Chapter 7
688words
I lay in the emergency room bed, an IV dripping fluids into my arm. The doctor had been clear: alcohol combined with my stomach condition could have been fatal. I was lucky the Blackwood driver got me here so quickly.
"Miss Chen?"
I turned my head to see a nurse standing by my bed.
"There's someone here to see you."
I expected Ethan, come to offer hollow apologies. Instead, Victoria Blackwood walked in, her posture impeccable even at this late hour.
"Mrs. Blackwood," I tried to sit up, wincing at the pain.
"Stay down," she commanded, pulling a chair beside my bed. "The doctor says you need rest."
I nodded, too exhausted to argue. Victoria studied me, her expression unreadable.
"How did you know where I was?" I finally asked.
"I had someone follow you."
The blunt admission surprised me. "Why?"
"Because you're about to marry my son," she said matter-of-factly. "I needed to know if you were meeting your ex-boyfriend for a reconciliation."
I should have been angry at the invasion of privacy, but I was too tired. Besides, her caution was understandable.
"It wasn't like that," I said. "I just wanted my pendant back."
Victoria's eyes flickered to my clenched hand, where I still held the damaged pendant.
"May I see it?"
Reluctantly, I opened my palm. The jade pendant lay there, cracked down the middle, the gold chain broken.
Victoria carefully took it, examining the damage. "This is fine craftsmanship. Antique?"
"My parents gave it to me before they died," I explained. "It's all I had left of them."
She nodded, understanding in her eyes. "And Reed's wife damaged it deliberately?"
"Yes."
Victoria's lips thinned in disapproval. "Petty."
She handed the pendant back to me. "I know a jeweler who specializes in jade restoration. If you'd like, I can have it repaired."
The unexpected kindness caught me off guard. "Why would you help me?"
"Because in three days, you'll be a Blackwood," she said simply. "And Blackwoods take care of their own."
I studied her face, looking for deception, but found none. "Thank you."
She stood, smoothing her already perfect suit. "The doctor says you can leave tomorrow morning. The driver will bring you back to the mansion."
I nodded, expecting her to leave. Instead, she hesitated.
"The wedding is still on?" It was almost a question.
"Yes," I confirmed. "Unless you've changed your mind."
"No," she said. "But I thought after tonight's... events, you might have."
I looked down at the broken pendant in my hand. "Tonight only confirmed I made the right decision. There's nothing left for me in my old life."
Victoria nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Rest now. We have preparations to complete before the ceremony."
As she reached the door, I called after her. "Mrs. Blackwood?"
She turned.
"How did you know I needed help tonight?"
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "My man reported that you looked unwell leaving the bar. I've seen enough society wives with 'stomach problems' to recognize alcohol poisoning when it's described to me."
With that, she left, her heels clicking down the hospital corridor.
***
The next morning, the Blackwood driver collected me from the hospital. The doctor had given me strict instructions to rest and avoid stress—a laughable concept given my impending marriage to a man in a vegetative state.
As the car approached the Blackwood estate, I was struck again by its imposing grandeur. Iron gates opened automatically, and we drove up the winding driveway lined with ancient trees.
This would be my home now. Not just a temporary residence, but my home.
The thought was both terrifying and strangely comforting.
The butler met me at the door. "Miss Chen, Mrs. Blackwood asked me to inform you that your dress fitting is scheduled for this afternoon."
I nodded, too exhausted to speak, and made my way to my suite. All I wanted was to sleep, to forget the humiliation of the previous night.
But as I passed Alexander's room, I found myself stopping. After a moment's hesitation, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
