Chapter 2 - The Man Everyone Feared Sat Beside My Bed
At 4:06 a.m., Victor was still sitting beside me.
That alone felt unnatural.
Victor didn't wait.
People waited for Victor.
Doctors.
Lawyers.
Politicians.
Men who controlled businesses that never appeared on tax returns.
Yet every time a nurse entered, Victor moved out of her way.
Every time someone asked him to wait, he waited.
Finally, Dr. Patel entered carrying a tablet.
“The baby's heart rate has improved.”
I exhaled.
Victor's hand tightened around the chair.
“But?”
I asked.
Dr. Patel looked at me.
“We're concerned about a small placental abruption. Right now, there's no evidence of catastrophic bleeding. That's good.”
“Can I go home?”
“No.”
Victor answered before she could.
I glared at him.
He lifted both hands.
“Sorry.”
Dr. Patel almost smiled.
“We'd like to monitor you closely. Your dehydration, exhaustion, and elevated blood pressure aren't helping.”
Victor looked at me.
“Dehydration?”
“Don't.”
“When did you last eat?”
“Victor.”
“Lena.”
I turned toward Dr. Patel.
“Can you medically prescribe silence?”
She actually laughed.
“I'll see what pharmacy can do.”
Victor waited until she left.
Then his expression changed.
“Why are you dehydrated?”
“Because I work.”
“Where?”
“That's none of your business.”
“You're carrying our daughter.”
“And that does not make my entire life your property.”
“I didn't say it did.”
“You don't have to.”
Victor leaned back.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he asked, “Why did you leave?”
I stared at him.
“You know.”
“No. I know what happened before you left. I don't know what happened inside your head.”
“You really want this conversation here?”
“Yes.”
“Fine.”
I lowered my voice.
“The night before I left, you had two men following me.”
“To protect you.”
“I went to buy shampoo.”
“You'd received a threat.”
“A threat connected to you.”
His jaw tightened.
“I handled it.”
“That's exactly the problem.”
“What was I supposed to do?”
“Tell me.”
“I didn't want to frighten you.”
“So instead you decided where I could go, who followed me, what I was allowed to know.”
His eyes lowered.
I continued.
“Then I heard you tell Carlo that if I tried leaving the city, he was supposed to stop me.”
Victor went completely still.
“That wasn't what I meant.”
“I heard the words.”
“You heard half a conversation.”
“Then give me the other half.”
He rubbed his jaw.
“The threat was credible. Someone had photographs of you.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“They knew your schedule.”
“You never told me.”
“I was trying to solve it before you found out.”
I laughed bitterly.
“And you still don't understand why I ran.”
“I understand now.”
“No, you understand that I ran. That's different.”
He looked at me for a long moment.
Then he said something unexpected.
“I was wrong.”
I stared.
Victor Moretti didn't apologize.
Apparently pregnancy was causing miracles.
“What?”
“I should have told you.”
“That's it?”
“No.”
He leaned forward.
“I should never have told Carlo to prevent you from leaving. I meant he should follow you until I could reach you. But that's not what I said.”
“No.”
“It isn't.”
“It sounded like ownership.”
His expression hardened—not at me, but at himself.
“I know.”
The curtain opened.
A nurse entered carrying food.
Victor stood.
“Thank you.”
She blinked at him.
Apparently Victor saying thank you was tonight's second miracle.
She put the tray down.
“Try eating something.”
After she left, I lifted the lid.
Toast.
Banana.
Oatmeal.
Victor stared.
“What?”
“That's all?”
“It's a hospital, not your private restaurant.”
“You've been eating properly?”
I didn't answer.
He noticed.
“Lena.”
“Stop.”
“You've lost weight.”
“I'm pregnant.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I've survived.”
“On what?”
“Whatever I could afford.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Victor stood.
“Afford?”
“Sit down.”
“You were working because you couldn't afford food?”
“Victor.”
“Where?”
I sighed.
“Metro Diner.”
His expression went blank.
“The place on Tenth?”
“Yes.”
“You've been ten minutes from one of my buildings?”
“I didn't exactly check your property portfolio before applying.”
“And you lived where?”
“Not telling you.”
“Lena—”
“No.”
He stared at me.
Then slowly sat.
“Okay.”
That surprised me more than anger would have.
“You're not going to investigate?”
“I want to.”
“Victor.”
“But you said no.”
I studied him suspiciously.
“Who are you?”
His mouth twitched.
“The man trying very hard not to lose the mother of his child again.”
Before I could answer, the curtain opened.
One of Victor's men stood there.
Carlo.
His expression was serious.
“Boss.”
Victor didn't move.
“I said outside.”
“This can't wait.”
Victor looked at me.
I immediately knew.
His old world had found us.
“What happened?”
Carlo hesitated.
Victor's voice lowered.
“Say it.”
Carlo looked directly at me.
“Someone accessed the hospital admission system twenty-seven minutes after Lena registered.”
Every muscle in Victor's body changed.
I felt cold.
“Someone was looking for me?”
Carlo nodded.
Victor stood.
This time, the frightened father disappeared.
The man New York feared took his place.
“Who?”
“We're tracing it.”
Victor looked toward the hallway.
“Lock down—”
“No.”
He stopped.
I pointed at him.
“You promised.”
His jaw flexed.
“My daughter's location was just searched.”
“And this is a hospital.”
“I can protect you without disrupting it.”
“Then do that.”
For several seconds, Victor said nothing.
Finally he turned to Carlo.
“Quietly. Hospital operations don't change. No visible weapons. No interference with staff.”
Carlo nodded.
“And find out who searched her.”
He left.
I stared at Victor.
“You see?”
“See what?”
“This.”
“This is why I ran.”
Victor looked toward the door.
Then back at me.
“I know.”
His voice became dangerously quiet.
“But this time, Lena, someone isn't looking for you because I'm controlling your life.”
A pause.
May you like
“They're looking for you because somebody finally discovered where you've been hiding.”
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