Healing the Cold CEO

Chapter Nine

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"Good morning. My name is Elena Haren. I'm here to see my...my father, Tristan Haren. He was involved in a horrible car accident..."

The nurse had perked up the moment that all my friends and I had walked out of the elevator and onto the extremely private wing of the hospital.

As Axle had promised, there had been no sign of Paparazzi but we had taken the cautious route, entering through the basement level. Not that I doubted the man. His control over New York was as admirable as it was terrifying.

The only welcome faces we had run into were Kai Mancini, CEO of the Mancini Empire and Ariadne Alexandros, both of whom had been in Los Angeles for business.

Whilst Kai had been launching a grand luxury jewelry store in LA and had been unable to be part of our vacation, Ariadne had taken part in a secret meeting that would probably have blew the rumors out of the water and broken the Internet. Even though it had disappointed her to miss our trip, she'd had no choice.

As Damian's younger sister and part of the great Aleksandros family, she had been groomed and prepared for any possibility, including taking a leading position at Muses, a chain of resorts that had grown from the small venture launched by Malia Aleksandros, her grandmother, to a grand organisation that her mother Daphne intended to hand over to her.

Whilst the visit to LA had been to discuss the way forward on the business operations, it had been kept under wraps as much as possible with our circle of friends being the only ones who knew the truth about her trip.

Seeing the two of them warmed my heart as Kai murmured his condolences after a warm, reassuring hug whereas Ari had not left my side after granting me the longest hug possible with her hand staying in mine to this very moment as the nurse stared at the gathering of some of the most powerful individuals of our generation.

"Yes, of course. We locked down this floor to ensure that he receives the best care...."

She stated, leading us down the sterile hallways that brought back distraught flashbacks that threatened to consume me. Ari and Gia's grips on both my hands grounded me, tightening at the feel of my flinch at the scent that almost drowned me in despair.

You have to be strong....stronger, Elena...this is the real world now...

Walking away from Axle had been extremely difficult, just as I suspected it would be. Any longer and he would have become my emotional crutch...and that would have been a disastrous outcome.

His gaze was constantly on me. I could feel it with the way my body seemed to subtly seek him out. I was immersed in him, quickly learning that my body and heart sought him out before my mind could control itself.

Even now, the goosebumps on my arms were a clear sign that he had not relented, his gaze scorching my body as I glaringly realised that his presence would be a constant.

Which is why I need to get over him and fast...Distance will help but diving deeper into my pain might just be enough to completely distract me...

Letting go of him after we exited the plane was painful but taking a different car from his own had almost broken my resolve as I watched him relent and allow me to travel to the hospital with my girls. He was no fool. He could tell there was more and yet he seemed determined to stay.

Not for long...not after how I plan to push him away...

"Here is his room. We have limited the number of visitors to one for the time being. He is at a high risk of infection and with his condition being not so great, we're taking preventative measures for his safety. Please let the nurse inside know when you're ready to go in and she will assist you to change into protective gear and we at the hospital wisht to extend our heartfelt condolences at the loss of your grandfather..."

The nurse stated, her words stinging momentarily at the mention of my grandfather before I numbed the pain and put it back in the box I had stuffed all the negative emotions that wanted to consume me.

I, instead, focused on the more manageable pain that consumed me as I stared through the glass at the broken man who lay on the bed. Wires were hooked to his arms, an oxygen mask covering his face. He looked like a shell of the man who cherished me and made time for me whenever he could.

Family was important to us. We prioritized it above all else. And that was no different for my grandfather nor my father, both of whom took time out of their extremely busy schedules to spend as much time with me as possible.

Seeing him now broke my heart even more, my body moving automatically as I let go of my best friend's hands to rest my own on the glass. I longed to touch him, to hold his hand and tell him how much I loved him. I longed to thank him for all he had done for me and to promise him that I would protect our legacy.

I didn't know I was crying until a white handkerchief appeared in my periphery, bringing me back to the present as I turned to the kind man beside me who gave me a reassuring but sad and distraught smile.

"Miss Elena...It is good to see you. I came as soon as I heard..."

Somer Kaplan's presence was more than welcome as I took his handkerchief before letting him pull me into a hug that was as warm as his personality. Although he kept his emotions guarded in an official setting, he was one of the most compassionate human beings I had ever met with an equally brilliant and outstanding mind.

As the Chief Administrative Officer at Haren Bank's New York Headquarters, he had taken up the role of streamlining , coordinating and directing day-to-day operations of the company - choosing solely to focus on the CEO's office despite managing other departments.

His choice to support my father and run his day to day whilst also managing his secretaries when he had received a greater promotion opportunity in line with his specialty had elevated him in-father's eyes. He had become a trusted colleague and friend not only to him but to the rest of us as well. He was the reason Haren had become so efficient over the years.

Seeing him was not unexpected, and I was glad all the more for his presence as we both turned towards the hospital bed beyond where my mother squeezed father's hand reassuringly despite the tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

"Sorry for cutting your vacation at home short. All this was...unexpected..."

I responded, remembering that father had chosen to give him some time off to visit his parents in Istanbul, his home city.

"You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I should be the one passing my deepest condolences to you on the loss of..."

"Thank you, Somer. For being here..."

I cut him short, unwilling to hear the words so soon again. I knew I had to get used to it soon enough but I needed a little longer to steel my cracking walls and reinforce my will to be strong in the face of death once again.

If Somer noticed my deflection-which I knew he most certainly had with how perceptive he was-he didn't say anything and simply chose to let us stand in comfortable silence. My friends had taken a couple of steps back, leaning against the wall to give us some privacy, no doubt, but the fact that they were here with me was enough.

Even the man who can't stop looking at me for one single minute...

"I took control of correspondence from the CEO's PA staff as soon as I returned. I'm sorry to bring this up right now, Elena, but the Board has been calling to set up an emergency meeting. They've heard snippets, rumors but nothing tangible. There seems to be a gag order placed on the press by some miracle that none of them are reporting the news, but it is only a matter of time...."

Not some miracle... Only Axe and his impressive network of connections could have managed something on that scale...

My eyes couldn't help but seek him out just this once, only to be met with blue-green orbs that revealed nothing but intensity and something more. Something darker and yet still somewhat of a promise.

I looked away swiftly, ignoring the way my heart skipped a beat as I focused on my mother who seemed to have registered my presence and was making her way to the door and to me.

"Let me make sure my mother is okay first and see my father-only afterward can I focus on other things. They can wait."

"Understood, Miss Elena. "

Somer responded just as my mother opened the door, a sad but small smile on her lips as she bundled me into a hug whilst being careful not to hurt her arm that was in a sling. Despite the small bruising on her forehead that had turned purple as it slowly healed, she was otherwise okay physically, which filled me with a semblance of relief.

"My little one...I am so happy you're here and you're safe. The two of us can stand as one..."

I nodded, holding her hands in my own as we turned to my Father. This is what he would have wanted, for us to stand united as the Haren family always did in the face of adversity.

And we will not fall...no matter what...

"How are you feeling, mother? Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

She shook her head, using her free hand to brush the loose strands of my hair behind my ear.

"I'm fine. My recovery is projected to be in about a month. With some slight physiotherapy, I should be okay. It would have been worse had your Father not used his body to shield me. And your grandfather..."

Her red eyes got redder as the tears balanced precariously on the edge, her mind seeming far away in her memories no doubt. The pain was wedged deep within and I could imagine exactly how brutal reliving the moment was.

I had been there before and going back would break me into a million pieces.

"How is he?"

Mother shook her head, offering me a sad smile as she wiped the stray tears away with her free hand whilst I wrapped my hand around her waist and leaned my cheek on her shoulder to reassure her and calm her trembling even if just for this moment.

"He has a brain injury from the impact of the crash and his left leg is broken. They managed repair the pneumothorax from his collapsed lung but put him in a coma to allow the brain swelling to reduce by itself. We are unsure of whether he will be okay when he wakes up..."

The news hit hard, reminding me of exactly why I needed to be strong..especially when my mother began to silently cry, prompting me to hold her even tighter to reassure her.

"No, he's going to be okay. Everything will be okay."

I reassured, never meaning any words more than the ones I had just spoken. The time for weakness is gone.

I will protect our family, father...grandfather. I give you my word...

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