""She Pushed Me Down the Stairs for Content on Her Wedding Eve—Now Her Billionaire Groom Just Disappeared With My Entire Legal Binder"

Three weeks had passed since the catastrophic collapse of the Callahan family wedding, and the sterile smell of the rehabilitation clinic had become my second home.

Dr. Harrison stood beside my motorized standing frame, tapping the digital touchscreen of my physical therapy monitor with a look of stunned disbelief.

""I have never seen bone regeneration progress this rapidly in a patient with a shattered tibia,"" Dr. Harrison muttered, shaking his head. ""The new calcium matrix grafts Vance Global's medical division provided are fusing with your natural bone at twice the normal rate. If you keep this up, we'll be removing the fiberglass cast two months ahead of schedule.""

Across the bright, sunlit rehabilitation suite, the doors slid open, and Alden walked in carrying two oversized takeaway bags from my favorite seaport diner, followed closely by Vesper Vance, who was clutching a fresh stack of legal briefs under his arm.

""Stop torturing our chief veterinary consultant, Doctor,"" Vesper announced smoothly, tossing a fresh legal portfolio onto the edge of my physical therapy table. ""Besides, we have more pressing matters to discuss than her bone density. The liquidation auction for the Azure Pearl Resort wrapped up this morning.""

I gripped the parallel bars of the standing frame, supporting my weight carefully on my left leg while keeping the cast suspended. ""And?""

""And Vance Global acquired the entire oceanfront property for pennies on the dollar,"" Alden said with a satisfied grin, setting the food bags down on the counter and walking over to steady my waist with one strong, reassuring hand. ""Which means your former parents and your dear sister officially have thirty days to clear their personal belongings out of the staff quarters before we bulldoze the west wing to build our new state-of-the-art wildlife rehabilitation and emergency veterinary trauma center.""

A cold, delicious thrill washed over me. ""You're demolishing the ballroom?""

""Every single marble tile of it,"" Vesper chuckled, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. ""We're installing an advanced hyperbaric oxygen chamber and specialized surgical suites right where that grand staircase used to stand. Poetic justice, wouldn't you say?""

My phone buzzed on the side table—not with a threat from Althia, whose phone privileges in the county holding facility were strictly monitored, but with an email notification from the state veterinary board. My independent practice license for Callahan-Vance Advanced Animal Trauma & Rescue had officially been approved, backed by a five-million-dollar initial endowment from the corporate trust Alden had established in my name.

""You didn't have to fund the entire rescue wing yourself, Alden,"" I murmured, looking up into his dark, steady eyes as he adjusted the safety strap around my waist.

""It's not an investment, Fallon. It's an acquisition,"" Alden replied softly, his face inches from mine, his thumb tracing a gentle circle against the back of my hand. ""And unlike my previous engagement, this one is built to last a lifetime.""

Vesper cleared his throat loudly, turning his back to examine a medical chart on the wall with exaggerated concentration. ""Well, I'll leave you two to your 'corporate restructuring.' I have a bankruptcy judge to terrorize by four o'clock.""

As Vesper strolled out of the suite, closing the heavy glass doors behind him, Alden pulled me just a fraction closer, the scent of crisp linen and cedarwood filling my senses.