wrong questions.”
My stomach dropped hard. For half a second the sweet mask slipped, and I saw something cold and sharp underneath those perfect eyes.
I kept my face blank even though my pulse was racing. “I don’t ask questions, Mrs. Voss. I just do my work.”
She studied me for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then the warm smile slid back into place like nothing had happened.
“Good. Alexander needs peace while he recovers. The last thing he needs is another distraction.”
The way she said “distraction” made it crystal clear she meant me. b***h.
Before I could answer, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and her entire expression shifted — colder, harder.
“Excuse me for a moment,” she said. “I need to take this.”
She stepped out into the hallway, leaving the heavy office door slightly open. I waited three full seconds, heart hammering, then quietly moved closer to the gap.
Her voice was low, but clear enough if I strained.
“I told you to keep him stable, Leonardo. Not put on a damn show in front of the entire staff.”
Silence on the other end. Then she continued, sharper this time.
“If that girl starts digging, everything falls apart. Do you understand me? Make sure she stays in her place. Or I will handle it myself.”
My blood turned to ice in my veins.
Isabella’s heels clicked back toward the office. I scrambled back to the desk just as she walked in again, all soft smiles and fake motherly concern once more.
“I have to go see my son now,” she said lightly. “It was lovely meeting you, Elena. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on.”
She left without waiting for a reply, the door clicking shut behind her with a soft finality.
I stood frozen in the middle of the huge office, heart slamming so hard against my ribs I could barely breathe.
She knew.
Isabella Voss wasn’t just some worried stepmother. She was part of whatever the f**k happened the night Marcus died. And she was already watching me like a hawk.
I grabbed my phone with shaking fingers and hit Sophia’s number.
The second she answered, the words spilled out of me in a rush.
“Soph… I think Alexander’s stepmother is involved in all of this. She just threatened me. And she was talking to Leonardo Hart about keeping some secret.”
Sophia’s voice went tight with worry. “What the hell are you talking about, Elena? Slow down.”
I opened my mouth to explain everything — but the elevator dinged again outside the office.
Heavy footsteps approached the door.
Then Alexander’s voice, rough and low and way too close, cut through the silence like a blade.
“Elena. In my office. Now.”
I froze completely.
He was supposed to still be in the private wing recovering.
How the f**k was he already back?
And why did he sound so damn angry?
- Writer
