Chapter 6 - The Billionaire Returns
For the first time in seven months, Cyrus Aldaine opened his eyes.
Only for three seconds.
But three seconds were enough to change everything.
Imara was sitting beside his bed when it happened.
She had been reviewing the company documents Houston and Dix discovered.
Financial transfers.
Fake medical expenses.
Hidden accounts.
Evidence that could destroy Prentice.
Then she heard something different.
Not a machine.
Not a monitor.
A breath.
A conscious breath.
She looked up.
“Mr. Aldaine?”
Nothing.
She leaned closer.
“Cyrus?”
His eyes opened slightly.
Gray.
Focused.
Alive.
Imara froze.
She had imagined this moment a hundred times.
She imagined him waking up angry.
Confused.
Afraid.
But she never imagined the first emotion she would see was determination.
His eyes moved toward the door.
Then toward her.
A warning.
Someone was coming.
Imara immediately understood.
She grabbed the notebook and closed it.
Seconds later, the door opened.
Prentice entered.
“What happened?”
Imara stepped back.
“Nothing.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Nothing?”
“Yes.”
Prentice walked toward the bed.
Slowly.
Carefully.
He looked at Cyrus.
Then at the machines.
“You seem nervous.”
“I’m tired.”
“No.”
Prentice smiled.
“You’re hiding something.”
The room became silent.
Cyrus’s fingers moved slightly under the blanket.
Imara noticed.
He was afraid.
Not because Prentice knew.
Because Prentice was close.
Too close.
---
After Prentice left, Imara whispered:
“You opened your eyes.”
One finger moved.
Yes.
She smiled despite herself.
“You knew he was dangerous.”
Yes.
“You knew all along.”
Yes.
Her eyes filled with emotion.
Not tears.
Not sadness.
Relief.
“Why didn’t you fight back?”
Cyrus’s finger remained still.
For a long time.
Then slowly:
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Four movements.
Imara counted.
“Four?”
Again.
Four movements.
She understood.
Four months.
Four months he had been aware.
Four months trapped inside his own body.
Four months listening to everyone around him.
The betrayal.
The lies.
The plans.
Her voice became softer.
“You heard everything.”
Yes.
---
That night, Cyrus finally managed to communicate more.
Not words.
Not yet.
But enough.
Imara asked questions.
Simple.
Direct.
“Did Prentice poison you?”
Yes.
“Did he work alone?”
No.
She frowned.
“Who helped him?”
Cyrus struggled.
His finger moved.
Slowly.
A name.
A.
Then stopped.
Imara leaned closer.
“A?”
Again.
A.
Then another movement.
L.
Then another.
E.
She looked confused.
“Alex?”
Cyrus stopped.
Then moved once.
Yes.
---
The next morning, Imara investigated.
Alex Mercer.
Chief financial officer of Aldaine Maritime.
A man trusted by Cyrus for twenty years.
The betrayal went deeper than she imagined.
Prentice wasn’t stealing an inheritance.
He was stealing an empire.
---
But before they could expose them, Prentice made his move.
He called a family emergency meeting.
Executives.
Lawyers.
Board members.
Everyone important.
And he announced:
“My brother’s condition has declined.”
Imara watched the livestream from the medical room.
Her hands tightened.
A doctor stood beside Prentice.
A doctor she had never seen before.
Prentice continued.
“For the stability of Aldaine Maritime, I will assume permanent leadership.”
Imara whispered:
“He’s trying to remove you.”
Cyrus watched the screen.
His face remained expressionless.
But his eyes changed.
Anger.
The kind of anger that built companies.
The kind that destroyed enemies.
---
Then something unexpected happened.
Cyrus moved.
Not a finger.
Not a hand.
His shoulder.
Barely.
But enough.
Imara stared.
“You’re getting stronger.”
He looked at her.
And for the first time...
He tried to speak.
His lips moved.
No sound.
She leaned closer.
“What?”
Again.
His lips moved.
One word.
Imara understood.
“Tomorrow.”
---
May you like
The next day would decide everything.
---
