The black Range Rover convoy tore through the streets of Manhattan, blowing past red lights before smashing through the wrought-iron gates of the Richmond estate. The tires screeched as they halted at the base of the grand stone steps.
Angelena didn't wait for the guards. She kicked the door open, her medical kit gripped tightly in her hand. Atherton, the butler, practically ran to keep up with her as he led her through the opulent, art-lined corridors to the second-floor nursery.
She shoved the heavy oak doors open.
Fabian was standing by the bed, his eyes bloodshot, his usually immaculate suit wrinkled. Leland was thrashing on the mattress, his skin a terrifying, unnatural shade of red. He was completely unresponsive, his small hands batting blindly at the air.
The moment Fabian saw Angelena, he lunged forward. He grabbed her wrist with bruising force, yanking her toward the bed. "Save him," Fabian commanded, his voice a raw, desperate rasp.
Angelena violently ripped her wrist out of his grip. She leveled him with a glare so cold it could freeze boiling water. "If you want your son to live, shut your mouth and step back."
Fabian's jaw locked. He was entirely unaccustomed to taking orders, but the sheer, commanding authority in her voice forced him to take a step back.
Angelena snapped her medical kit open. She pulled out a sterile roll of custom-made, ultra-thin silver needles. With a hand as steady as a surgeon's, she rapidly inserted the needles into specific acupressure points along Leland's scalp and the base of his neck.
Next, she pulled out a small glass vial filled with a dark, amber-colored medicinal oil. She poured a generous amount into her palms, rubbing them together until the friction generated intense heat. She pressed her hands flat against Leland's chest and spine, applying deep, rhythmic pressure.
The family doctor, standing uselessly in the corner, finally found his voice. "What are you doing? ! That is unregulated pseudoscience! You are killing the boy!"
Fabian's eyes darkened with a flash of intense doubt. He took a step forward, his hand reaching out to stop her.
Before he could touch her, Leland's body convulsed. He let out a wet, violent cough, expelling a thick glob of phlegm onto the towel Angelena had placed next to his head.
Instantly, the terrifying thrashing stopped. Leland's chest began to rise and fall in a slow, steady rhythm. The alarming red flush faded from his skin, replaced by a normal, healthy pallor.
The family doctor gasped, staring at the heart monitor. The boy's temperature was dropping rapidly. It was mathematically impossible.
Fabian let out a breath he felt like he had been holding for hours. The crushing tension in his shoulders evaporated. He looked at Angelena, his eyes filled with a complex, chaotic mix of suspicion and undeniable gratitude.
Angelena carefully removed the silver needles. A thin layer of sweat coated her forehead.
As she packed her kit, Leland shifted in his sleep. His small hand reached out blindly and curled tightly into the fabric of Angelena's blazer.
"Mommy," Leland mumbled in his sleep, his voice soft and full of absolute trust.
The word struck the silent room like a bomb.
Fabian's pupils contracted to pinpricks. He stared at Angelena, his chest rising and falling heavily.
Angelena's heart physically ached. The single word pierced right through her armor. Her eyes grew slightly damp. She reached out, gently brushing a damp curl away from Leland's forehead.
The heavy doors to the nursery burst open.
Eleonora Richmond, Fabian's grandmother, marched in, leaning heavily on her silver-tipped cane. Arleen Schaefer was right beside her, holding the old woman's arm.
Arleen's eyes locked onto Angelena. A wave of pure, toxic jealousy and panic washed over her face. She immediately pitched her voice into a shrill shriek. "What is this ruined woman doing in here? !"
Eleonora stopped at the foot of the bed. She looked Angelena up and down with absolute disgust. "Fabian, have you lost your mind? Letting this... this seductress near my great-grandson?"
Angelena stood up straight. She didn't flinch under the old woman's hateful glare. "I am here as a doctor. I saved his life. I'm not here to tolerate your insults."
Arleen stepped forward, making sure Fabian could hear every word. "Doctor? Please. Fabian, five years ago she was thrown out of her own family for sleeping around. Her private life is disgusting. She's only here to try and sink her claws into your money."
Fabian heard the words "five years ago" and "sleeping around." The words struck a discordant, agonizing chord in his mind. He looked down at his son, whose chest was rising and falling peacefully because of her hands. His logic screamed at him that Arleen was a known gossip, but the sheer, paralyzing terror of an unknown, potentially manipulative woman sinking her claws into his vulnerable heir overrode his rationality. The protective walls he had built around his family slammed shut. The fragile gratitude he had just felt shattered. The cold, calculating CEO returned instantly. His eyes turned back to ice as he looked at Angelena. He believed the worst, choosing the safety of paranoia over the risk of trust.
Angelena saw the shift in his eyes. She saw him swallow Arleen's lies without a second thought. A wave of intense nausea and disappointment hit her.
She didn't bother defending herself. She slung her medical kit over her shoulder. She looked dead into Fabian's eyes. "My consultation fee is one hundred thousand dollars. Wire it to my company account."
She turned to walk out.
Arleen stepped into her path, blocking the door. She leaned in close, lowering her voice so only Angelena could hear. "You dirty trash. You will never marry into this family."
Angelena's eyes went dead. Without a microsecond of hesitation, she raised her hand and delivered a brutal, echoing slap directly across Arleen's face.
The force of the blow sent Arleen stumbling backward until she hit the doorframe.
The room erupted. Arleen clutched her face, screaming and sobbing hysterically. Eleonora banged her cane on the floor, trembling with rage. "You violent savage!"
Fabian crossed the room in two massive strides. He used his large body to shield Arleen, glaring down at Angelena with lethal intensity. "You dare assault someone in my home?"
Angelena tilted her chin up, refusing to back down an inch. "I hit a piece of trash that couldn't keep its mouth shut. It has nothing to do with you."
Before Fabian could respond, Angelena shoved her shoulder hard against his chest, forcing her way past him. She marched down the hallway, her heels clicking sharply against the floorboards, leaving the stunned room behind her.
Fabian stood frozen. He looked at her proud, unyielding back, and then back at his son, who was sleeping peacefully for the first time in days. His logic and his instincts were tearing him apart.
