425 <b>Ports </b>
The drive home from the hospital passes in a blur of streetlights and worried silence. Dorian keeps ncing at me from the driver’s seat, his jaw tight with concern.
“You should have stayed,” I say for the third time. “ir and James will need support, and Virginia-”
“Virginia has made it clear she doesn’t want me there.” His voice is steady but I can hear the exhaustion underneath. “And you need me more right now.”
I want to argue, but the truth is he’s right. My hands won’t stop shaking, and every time I close my eyes I see that car bearing down on me, see Jasper’s body hitting the pavement, see the blood streaming down his face.
“The doctor said he’s stable,” Dorian continues gently. “That’s good news. His brain is responding, even if he’s not conscious yet.”
“But for how long?” The question bursts out of me. “What if he doesn’t wake up? What if he has permanent damage? What if—”
“Scarlett.” Dorian pulls into our driveway and turns to face me. “You can’t torture yourself with what–ifs. Jasper chose to save you. Honor that choice by taking care of yourself and Lily.”
I nod, though the guilt still sits heavy in my chest. Getting out of the car, we take the elevator to my floor.
The moment we walk through the front door, Lilyes running from the kitchen, her face streaked with tears.
“Mama!” She crashes into my legs, her small arms wrapping around me with desperate strength. “Is Daddy okay? Aunt Chloe said he got hurt really bad!”
My heart breaks at the fear in her voice. I kneel down to her level, smoothing back her dark
curls.
“He’s going to be okay, baby girl. The doctors are taking very good care of him.”
“But I saw him bleeding!” The wordse out in a rush, mixed with fresh tears. “There was so much blood, and he wasn’t moving, and the ambnce came-<b>” </b>
“Hey, hey.” I pull her against my chest, feeling her tiny body shake with sobs. Over her head, I see Chloe pacing back and forth, her phone pressed to her ear. “I know it was scary. It was
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scary
for me too. But Daddy is strong, remember? And he’s in the best hospital with the best
doctors.”
Chloe hangs up her phone and approaches us, her expression grim. “That was Officer Owen. He suspects what happened wasn’t an ident but a nned murder attempt. They want to interview you tomorrow.”
I close my eyes, already dreading the questions. What enemies do you have? Who might want to hurt you? Have you noticed anyone following youtely?
The truth is, the list of people who dislike me has grown longer over the years. Virginia, obviously. Maybe James and ir, despite tonight’s reconciliation. Maybe even some of Jasper’s business associates who see me as a gold–digger who used him and threw him
away.
And them…
The shadows from that circle.
But wanting me dead? That’s a much shorter list.
“Mama?” Lily tugs on my shirt, pulling me back to the present. “Can we visit Daddy tomorrow?”
“We’ll see, sweetheart. The doctors need to take care of him first.”
“But he might be lonely. He might want to see us.”
The innocence in her voice makes my throat tight. She doesn’t understand that her father is unconscious, that he might not wake up for days or weeks. She just knows he’s hurt and she wants to see him.
“How about we make him something special?” I suggest, standing up and taking her hand. “We could bake his favorite cookies and save them for when he feels better.”
Lily’s face brightens slightly. “The chocte chip ones with the sea salt?”
“Exactly those ones. But first, let’s get something warm and delicious in your tummy.” She giggles as I tickle her,the bell–like sound lessening the tightness in my chest.
Dorian squeezes my shoulder as we head toward the kitchen. “I’ll be making some calls. Don’t wait up. I’ll leave on my own once I’m done.”
After he leaves, Chloe and I get Lily settled at the kitchen counter with her coloring books.
“Are you okay?” Chloe asks, leaning against the counter beside me.
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“I don’t know.” I say, pulling out ingredients. A simple, childhoodfort: creamy rice pudding, warmed and sweetened with maple syrup and a hint of cinnamon. It was ir’s go–to recipe for all kinds of childhood trauma.
“I almost ended up in the hospital tonight Chloe. If it wasn’t for Jasper…” I would be the one lying in that ICU.
Just recalling his pale, bloodless face makes my heart grip with fear. I have Lily. If anything had happened to me…what would’ve be of her?
I work mechanically, Chloe silently cing bowls and spoons out for me.
“Because despite everything he did to you, he still loves you.”
“That’s what makes this worse. He’s lying in a hospital bed for someone who doesn’t love him anymore.”
“Are you sure about that?”
I turn to stare at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I saw your face when they loaded him into the ambnce. I saw how you looked at him in that hospital bed. That’s not the expression of someone who feels nothing.”
“Of course I care about him. He’s Lily’s father. He’s-”
“He’s the man you loved for years. The man you built dreams with. The man whose baby you carried when he wasn’t there to support you.”
“And he’s also the man who made me feel worthless for the three years of our married life.” I
snap.
“I know. But people change, Scarlett. And sometimes it takes almost losing someone to realize how much they mean to you.”
I turn back to the stove, throwing ingredients into the pot more aggressively than necessary. “It doesn’t matter now. I’m already engaged to Dorian.”
“I know. I just…I just don’t want you to have any regrets.” <fn0b30> For original chapters go to findnovel</fn0b30>
Before I can answer, Lily pipes up from her spot at the counter. “Mama, why are you crying?”
I touch my cheek and find it wet with tears I didn’t realize I was shedding.
“I’m just tired, baby. It’s been a long day.”
But Lily isn’t fooled. She slides off her stool andes to wrap her arms around my waist.
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“It’s okay to be sad about Daddy,” she says solemnly. “I’m sad <i>too</i>.”
Her simple eptance breaks something loose in my chest. I kneel down and pull her close, letting myself cry properly for the first time since this nightmare began.
“Don’t be sad, sweetheart. I’m here.”
“Daddy’s going to be okay, right? The doctors will fix him?”
“Yes, they’ll fix him,” I promise her, though the words sound hollow.
Violet Moon
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