Chapter 358 Ashton’s POV: Forced Separation
The hospital room was quiet, the air stale with antiseptic.
Looking at the phone after she’d hung up, I felt a surge of satisfaction that cut through the dull ache in my leg. It left me feeling sharper, more alert.
Dominic pushed the door open and stepped inside.
My smile vanished the second I saw him. ‘Well? Have you found her?’
Dominic looked down, a flush of shame colouring his expression. ‘My apologies, Mr Laurent. Genevieve has... vanished. We tracked her phone to a public bin.’
‘Keep looking. When you find her, I want her gone from Skyline.’ My voice was flat and cold. She was an irritant, a minor liability I should have dealt with sooner.
Only a debt to her brother had made me hold back.
Till now.
‘Understood, sir.’
While taking a hit from a woman like Genevieve was a galling blow to my pride, she was ultimately insignificant. I shifted focus, discussing LGH’s operational continuity with Dominic for a few minutes before dismissing him with a wave of my hand.
The doctor insisted I stay put for a couple of days to monitor for infection or any deterioration in the wound.
I could only hope Mira had bought my story about a business trip. I hated lying to her, but the truth would only cause her panic, and with her pregnancy, the doctor had been clear that stress was to be avoided at all costs.
***
Late night found me still awake, propped up in the hospital bed with a stack of reports.
Work was piling up, so it hadn’t been a complete lie when I’d told Mira I was swamped. Lea had left Skyline for Europe. Kylian reported she’d gone to ground, but my instincts told me her fingerprints were all over the recent coordinated attacks on LGH’s subsidiaries.
I knew Lea. I knew how her mind worked. If she couldn’t have something, she’d make sure no one else could enjoy it either. She couldn’t have me, so she’d settled for trying to destroy what I’d built.
A soft chime from my phone on the bedside cabinet cut through my thoughts. I put the paperwork down and picked it up.
A text notification from Mira. The corner of my mouth lifted.
I called her back directly.
She picked up on the first ring. ‘Hello?’
‘You’re still awake?’
‘Yeah.’ She sounded a little hesitant. ‘Did I disturb you? You must be exhausted after working all day.’
‘You’re the only distraction I welcome. Anything else is just noise.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘It means I’d be worried if you WEREN’T thinking of me.’
There was a soft intake of breath on the other end. ‘When are you coming back?’ she asked after a moment.
I glanced down at my leg, at the bandages hidden beneath the sheets. The wound was scabbing over. In another two or three days, it would be enough. It wouldn’t be fully healed, but it would be enough to get me out of this place and back to her.
‘Three days. I’ll be back in three days.’
‘I’ll be waiting,’ she said, her voice instantly brighter.
‘Good. Now, it’s late. Go to sleep.’
‘Okay,’ she murmured, the reluctance clear in her tone.
Hearing that note of longing in her voice, I wanted nothing more than to get in the car that instant, drive home, and pull her into my arms. The fury at the person who had forced this separation burned a little hotter.
But I kept my voice gentle. ‘Go to sleep. Just leave the line open.’
‘Leave it open?’ She sounded surprised.
‘Yes. I’ll hang up after you’ve fallen asleep.’
‘Alright.’ I heard a soft, breathy laugh as she did what I asked, settling in. I could hear the rustle of sheets.
She was quiet then, but I knew she was there. I put my earpiece in, one hand still on my paperwork, my attention split.
Gradually, the sounds from her end slowed into the deep, even rhythm of sleep.
I didn’t hang up.
I left the line open, the soft sound of her breathing a quiet anchor in the room as I continued to work.