Novel-novel oleh GEMS EMPIRE

CHAPTER SEVENTY TWOPhysical therapy finally started. The therapist's name was David and he was professional and methodical and had no patience for Dom's attempts to push past what his body could do."You're going to damage the healing nerves," David said firmly when Dom tried to move his leg through a full range of motion during their first session. "We take this slow and steady. That's how recovery works.""I don't have time to take anything slow," Dom said. His jaw was tight, his hands gripping the bed rails."You have whatever time your body needs," David replied. "We're looking at four months minimum for you to walk without assistance. That's being conservative. You might need longer."Dom's expression didn't change, but Cassie felt something shift in the air around him."I'll do it in two months," he said quietly."That's not realistic…”"Two months," Dom repeated, cutting him off. "I'll push harder. I'll do the work but I'm not spending four months in this hospital."David loo

CHAPTER SEVENTY ONEShe sat there for hours, just holding his hand and downloading everything that had happened while he was out. She told him how her mother came to the hospital and her father showed up, destroying the small calm they had built with his anger and selfishness."There's something else," she said finally, because he deserved to know. "The car that hit us, it wasn't random. Someone did it deliberately. They wanted to..." She couldn't finish the sentence.But she could see in Dom's eyes that he understood. The fury that flashed across his face was so intense that for a moment he looked like a predator, dangerous and cold. He tried to move and gasped with pain, and Cassie immediately put her hand on his chest to keep him still."Don't. Please don't try to move. You're going to hurt yourself."But she could feel the tension in his body, the rage underneath the surface, the fact that he wanted to get out of this bed and find whoever had done this and destroy them. Now, even

CHAPTER SEVENTYDom made it through the surgery with flying colors and was showing signs of improvement. His brain was swelling less and his body was healing.Leo came into the room holding a tablet, his expression unreadable. He gestured for Cassie to follow him into the hallway."I have information," he said quietly. "About the accident."Cassie's heart rate picked up. "And?""The vehicle that hit you was a black SUV, registered to a shell company out of New Jersey but from the look of things, the company doesn't exactly exist. It's just a front. The investigator traced the financial transactions and found a burner phone was used to hire a driver for exactly twenty-four hours on the day of the accident.""Hire him to do what?" Cassie asked, though she already knew the answer."Hit your car. The investigator enhanced the highway footage and the impact trajectory shows it was aimed specifically at the passengers side. What made it look like a hit and run was the fact that after the hi

CHAPTER SIXTY NINE The waiting room was completely devoid of anything that might make a person feel better. Cassie sat in a plastic chair that squeaked when she moved, her leg bouncing up and down with a nervous energy she couldn't control.Leo paced. He'd been pacing for the last forty minutes, his phone in his hand, his jaw tight. Every few seconds he'd check the screen like the surgeon might text him an update instead of actually coming to tell them what was happening."It's been four hours," Cassie spoke quietly."Brain surgery takes time," Margaret said, squeezing her hand. "That's what the doctor said. He said it would take several hours.""But he said three to four hours. It's been four already.”"It's been four hours and fifteen minutes," she corrected gently. "And some of that time was preparation and positioning. The actual surgery time might still be within the expected window."Cassie nodded but the reassurance didn't help her stay still. Nothing did. She was suspended in

CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHTSleep had only just begun to pull Cassie when a shrill alarm ripped through the silence.Her eyes flew open.Every monitor around Dom's bed flashed angry red as a rapid succession of beeps filled the room. The sound was so sudden and violent that for a moment she couldn't process what was happening. She was half-asleep and the alarms were like daggers cutting through the quiet of the hospital night.Dom's body was rigid as ever."What is happening?" she cried, jumping to her feet so fast the bed shifted beneath her.Two nurses rushed in, followed almost immediately by Dr. Osei. They moved with practiced urgency that came from having done this before, moving around Dom's bed with efficient precision."Ma'am, please step back," one of them said firmly enough that Cassie understood she wasn't welcome in their space anymore.She stumbled away, pressing herself against the far wall as they surrounded Dom. One nurse adjusted the oxygen mask on his face while another chec

CHAPTER SIXTY SEVENAfter a few minutes her mother turned back around and the composed version of herself was reassembled.She looked at Leo and then at Cassie. "I'll step out and give you two a moment."She slipped out into the corridor and the door closed softly behind her.Cassie exhaled slowly. She pressed her palms against her knees and looked at the floor for a second and then back up."He's threatening to disown us both," she said. "My mum came here to be with me and he followed her and he's angry and now she has nowhere to go tonight. She can't go back there, not tonight. Not with things the way they are."Leo nodded slowly. "I have someone she can stay for now.”“Cassie's head snapped up. “For real?”“Yeah… There's a spare room that is fully set up in one of my apartments. She can stay as long as she needs to.""Leo…" She felt the tightness in her throat again. "Thank you. Really…”"Don't." He waved it off. "She came here for you. The least I can do is make sure she has somew