Chapter 3 - The Ghost of Betrayal
Over the next three days in the step-down cardiac unit, Victor never left the hospital room. He conducted business from his laptop on the small visitor’s sofa, barking orders in muted whispers to his executive assistants, canceling multimillion-dollar overseas summits, and refusing all visitors. He brought in private caterers, had fresh lilies delivered every morning, and hired the top cardiologists in the country for secondary consultations. Yet, he could not buy the one thing he wanted most: a single word from me. I remained completely silent, answering only the medical staff. Whenever Victor approached, spoke softly, or offered to adjust my pillows, I simply stared past him into the gray New York skyline. On the fourth evening, the fragile bubble burst. The door swung open abruptly, and Selena Vale walked into the private room, carrying an expensive designer handbag and wearing a faux look of deep concern. “Victor, darling, your office said you were practically living here,” Selena began, her voice dripping with calculated sweetness before she noticed my conscious gaze. “Oh, Elena… thank goodness you woke up. We were all so terrified.” The sheer audacity of her presence made my heart monitor accelerate rapidly, the machine emitting a shrill warning beep. Victor sprang from his chair, his face contorting with a fury I had never seen directed at anyone other than his fierce business rivals. “Get out,” Victor snarled, stepping directly between Selena and my bed, his fists clenched tight. Selena looked taken aback, her painted lips parting in shock. “Victor, please. I just came to check on her—and you’ve ignored every single call from the firm. We have an acquisition meeting tomorrow morning.” Victor grabbed Selena by the forearm, his grip relentless, dragging her toward the door. “You answered my private phone when my wife was collapsing,” Victor hissed, his voice lethal and vibrating with venom. “You told her I didn't want to speak to her while she was dying on the floor. If you ever come within a hundred feet of Elena again, I will dismantle your family’s investment fund, strip your agency contracts, and ensure you never work in this city again. Get out before I have security throw you onto the pavement.” He shoved her into the hallway and slammed the heavy door shut. As the cardiac monitor gradually returned to a steady tempo, Victor turned back to me, his chest heaving, his eyes pleading for understanding. But I only saw a man who had opened the door to a monster and now wanted credit for chasing it away.
