Unmarry Me, Billionaire

CHAPTER THREE

Madison's POV

Cedric walked fully into the room, his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my chest tighten. Klaus shifted uncomfortably, his previous arrogance faltering for a split second before he masked it with a dark scowl.

“What the hell are you doing here, Cedric?” Klaus snapped, stepping between Cedric and my bed. He adjusted the cuffs of his expensive designer suit jacket, trying to reclaim the authority he had just used to demand a divorce. “This is a private ward. You have no business being here. Leave us.”

“I have every business being where Madison is,” Cedric replied, completely unbothered by Klaus’s hostility. He didn't even look at his brother. He kept his gaze fixed entirely on me, stepping closer until his tall, powerful figure completely dominated the space. “I heard what happened. I’ve been outside for a while, Maddie.”

Hearing him call me Maddie again made a fresh wave of tears hit my eyes. But this time, it wasn't just an act for Klaus. It was genuine, overwhelming relief. Cedric looked so different from the timid boy I had brutally abandoned three years ago. He was broader, more mature, and carried the undeniable aura of a ruthless entertainment mogul. He was the only person in this room who didn't want to destroy me.

“Don't call my wife by that name,” Klaus growled, holding the divorce papers tighter in his hand. “Madison and I are handling our private matters. She is signing these papers and leaving the Ashford name behind. This doesn't concern you.”

“I’m not signing anything right now,” I whispered, making my voice shake perfectly as I pulled the thin hospital blanket higher up my chest. I shrank away from Klaus, looking at him with a mixture of engineered terror and very real, freezing disgust. “Get away from me, Klaus. Don't touch me.”

Klaus turned to me, his jaw clenching so hard. “Madison, don't be ridiculous. You just woke up from a coma, your head is clearly not straight. Sign the papers so we can finish this farce and move on with our lives.”

“She said no, Klaus,” Cedric cut in, his calm demeanor suddenly snapping into something cold and dangerous. He stepped right into Klaus's personal space, forcing his brother to take a step back. “She just woke up from a three-month coma. If you try to force her to sign legal documents in this fragile state, my legal team will have you tied up in corporate and civil court for the next ten years. Try me.”

Klaus glared at Cedric, his eyes burning with absolute hatred. The lifelong rivalry between them was thick enough to choke on. “She is my wife. Her family inheritance is legally tied to my company. You have zero legal right to interfere in our marriage, half-brother. You are overstepping.”

“We’ll see about that,” Cedric murmured smoothly. He turned his back on Klaus entirely, treating the powerful CEO of Ashford Holdings like he was completely invisible. He walked to the side of my bed and reached out, gently taking my cold hand in his. His palm was warm, large, and a strange wave of security rushed through my veins. “Are you okay, Maddie?”

I didn't answer him with words. Instead, I threw myself forward, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck and burying my face in his chest. I felt his entire body freeze in utter shock against me. I knew he didn't expect this. Not after how harshly I had broken his heart, blocked him on every platform, and chosen his brother instead. But right now, I needed a shield, and he was the only billionaire powerhouse who could stand against Klaus's tyranny.

“Take me away from him, Ricky,” I sobbed into his expensive wool jacket, using our old, intimate childhood nickname to completely twist the knife in Klaus’s chest. “Please don't leave me alone with them. I'm scared.”

“Madison! Get the hell over here right now!” Klaus yelled, his voice laced with pure fury and a sudden, toxic spike of jealousy. He couldn't stand losing control. He reached out aggressively to grab my shoulder to pull me away, but Cedric intercepted him. Cedric gripped Klaus's wrist mid-air, his hold so savage that Klaus’s knuckles turned completely white.

“If you lay a finger on her again, I will personally liquidate your stock options and ruin Ashford Holdings by tomorrow morning,” Cedric warned.

Before the two brothers could completely tear each other apart in the middle of the room, the heavy door slid open. Doctor Dexter Hayes walked in, casually clicking his pen with a relaxed, amused smile on his face.

“Alright gentlemen, that is quite enough,” Dexter announced, smoothly stepping between the two men. He walked over to check my heart monitor. “My patient just came out of a long, dangerous coma. Extreme stress could easily trigger another brain seizure. If you want to have a marital dispute, you need to take it outside my ward.”

Klaus pulled his hand back from Cedric’s grip, smoothing down his wrinkled suit jacket while glaring at me. He stared at how tightly I was still clinging to Cedric’s arm, and his eyes darkened with a strange, obsessive look I had never seen on him during our three years of marriage. He had never cared about me when I was his loyal wife, but seeing his brother protect me was driving him insane.

“This isn't over, Madison,” Klaus muttered coldly, his gaze dropping to the floor where the crumpled divorce papers lay. “You can hide behind him today, but you are still legally an Ashford. I will be back when you are thinking clearly.” He shot one last venomous look at Cedric before turning on his heel and storming out of the ward. Abbie quickly hurried behind him.

Cedric let out a heavy breath, his hand gently patting my hair before he slowly and reluctantly detached me from his side. “I need to go handle my legal team to make sure he doesn't try anything dirty with your parents' assets. Rest well, Maddie. I’ll be back tomorrow morning. I won't let him hurt you again.”

“Thank you, Ricky,” I whispered, looking up at him with wide, grateful eyes. He gave my hand one last reassuring squeeze before exiting the room, leaving me alone with the doctor.

The heavy, ringing silence returned to the VIP suite. The moment the door fully clicked shut, the fragile, victimized expression instantly wiped off my face. My posture straightened, and my eyes turned ice-cold as I stared blankly ahead.

Dexter didn't say anything at first. He just stood at the edge of the bed, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. A slow, deeply mischievous smirk began to spread across his drop-dead gorgeous face. He adjusted his stethoscope, his dark gaze tracking every shift in my demeanor.

“That was quite the show, sunshine,” Dexter murmured, his deep voice dripping with dark amusement as he stepped closer to my bed. He reached out, his thumb slowly brushing a stray, calculated tear away from my cheek.

''A truly flawless performance. You had both of those billionaire brothers completely dancing in the palm of your hand.”

My breath caught for a second, but I kept my gaze steady and unblinking. “I don't know what you mean, Doctor. I'm just a heartbroken woman who is terrified of her husband.”

“Cut the crap, darling,” Dexter chuckled softly, leaning down until his shadow completely covered my body. His dark eyes burned into mine, filled with a dangerous, knowing glint.

“Your heart rate didn't match a terrified, broken woman. It matched a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike. You remember every single thing Klaus did to you before you passed out, don't you?”

I stared back at him, my muscles tensing as I realized this doctor was far more observant and dangerous than he appeared. “If you tell Klaus the truth, he’ll use his money to lock me away in a psychiatric facility.”

“Oh, I'm not going to tell him,” Dexter whispered, his fingers suddenly sliding into my hair, pulling my head back gently until my lips were only inches away from his.

“I loathe Klaus and everything his company stands for. But playing along with your little revenge game won't be free, Madison. Those two brothers think they're fighting for a helpless, broken girl. But you and I? We're going to make them bleed together.”