Amelie POV:
A week later, Carson finally showed up at the hospital. He' d been busy, of course, hosting a lavish press conference to announce Karin' s pregnancy and their impending engagement. The news had spread like wildfire. Mrs. Jarvis was out; the new, fertile Mrs. Jarvis was in.
I was awake when he entered, a grim-faced shadow falling across my hospital bed. He looked tired, lines etched around his eyes, but it was irritation, not concern, that dominated his expression.
"Amelie," he said, his voice tight. "Are you alright?" It sounded more like an accusation than a question.
"I'm fine," I replied, my voice raspy. My arm was heavily bandaged, a dull ache throbbing beneath the gauze.
"Good. Good." He nodded, then waved a dismissive hand. "About that locket... I had someone retrieve it. It's at home. Just like you wanted." He then turned his anger on the auction house. "And those imbeciles at the auction, allowing such a scene! I' ve already contacted my lawyers. They' ll be facing a hefty lawsuit."
He stared at my bandaged arm, his brow furrowed. He reached out, his fingers cool against my skin. "Who did this?" he demanded, his voice hardening. "Who dared touch my wife?"
I let out a soft, mirthless laugh. "Your wife? Which one, Carson? The one you just announced your engagement to, or the one lying here in a hospital bed, thanks to your little 'firecracker'?" My words cut through the air, sharp and precise.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Amelie, please. Don't be melodramatic. It was an accident. Karin was scared, she's pregnant. These things happen." He then leaned in, his voice dropping. "Look, she's apologized. She said she didn't mean to hurt you. She's a good girl, just a bit emotional. Let it go. She really doesn't want any more trouble."
He straightened, a forced smile pasted on his lips. "And speaking of letting things go, I need you to be there. At the engagement party. Tonight. I need you to give a toast. To our future."
My blood ran cold. He wanted me to toast his engagement to another woman. The mother of his child. The woman who had just landed me in the hospital. The absurdity of it all was breathtaking.
He thought I would comply. He expected it. He always did. He thought I was his to command, bound by my father' s cruel clause and my own desperate loyalty.
But he was wrong. I was no longer his wife. I was no longer bound. And tonight, I would make sure he understood that.
