chained by destiny

chapter 4

SIGNED AND SEALED

The entire night was no fun for the James. Eleanor hadn’t returned home since yesterday, she was at the hospital. Mr James, although responding to treatment, is still unconscious. The maids had been very busy following Eleanor’s instructions from the hospital.

Cathryn had trouble sleeping, it felt as if all the objects, including her large picture frame that hung across the wall of her room were pointing at her and accusing her.

She walked slowly down the stairs her heart heavy with regrets because her once happy home was now an empty dome of sadness.

She caught sight of the brown envelope containing the marriage contract. It was lying neatly on the parlor table obviously aligned by a maid.

The same envelope responsible for all this agony she had been forced to embrace in the last few weeks. She cursed it silently.

“Good morning miss Cathryn”

She got distracted by her personal maid, Naria. "Breakfast is served" she added.

Food was the least of Cathryn's worries at that moment.

“Good morning“ Cathryn responded with a fake smile. “I'm not hungry Naria”. Signaling her to leave, "I want to be left alone please".

As the maid walked away she slowly walked to the table, her mind calculating her next action. She picked up the envelope.

The memories struck her like a lightening as she starred at the envelope. The words of Claudia, her dad’s secretary, echoed loudly in her head over and over. She was trying to fight her tears from falling, but the weight of the burden was too heavy for just tears to hold.

“You must do your duty as a James”. “I won’t forgive you if anything happens to your father”. "Investors are beginning to pull out of the company".

As these words cut across her mind, she felt defeated for the first time in her life.

Without any hesitation, she wiped the tears from her eyes, the thought of burning the document vanished without a trace. "Maybe this is my destiny", she thought silently. I must do my duty as a James.

She picked up the pen that was just beside the envelope, and with one heavy sigh, she signed the contract. Her hand was shivering from the weight of her decision. She took one more glance at where she signed_

Cathryn San Antonio.

The sound of quick footsteps echoed down the hallway, pulling her from the depth of her decision that now loomed in her heart like a humming bee. Cathryn could barely register them as she stood frozen, staring at the hallway from where she had heard the sound. It was the maid Naria.

Naria, who had been silently hovering by the door as if she was asked to spy on Cathryn, rushed out of the room.

But that was the least of Cathryn's worries.

Minutes later, Naria was in the hospital, her breath uneven from the hurried ride.

Ma’am," she said softly, stepping into the room.

Eleanor turned, her eyes narrowing at the sudden interruption. "What is it, Naria?"

Naria hesitated, wringing her hands nervously. "Miss Cathryn... she’s signed the contract."

For a brief moment, there was no reaction. Eleanor sat still, her expression unreadable, the words hanging in the air between them. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face, cold and satisfied. She stood up, her posture straight and composed, as though a burden had just been lifted from her shoulders.

"Finally," Eleanor murmured, her voice as icy as ever. "She did what she should have done a long time ago."

Naria shifted uncomfortably, unsure whether the news truly brought relief or just more tension. But Eleanor wasn’t paying attention anymore. She moved toward the hallway that led to her husband’s room, her heels clicking against the floor with a renewed sense of purpose.

As she neared the ICU, a nurse exited Mr. James’s room, her expression unusually bright.

"Mrs. James," the nurse said, her voice full of cautious optimism, "your husband is regaining consciousness."

Eleanor paused, her breath catching in her throat for the first time since the heart attack. "He’s waking up?" she asked, the words coming out more like a command than a question.

The nurse nodded. "Yes, his vitals are stabilizing, and he seems to be coming around."

Without waiting for more explanation, Eleanor pushed past the nurse and stepped into the room. The beeping of the heart monitor filled the small space, but now it was steady, no longer the irregular, terrifying rhythm that had haunted her these past days.

Mr. James lay on the hospital bed, his face pale and drawn, but his eyes, those sharp, calculating eyes were fluttering open.

Eleanor moved to his side, leaning over him with the cold composure that had always defined her.

"James," she whispered, her voice low but firm. "Can you hear me?"

Slowly, his eyes focused on her, recognition flickering in them. His lips parted, his voice hoarse and weak. "Eleanor…"

A rush of relief she didn’t dare show passed through her, but she kept her expression neutral. "The company will be fine," she said immediately, her tone devoid of tenderness. "Cathryn signed the contract this morning."

For a moment, Mr. James said nothing, but his gaze shifted, and a faint nod of acknowledgment followed. He tried to speak, but the words failed him. Still, Eleanor knew he understood. The company, the legacy he had built, was no longer hanging by a thread.

Cathryn had done what she needed to do.

Eleanor sat back, holding her husband's arm lightly. "You’re going to be fine now, sweetheart. Everything is back under control."

But beneath her cool exterior, a flicker of something else burned. Cathryn’s decision, while necessary, might have come at a cost far greater than anyone realized, and she knew it.

Cathryn sat in her room, staring blankly at the wall clock. She had signed the contract, but why does the weight feel so heavy on her shoulders?

She wanted to call Mia to at least share the burden with her, but thoughts of Mia only reminded her of a stranger whose face she could barely recognize.

"It does not matter anymore, I've been bound to San Antonio" she silently reminded herself.