Edwardo's car roared down the street, tires squealing, a blur of rage and urgency. I watched him disappear, then scrambled to my feet, my heart hammering against my ribs. Ben. He was still in the hospital. He couldn't have attacked Cassie. This was another one of her heinous lies.
I fumbled for my phone, my fingers trembling as I tried to call Ben's hospital room. No answer. I tried his personal cell. Straight to voicemail. Panic, cold and sharp, clawed at my throat. Edwardo was gone. He would believe Cassie. He would act.
I raced out of the house, hailing the first cab I saw. "To St. Jude's Hospital! Fast!"
The drive was a blur. My mind replayed Cassie's frantic screams, Edwardo's furious accusations. I knew Ben was innocent. I knew Cassie was a liar. But would Edwardo ever see it? He was blinded by her.
We pulled up to the emergency entrance. The flashing red and blue lights of an ambulance cast an eerie glow on the scene. A stretcher was being wheeled past, covered by a white sheet. My stomach lurched.
I jumped out of the cab, throwing money at the driver. I ran inside, my eyes scanning for any sign of Ben. A janitor was mopping up a large puddle of blood near the trauma bay.
"Excuse me!" I gasped, out of breath. "What happened here? My brother, Ben Pena, is a patient here."
The janitor, a tired-looking man, shook his head grimly. "Another accident. Someone fell from the fifth floor. Just brought them in. They're rushing him to surgery. Looked bad."
My blood ran cold. "Fell? Was it… was it a young man? With a bandaged leg?"
He nodded slowly, wiping his brow. "Yeah, that's him. Poor kid. Just had surgery."
Fell from the fifth floor. My mind reeled. Cassie. Her accusation that Ben was going to throw her off a balcony. It was a twisted, sick game. She had orchestrated this. She had pushed him.
I ran towards the trauma bay, pushing past nurses and doctors. "Ben! Where's Ben?"
And then I saw him. Edwardo. He was standing outside the operating room, his back to me. Cassie was there too, clinging to his arm, sobbing dramatically. Her arm, the one she'd supposedly scratched, was now perfectly bare. Her face, tear-streaked and pale, was pressed against his shoulder.
He was comforting her. While my brother was dying.
"Edwardo!" I screamed, the name tearing from my throat.
He turned, his eyes narrowing when he saw me. Cassie flinched, burying her face deeper into his shoulder. "Blair. How dare you show your face here?"
"How dare I?" My voice was raw, laced with fury. "You left him to die! She pushed him! She tried to kill him!" I pointed at Cassie, my finger trembling. "She's a liar, Edwardo! She's a murderer!"
Cassie recoiled, her sobs intensifying. "Edwardo, she's delusional! She's trying to blame me! After her brother attacked me, after he tried to throw me off my balcony!" She looked at me, her eyes flashing with venom. "He got what he deserved!"
He got what he deserved. The words echoed in my ears, a cruel, sickening pronouncement.
"He got what he deserved?" I shrieked, my hand flying before I could stop it. My palm connected with Edwardo' s cheek with a sharp crack that echoed through the quiet hospital corridor.
His head snapped back. A stunned silence fell. He touched his cheek, his eyes blazing with a dangerous fury. "You just hit me."
"And I'll call the police!" I screamed, my voice hoarse. "For attempted murder! For assault! For everything you've done to my brother!"
The doors to the operating room swung open. A doctor, looking grave, stepped out. "Mr. Pena's family?"
"That's us," I said, my voice trembling.
The doctor looked at me, then at Edwardo and Cassie. "His injuries are severe. A broken femur, internal bleeding, multiple fractures. We managed to stabilize him, but… his leg. It's likely he'll never walk properly again. He'll be permanently disabled."
My knees buckled. Permanently disabled. My free-spirited brother, crippled. Because of Edwardo' s blind devotion to a manipulative snake.
Edwardo stiffened, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. But it quickly vanished, replaced by cold indifference. Cassie, meanwhile, was whispering into his ear, "It's all her fault, Edwardo. She drove him to it. He was a menace."
I stared at Edwardo, my eyes pleading. "Edwardo, please. He's crippled. He's broken. Please, don't let Cassie's lies win."
He pulled Cassie closer, his gaze sweeping over me with contempt. "He brought this upon himself, Blair. His actions have consequences. And Cassie's safety is my priority." He looked at the doctor. "As soon as he's stable, prepare the transfer paperwork. He will be moved to a federal holding facility. I'll arrange for round-the-clock security."
"No!" I shrieked, tears bursting from my eyes. "Edwardo, for God's sake! He's almost dead! He needs to recover! You can't send him to prison like this!"
"He's a criminal, Blair. Justice must be served." His voice was flat, unyielding. He had no compassion. No mercy.
I stumbled back, my mind racing. I had to protect Ben. I had to. The crypto key. Ben' s words echoed in my mind. Leverage.
I rushed into Ben's room, my mind already formulating a plan. He was still unconscious, hooked up to an array of machines. I found a hidden pocket sewn into the lining of his old leather jacket, the one he always wore. Inside, a small, inconspicuous USB drive. This was it. The biometric crypto key.
I returned to Edwardo, my face set, my tears dry. "Edwardo Steele," I said, my voice cutting through the hushed corridor. "I have something that belongs to Cassie Shields."
His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"Her biometric crypto key," I said, holding up the small USB drive. "The one she used to steal your company's data. The one she uses to encrypt her communications with Domenic Perez."
Edwardo's face went white. He knew the name Perez. He knew the threat. He knew the value of the key. "Where did you get that?"
"Ben gave it to me," I said, my voice firm. "He was trying to protect you, Edwardo. He found out she was working with Perez, stealing your secrets, and he tried to stop her."
Cassie gasped dramatically. "Edwardo, she's lying! She's making it all up!"
Edwardo ignored her. His eyes were fixed on the USB drive, then on my face.
"What do you want, Blair?" Grafton asked, his gaze sharp. "What will it take for you to cease all legal action regarding Moreno Corp.?"
I sat back, crossing my legs, my expression calm. I didn't feel the need for pity. I needed capital.
"I want Moreno Corp. to survive," I stated clearly. "I want our assets unfrozen immediately. I want the smear campaign ended. And I want a guarantee—a written, binding contract—that Steele Industries will never interfere with my family's business again."
He leaned back. "And in return?"
"I will sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding Edwardo's... indiscretions. I will drop the pursuit of Cassie Shields for her assault on my brother, provided she stays away from us. And I will grant Edwardo the divorce he so clearly wants." I looked him in the eye. "It's a clean break, Mr. McDonald. A business transaction."
He nodded slowly, respecting the tone. "Agreed."
As I left the study, I encountered Edwardo. He leaned against the wall, a predatory smirk on his face. "So, the dutiful wife comes begging to grandfather. How pathetic."
I stopped, looking at him with mild amusement. "I didn't beg, Edwardo. I negotiated. Something you seem incapable of doing without losing your temper."
"You're running away," he sneered. "Disappearing. Forgotten."
"I am moving on," I corrected him. "There is a difference. You are stuck here, cleaning up the mess your mistress made. I am free."
"You'll regret leaving me," he threatened.
I laughed, a soft, genuine sound of disbelief. "Edwardo, looking at you right now—blind, arrogant, and shackled to a liar—the only thing I regret is not leaving sooner."
I walked away, leaving him standing there, his sneer faltering. My heart wasn't heavy. It was lighter than it had been in three years.
