<b>Chapter </b><b>53 </b>
Reba’s POV
My mother burst into tears, clutching my hand so tightly I winced. Relief rushed through me so powerfully that my knees felt weak. I blinked rapidly as tears filled my eyes.
“He’s in recovery now,” Dr. Winters continued. “The anesthesia will take some time to wear offpletely. Given the location and size of the tumor, we had to be extremely careful, but everything went ording to n.”
“When can we see him?” my mother asked, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
“You can see him now, but he’ll be groggy. We’ll keep him in the ICU overnight for monitoring, but barring anyplications, he should be moved to a private room tomorrow.”
When we finally entered my father’s recovery room, the sight of him–pale but peaceful, with various tubes and monitors attached–made my breath catch. Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. My mother went immediately to his side, taking his hand and gently stroking his forehead.
“He looks <b>so </b>small,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
I stood at the foot of the bed, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, the regr beeping of the heart monitor providing a reassuring rhythm. The knot of fear that had lived in my chest for months began to loosen.
After about an hour, my mother turned to me. “You look exhausted, Ba<b>. </b>You should go home and rest.” Her eyes scanned my face, noting the dark circles under my eyes.
I hesitated, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “I can stay, Mom. I don’t mind.”
She shook her head firmly. “No, you need your sleep. You have work tomorrow, don’t you? Don’t jeopardize your job.”
The reminder of my non–existent job made my stomach drop. I didn’t correct her. What would I say? Actually, Mom, I’m unemployed and living with a werewolf Alpha who’s paying me to be hispanion? The thought made me cringe inwardly.
“Alright, I conceded. “But call me if anything changes, okay? Even in the middle of the night.”
She promised she would, and I kissed both her and my father’s forehead before leaving. In the corridor, I pulled out my phone and called Raymond.
“Miss Brown,‘ he answered immediately. “How may I assist you?”
“Could you pick me up from the hospital?” I asked, my voice small and tired. “I’d like to go back to the house.”
‘Of course, Mr. Sterling has instructed me to be at your disposal at all times. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
True to his word, the sleek ck Bentley pulled up exactly fifteen minutester. Raymond held the door for me, his face impassive as always, but there was a gentleness in his movements that suggested he understood I was emotionally drained.
As we drove through the night–time streets, I stared out the window, watching the city lights blur together. My eyelids felt heavy<b>. </b>I wondered where Dominic was, what emergency had called him away. I wondered if he was still angry with me.
“Raymond,” I ventured, “do you know when Mr. Sterling will be home?”
Raymond’s eyes met mine briefly in the rearview mirror. “I’m afraid I don’t have that information, Miss Brown. Mr. Sterling’s schedule often changes on short notice.”
I nodded, looking back out the window. My mind began working despite my fatigue. Perhaps <b>I </b>could make it up to Dominic when he returned. Show him I was sorry for disobeying him, for putting myself at risk with William. I remembered the ckce lingerie set I’d ordered online a few days ago but hadn’t had the courage to wear yet. My heart beat faster at the thought. Maybe tonight was the right time to use it.
By the time we reached Dominic’s vi, I had convinced myself this was the perfect way to apologize. I would wait for him, surprise him with the lingerie, and show him with my body what I couldn’t express with words–that I appreciated everything he’d done for me, that I wasmitted to our arrangement despite my earlier reservations.
“Thank you, Raymond,” I said as he opened the car door for me.
“My pleasure, Miss Brown. Would you like me to wait? In case you need anything else?”
I shook my head. “No, thank you. I’m just going to wait for Mr. Sterling.”
Raymond nodded and returned to the driver’s seat. I watched the Bentley disappear down the driveway before entering the silent house.
The emptiness of the ce struck me immediately. Dominic’s scent was faint, suggesting he hadn’t been home for hours. My footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Diana was gone too, the kitchen dark and silent. On the dining table, I found a note in Diana’s neat handwriting: [Food in refrigerator, Heat <b>if </b>needed. – Diana]
I wandered through the quiet rooms, wrapping my arms around myself against a sudden chill, I checked my phone, but there were no messages from Dominic. My fingers tapped the screen nervously as I decided to send him a text: (My father’s surgery went very well. Thank you for arranging everything. I’m at home waiting for you…]
I added those ellipses deliberately, biting my lip <b>as </b>I hit send, hoping he would read between the lines and understand I was offering something more than just gratitude. I checked my previous messages to him–still no response to any of them. My heart sank, a heavy weight settling in my chest. I brushed aside the feeling. He was busy<b>; </b>that <b>was </b>all.
Upstairs, I took a long, hot shower, letting the water wash away the hospital smell and the stress <b>of </b><b>the </b>day. My
<b>12:07 </b>Mon<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>22 </b>
muscles gradually rxed under the hot spray. I shaved carefully, applied scented lotion, and dried my hair <b>until </b>it fell in soft waves around my shoulders. Then, I unwrapped the lingerie set I’d hidden in my drawer.
63
The ckce was delicate against my skin, the bra pushing my breasts up enticingly, the matching panties barely covering my bottom. I studied my reflection in the full–length mirror, my cheeks warming as I turned to see myself from different angles. Would Dominic like seeing me like this? Would it make him forgive my transgressions? My stomach fluttered with nervous anticipation.
I settled on the bed, arranging myself in what I hoped was an alluring pose. Then I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The minutes ticked by, bing hours. Ten o’clock. Eleven. Midnight. I checked my phone obsessively<b>, </b>the screen lighting up my anxious face in the darkened room. Still no response from Dominic. My excitement gradually morphed into disappointment, and then into a dull ache of rejection. My shoulders slumped further with each passing hour.
By one in the morning, I’d given up the seductive pose and was simply sitting cross–legged on the bed, still in the lingerie but with Dominic’s robe wrapped around me for warmth. My eyes felt gritty with fatigue. I tried calling his
phone, but it went straight to voicemail, his deep voice instructing me to leave a message that I knew he probably
wouldn’t hear.
At two, I finally epted he wasn’ting home. My chest felt hollow with disappointment. I crawled under the covers, burying my face in his pillow, which still held the faintest trace of his scent. Sleep came fitfully, interrupted by dreams where <b>I </b>was always reaching for something–or someone–just beyond my grasp.
I woke with a start at six, my phone’s notification tone dragging me from troubled dreams. I fumbled for it, heart leaping when I saw Dominic’s name on the screen.
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