Chapter 2
Morning light struck Manhattan’s glass towers.
Dante was gone when Elena woke.
A short note waited on the marble counter.
Eat breakfast. The car is waiting.
Beside it were clean jeans, a soft cashmere sweater, and new sneakers.
Everything fit.
Her waitress uniform had disappeared.
Even after 1 night, Dante’s ability to know details about her remained unsettling.
The Rolls-Royce carried Elena to NYU Langone.
Marcus, the driver, stopped at the entrance.
Elena still had her old bag.
Inside was the envelope containing $10,000.
“Mr. Vanel instructed me to remain available.”
Marcus nodded politely.
“Take as long as necessary.”
“You don’t need to wait.”
“I have orders.”
The window closed.
Elena entered the hospital.
Fluorescent lights hummed overhead.
She headed directly toward the cardiac wing, mentally preparing for another confrontation with billing staff.
Mrs. Gable, the administrator, usually greeted Elena with visible impatience.
This time, when Elena approached, the woman stood.
“I have the money.”
Elena opened her bag.
“For Toby’s procedure.”
She pulled toward the envelope.
“The deposit.”
“Miss Vance…”
Mrs. Gable looked almost nervous.
“Put that away.”
Elena stopped.
“What?”
“The account has been settled.”
Elena stared.
“In full.”
Mrs. Gable continued.
“Postoperative care as well.”
Her voice dropped.
“And he has been transferred to a private recovery suite.”
“Who paid?”
“The donor requested anonymity.”
Mrs. Gable looked toward the corridor.
“But the chief surgeon received a call at 6:00 a.m.”
She swallowed.
“Dr. Aris is preparing Toby now.”
Elena’s knees weakened.
Dante.
The $10,000 had not been the real gift.
The surgery itself exceeded $50,000.
He had paid everything.
Elena ran to room 402.
Toby was sitting upright.
He looked pale and undersized for 10, but more animated than she had seen him in months.
A new tablet was in his hands.
“Elena!”
He grinned.
“Look.”
She rushed to him.
“The nurse said a friend of yours sent it.”
Elena wrapped him in her arms.
“I’m so happy.”
Her voice broke.
“You’re going to be okay.”
“I know.”
Toby smiled.
“Dr. Aris says I’m going to be like Iron Man.”
Elena laughed through tears.
The door opened.
She expected a doctor.
A man she had never seen entered carrying lilies.
He was handsome in a slick, controlled way.
Tan suit.
No tie.
A smile without warmth.
The flowers looked like something intended for a funeral.
“Beautiful.”
His voice was smooth.
Elena immediately moved between him and Toby.
“Who are you?”
“This room is private.”
“Old family friend.”
He set down the lilies.
“Lucas Thorne.”
The name meant nothing to Elena.
His presence did.
He carried the same danger she felt around Dante, but none of Dante’s restraint or unexpected warmth.
“I don’t know you.”
Elena held his gaze.
“Please leave.”
Lucas chuckled.
“You don’t know me.”
He looked toward Toby.
“But you’ve been spending time with my competition.”
Elena’s stomach tightened.
“Dante Vanel.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t be coy.”
Lucas picked up Toby’s tablet.
“I saw you enter his car.”
He examined the device.
“I saw his car bring you here.”
He smiled.
“Vanel always had a weakness for strays.”
He turned the tablet over.
“Nice.”
Then:
“He likes buying affection.”
“Leave Toby out of this.”
Elena’s voice hardened.
Lucas looked at her with false sympathy.
“The irony is almost beautiful.”
She stared.
“Dante paying to repair a heart after helping destroy your family.”
Elena frowned.
“What?”
Lucas tilted his head.
“Your father.”
Cold moved through her.
“He died in a dock accident.”
“Yes.”
Lucas nodded.
“Crane failure.”
“How do you know?”
“The Vanel family owned the shipping company.”
Elena stopped breathing.
“Dante was 22.”
Lucas stepped closer.
“He supervised that sector.”
His smile deepened.
“He ordered the crane overloaded because he wanted to beat a deadline and impress his father.”
Noise disappeared from the hospital.
Elena heard only a high ringing inside her head.
“No.”
Her voice barely existed.
“It was an accident.”
“Negligence.”
Lucas corrected her.
“Gross negligence.”
He leaned closer.
“Dante Vanel killed your father.”
Elena backed into the bed.
“He signed the cargo manifest.”
Her mind returned to the previous night.
Sometimes the hand that feeds you is the same hand that starved you.
Dante had known.
Lucas removed a folded sheet from his pocket.
“This is the report.”
He set it beside the lilies.
“The original was buried.”
His expression became pleased.
“But I find things.”
Lucas moved toward the door.
“Look at the signature.”
Elena did not move.
“Dante Vanel isn’t your savior.”
He glanced toward Toby.
“If you stay beside him, you become what your father became.”
A pause.
“Collateral damage.”
Lucas smiled at Toby.
“Good luck with the surgery.”
Then he left.
Elena stared at the folded page.
Finally, she opened it.
A grainy photocopy.
Incident Report — Dock 4A.
Supervisor on Duty: Dante Vanel.
Cause of Failure: Exceeded Weight Capacity Limit per Supervisor Instruction.
Elena could not breathe.
The man who had held her the previous night had signed the instruction associated with her father’s death.
She left the hospital in heavy rain.
No umbrella.
No taxi.
She simply walked.
Water soaked the cashmere sweater Dante had provided.
The destruction felt appropriate.
Everything he touched, she thought, eventually broke.
The Rolls-Royce followed slowly beside her.
Marcus lowered the window.
“Miss Vance.”
Elena continued walking.
“Please get inside.”
No response.
“You’ll get sick.”
“Go to hell.”
May you like
Her voice was flat.
“Tell your boss to join you.”
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