CHAPTER FIVE: THE HOSPITAL
1563 Words
The car ride was silent.
Too silent.
Damian drove. No driver. His knuckles were white on the wheel. Tessa sat in the passenger seat, coat clutched in her hands, staring at the road.
St. Catherine’s Hospital glowed ahead. Emergency lights. Rain.
Victor was already inside.
---
*11:59 PM. St. Catherine’s Hospital, ER Wing.*
“Stay behind me,” Damian said the second he parked.
“I can—”
“No.” His voice cut her off. “You don’t. Not tonight.”
He got out first. Opened her door. His hand was on her lower back the second she stood. Not gentle. Possessive. Like he was telling the whole hospital she was his.
Tessa didn’t pull away.
The ER smelled like antiseptic and panic. Nurses moved fast. A code was called over the intercom.
Dr. Ellis was at the front desk. Zara’s doctor. Her face was pale.
“Mr. Vance,” she said. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Where is he?” Damian’s voice was ice.
“Mr. Hale is in Room 4 with Zara. He said he’s her ‘family friend.’ He’s refusing to leave unless—”
“Unless what?” Tessa stepped forward.
Dr. Ellis looked at her. Then at Damian. “Unless you transfer her care. To his private clinic. Tonight.”
Tessa’s blood went cold.
Victor.
Of course.
Damian moved.
Room 4 was at the end of the hall. The door was closed.
Damian didn’t knock. He shoved it open.
Victor stood by Zara’s bed. Suit jacket off. Sleeves rolled up. A clipboard in his hand. Zara was asleep, an IV in her arm, oxygen mask over her face.
He looked up. Smiled.
“Tessa,” he said, like this was a dinner party. “You came. And you brought your boss. How sweet.”
“Get away from her.” Tessa’s voice shook.
Victor didn’t move. “She needs better care than this hospital can give her. My clinic has a private asthma unit. Top specialists. Or did you forget she almost died last month?”
Damian stepped between them. “Touch her file and I will bury you.”
Victor laughed. “You can’t. Not without the Q4 files. The ones Tessa has.”
All eyes turned to her.
Tessa’s chest tightened. Zara looked so small in that bed. So fragile.
“Give me the files, Tessa,” Victor said softly. “And I’ll sign her into my clinic right now. Best doctors. Private room. No bills. Or…” He tilted his head. “I call child services in the morning. Report ‘medical neglect.’ Say you refused proper care.”
“You wouldn’t,” Tessa whispered.
“Try me.”
The room went still.
Damian’s jaw was tight. His hand flexed at his side. Like he wanted to put Victor through the wall.
“Don’t,” Tessa said quickly. To Damian. “Don’t.”
“Ms. Moore,” Damian said without looking at her. “Step outside.”
“No.”
“Now.”
She didn’t move.
Victor grinned. “She’s choosing you over her sister. How romantic.”
“Shut your mouth,” Damian snapped.
Victor’s smile dropped. “Or what? You’ll hit me? In a hospital? In front of witnesses?”
Damian took one step forward.
Tessa grabbed his arm. Her fingers dug in. “Damian, please. Not like this. Not with her here.”
He looked down at her hand on his arm. Then at her face.
Something in his eyes changed.
He exhaled. Hard. And stepped back.
Victor saw it. His grin came back. “Smart girl.” He held out the clipboard. “Sign here, Tessa. Transfer of care. And email me the files by 1 AM. We’ll call it even.”
Tessa stared at the paper. Her sister. Her job. Damian.
She couldn’t breathe.
Zara stirred. Her eyes opened. Blurry. Scared.
“Tessy?” Her voice was small behind the mask.
Tessa broke.
She dropped to her knees by the bed. “Hey, baby. I’m here. I’m right here.” She took Zara’s hand. It was cold.
Zara’s eyes moved to Victor. Then to Damian. “Are you fighting?”
“No, sweetheart,” Tessa said fast. “No fighting. Just… grown-up talk.”
“Is he the bad man?” Zara whispered.
Victor’s smile faltered.
Damian crouched too. On the other side of the bed. He didn’t touch Zara. But he looked at her. Really looked.
“Hey,” he said quietly. “I’m Damian. Your sister works for me.”
Zara blinked. “You’re tall.”
A beat. Then Damian’s mouth did something rare. It softened. Just a little. “Yeah. I am.”
“Are you gonna yell at Tessy?”
“No.” His voice was firm. Certain. “I’m not going to yell at her. Ever.”
Tessa’s heart stopped.
Victor shifted. “Cute. But irrelevant. Sign the paper, Tessa.”
Damian stood. Slow. He looked at Victor. Then at Dr. Ellis. “Doctor. Is this child in immediate danger if she stays here tonight?”
Dr. Ellis hesitated. “No. She’s stable. But Mr. Hale’s clinic does have a specialized unit—”
“Then she stays,” Damian said. “Under my authorization. Vance Holdings is covering all costs. Effective now.”
“What?” Victor snapped. “You can’t—”
“I just did.” Damian pulled out his phone. “Legal. Draft a medical sponsorship agreement. St. Catherine’s, minor patient Zara Moore. Full coverage. Bill it to me personally.” He hung up. “Done.”
Tessa stared at him.
Victor’s face went red. “You think money fixes this? The files, Tessa. Or I go to child services.”
“Go ahead,” Damian said.
Victor froze.
Damian’s eyes were flat. Dead. “I’ve been on the phone with my lawyers since 11:58. You were reported to child services 6 minutes ago. For intimidation and unauthorized access to a minor’s medical records. Police are on their way.”
“You—”
“Sit down, Victor,” Damian said. Quiet. Lethal.
Victor didn’t sit.
The door opened. Two security guards. Then a police officer.
“Mr. Victor Hale?” the officer said. “We need you to come with us.”
Victor looked at Tessa. Then at Damian. Then at Zara.
“This isn’t over,” he hissed.
“Get him out,” Damian said.
They did.
Silence.
Dr. Ellis exhaled. “I’ll… give you a moment.” She left too.
Tessa was still on her knees. Shaking.
Damian crouched again. In front of her this time. He took her face in his hands. Both hands. Thumbs wiping under her eyes. She didn’t realize she was crying.
“Hey,” he murmured. “Breathe. She’s safe.”
“She almost—”
“She’s safe.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve got her. I’ve got you. Okay?”
Tessa nodded. Couldn’t speak.
Zara’s small hand reached up. Touched Damian’s sleeve. “Are you Tessy’s boyfriend?”
Damian went still.
Tessa’s eyes flew open. “Zara—”
Damian didn’t look away from Tessa. “Do you want me to be?” he asked her. Quiet. Just for her.
The hospital noise faded. The beeping. The hallway. Everything.
Tessa’s throat hurt. “Damian…”
He waited.
“I…” She swallowed. “Yes.”
He closed his eyes for half a second. Like relief hit him physically.
“Good,” he said. Then he leaned in.
He didn’t kiss her. Not with Zara watching.
He pressed his forehead to hers again. “We’ll talk later. When she’s asleep.”
Zara yawned. “Can he stay?”
Damian looked at her. “If your sister says yes.”
Tessa looked at Zara. Then at him.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Stay.”
So he did.
He pulled a chair to the bed. Sat. Didn’t touch Tessa. Not yet. But his hand rested on the back of her chair. Close enough that she could feel the heat of him.
Zara fell asleep 20 minutes later, holding Tessa’s hand.
Tessa didn’t move.
Neither did Damian.
---
*2:17 AM. Hallway outside Room 4.*
Zara was asleep. Dr. Ellis said she could go home in the morning.
Tessa stepped into the hallway to breathe.
Damian followed.
The hall was empty. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Tessa said. “The sponsorship. The police.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
He looked at her. Really looked. Tired. Wrecked. Honest.
“Because you chose me over the files. Over Victor. Over safety.” He took a step closer. “So I choose you. Every time.”
Tessa’s breath caught.
He reached out. His thumb brushed her cheek. No one was watching.
“I meant it,” he said. “In the apartment. You’re mine. And I’m yours. If you want that.”
Tessa stared at him. This man. Billionaire. Cold. Ruthless. And right now, looking at her like she was the only thing in the room.
“I want that,” she whispered.
He nodded once.
Then he did something he hadn’t done all night.
He kissed her forehead. Soft. Reverent.
“Go sleep,” he said. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
Tessa believed him.
- Writer
