Chapter 3
1362 Words
The sound came first.
Then the impact.
Natalie felt her body lift, weightless for a split second, before everything slammed back at once. Pain exploded through her side. Her head hit hard. The world flipped, blurred, went dark.
Voices crashed in and out.
Someone shouting.
Someone crying.
Someone yelling for an ambulance.
Call 911!!!
She tried to open her eyes but Couldn’t. Her mouth tasted like blood.
“She’s breathing!” a voice said. “Oh my God, she’s breathing!”, “Someone call 911!”.
Hands touched her. Too many. Everywhere.
Sirens cut through the noise.
Red lights flashed behind her eyelids.
Then nothing.
When Natalie woke up, she didn’t know where she was.
Her body felt wrong. Heavy and Broken Like she’d been dropped from a height and forgotten there. A steady beeping filled the air.
She opened her eyes slowly.
White ceiling.
She was in the Hospital.
Her throat burned. Her head throbbed. She tried to move her arm and gasped. She was in severe pain
“Don’t move,” a nurse said quickly, appearing beside her. “You’ve had a concussion.”
Natalie swallowed. “What happened?”
“You were hit by a car,” the nurse said gently. “You’re lucky to be alive.”
The word made her want to laugh and scream at the same time.
“Where’s my phone?” Natalie asked.
“We have it,” the nurse said. “Someone brought you in.”
Someone.
Natalie turned her head slightly.
Kevin stood near the door.
Her heart slammed hard against her ribs.
“No,” she whispered. “No.”
Kevin stepped forward immediately. “Natalie. You’re awake.”
Her eyes filled with tears she refused to let fall. “Why are you here?”
His jaw tightened. “Because I watched them pull you off the road.”
Her chest rose sharply. “You were there?”
“Yes.”
That explained the look on his face.
Anger, Fear and Guilt.
All tangled together.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Natalie said. “I didn’t ask you to come.”
“I know,” Kevin said. “I came anyway.”
She looked away.
Silence stretched between them, thick and uncomfortable.
“Did they catch the driver?” she asked quietly.
Kevin didn’t answer right away.
“No,” he said finally. “They sped off.”
Her fingers curled weakly into the sheets.
“It wasn’t an accident,” she said.
Kevin’s eyes sharpened. “I know.”
She turned back to him. “Someone warned me.”
He stepped closer. “Who?”
“A woman,” Natalie said. “From work.”
Kevin’s mouth went tight. “Describe her.”
Natalie closed her eyes, replaying it. “Tall. Blonde. Always watching. She said accidents happen.”
Kevin didn’t hide his reaction this time. His face went cold.
“I told you not to go back there,” he said.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Natalie snapped, then winced.
“You always say that,” he said. “And you always end up hurt.”
“That’s not your problem.”
“It is when someone tries to kill you.”
The nurse cleared her throat. “She needs rest.”
Kevin nodded but didn’t move. “I’ll step out.”
Before he did, he leaned closer to Natalie.
“I’m not leaving this alone,” he said quietly. “Someone crossed a line.”
After he left, Natalie stared at the ceiling.
Her phone buzzed on the table beside her.
She reached for it with shaking fingers.
It was the Unknown number.
A message popped up.
UNKNOWN: You should’ve stayed away.
Her blood ran cold.
She typed back without thinking.
NATALIE: You tried to kill me.
Three dots appeared.
Then stopped.
Another message came through.
UNKNOWN: Next time I won’t miss.
Her breath caught.
She dropped the phone like it burned her.
A few minutes later, the door opened again.
This time, it was a woman.
Perfect hair, Perfect makeup and Perfect posture.
Olivia.
She smiled like this was a social visit.
“Oh good,” Olivia said softly. “You’re awake.”
Natalie’s stomach twisted. “What are you doing here?”
“I was worried,” Olivia said, walking in like she belonged there. “Kevin didn’t answer his phone.”
Natalie watched her closely. Too calm. Too interested.
“You’re his…?” Natalie asked.
Olivia smiled wider. “Girlfriend.”
The word hit harder than it should have.
“I wanted to see the girl who caused all this trouble,” Olivia continued.
Natalie’s jaw clenched. “Trouble?”
“You know,” Olivia said lightly. “Dragging the CEO out of meetings. Showing up out of nowhere. Nearly getting killed.”
Natalie’s heart skipped. “CEO?”
Olivia tilted her head. “You didn’t know?”
Natalie stared at her.
“Kevin owns the company,” Olivia said smoothly. “Most of it, anyway.”
The room spun.
Kevin wasn’t just powerful.
He was everything.
Natalie laughed once, hollow. “Of course he is.”
Olivia studied her face. “You didn’t know. Interesting.”
Natalie met her gaze. “Why are you really here?”
Olivia leaned closer. “To warn you.”
“About what?”
“Kevin’s world,” Olivia said. “Girls like you get swallowed by it.”
Natalie felt anger rise. “Girls like me?”
“Poor,” Olivia said gently. “Desperate and Replaceable.”
Natalie’s fingers dug into the mattress.
Olivia straightened. “Heal quickly. And when you do… leave.”
She turned to go, then paused at the door.
“Oh,” Olivia added, not looking back. “Accidents don’t always stop at one.”
She left.
Natalie’s heart raced.
Moments later, Kevin rushed back in.
“What did she say to you?” he demanded.
Natalie stared at him. “You’re the CEO.”
He froze.
“You weren’t supposed to find out like that,” he said.
“So you were just going to let me clean floors while you watched?” she snapped.
“That wasn’t…”
“Don’t lie to me,” Natalie said. “I’ve had enough lies.”
Kevin ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t know you were struggling this badly.”
“Because you never looked,” she shot back.
Silence fell again.
“I’m quitting,” Natalie said suddenly.
Kevin’s head snapped up. “No.”
“I’m not staying where someone wants me dead.”
“I’ll protect you.”
“I don’t want your protection.”
“Natalie!!”
“I want my life back,” she said. “The one I ruined by running away.”
Kevin stepped closer. “You didn’t ruin anything.”
She laughed bitterly. “You don’t know that.”
Her phone buzzed again.
She didn’t want to look.
But she did.
UNKNOWN: Quit… or the next accident happens at home.
Natalie’s hands shook.
Kevin noticed immediately. “What is it?”
She held the phone up slowly.
He read the message.
The room went very still.
“This isn’t just jealousy,” Kevin said quietly. “This is planned.”
Natalie whispered, “They know where I live.”
Kevin’s eyes darkened. “Not for long.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” he said, voice low and dangerous, “you’re not going back to that apartment.”
Natalie shook her head. “I’m not moving in with you.”
“You’re not choosing,” Kevin replied. “Someone already did.”
A knock came at the door.
A police officer stepped inside. “Ms. Moore? We need to ask you a few questions.”
Natalie nodded weakly.
“Do you recognize this vehicle?” the officer asked, holding up a photo.
Natalie’s heart stopped.
The car in the photo was familiar.
Too familiar.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
“Yes.”
Kevin turned sharply. “From where?”
Natalie swallowed hard.
“It belongs to someone who works at your company.”
- Writer
