Chapter 4 - The Woman Who Wouldn’t Be Owned
Serafina reached the hospital twenty-three minutes later.
Maya was sitting in a consultation room eating crackers.
Serafina nearly collapsed.
“Maya!”
Her sister looked up.
“Sera?”
Serafina hugged her.
“What happened?”
“They moved me downstairs for imaging. My phone died.”
Serafina closed her eyes.
A nurse apologized.
“We should have updated the room assignment immediately.”
Then a familiar voice came from the doorway.
“She’s safe?”
Serafina turned.
Kieran.
Black coat. Open collar. Tension across his face.
“What are you doing here?”
“You called me.”
“I did?”
“You called and said Maya was missing. Then the line disconnected.”
Serafina remembered now.
She had hit his contact while running.
Kieran had crossed New York because of one broken sentence.
Maya looked between them.
“So this is him?”
Serafina froze.
Kieran’s eyebrow rose.
“Him?”
“Maya.”
Her sister grinned.
“The scary boss who stares at you.”
Serafina covered her face.
Kieran looked almost pleased.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Serafina muttered.
“I’m not,” Kieran said.
Maya laughed.
For twenty minutes, Kieran sat beside her bed and spoke to her like she was simply a teenager rather than a patient.
No pity.
No commands.
When Maya became tired, he stood.
Outside the room, Serafina stopped him.
“Thank you for coming.”
“You sounded afraid.”
“I was.”
“I know.”
She studied him.
“You didn’t take over.”
Kieran gave her a tired look.
“I’m learning.”
Serafina smiled.
“Slowly.”
“Painfully.”
Then she reached for his hand.
Kieran went completely still.
“You can hold my hand,” she said.
His fingers carefully closed around hers.
“But that’s all.”
“I understand.”
“And this doesn’t mean I belong to you.”
“No.”
“Or that you get to control me.”
“No.”
She stepped closer.
“What does it mean?”
His thumb moved once across her knuckles.
“That you’re holding my hand.”
Serafina smiled.
“Good answer.”
---
Two months passed.
Maya responded well to treatment.
Serafina began working at the foundation.
And for the first time, Kieran had no authority over her employment.
So one Friday evening, he appeared downstairs as she was leaving.
“Dinner.”
She looked up.
“Is that an order?”
He sighed.
“Would you have dinner with me?”
“Better.”
“Tonight?”
“No.”
Kieran blinked.
Serafina smiled.
“Tomorrow.”
His expression relaxed.
“Seven?”
“Seven-thirty.”
“Why?”
“Because you need practice not getting everything exactly your way.”
Kieran stared at her.
Then smiled.
“Seven-thirty.”
Their first date lasted four hours.
Their second ended with a kiss outside Serafina’s apartment.
Their third never happened.
Because Serafina discovered the locked file in Kieran’s study.
May you like
And her name was written across the front.
---
