CHAPTER 292: CHAPTER 292 A DEAL

Ashton’s knees buckled and he went down hard on the marble floor, the sound echoing over the chatter of champagne glasses and false laughter.

The hall erupted into gasps and shrieks. A circle of glittering gowns and tuxedos pressed forward, every pair of eyes wide with morbid curiosity.

‘Ashton!’ I dropped beside him, my knees skidding on the polished tiles. His skin was burning beneath my touch. His eyes fluttered open, glazed, then rolled back.

‘Someone call an ambulance!’ I shouted.

‘I’ll handle it.’ Daniel crouched at my side, his phone already out.

‘Do it fast,’ I snapped, brushing Ashton’s damp hair back. ‘Ashton, can you hear me? Stay with me.’

A murmur ran through the crowd. I caught snatches. Fever. Infection. Poor man, after that ordeal at sea. Isn’t he the one supposed to be marrying that Lopez woman?

‘Give him some space!’ I barked, glaring up at the gawkers. No one moved until a man in a tuxedo reluctantly tugged his wife back.

Ashton groaned, low and rough. My heart clenched. ‘I’m here. Don’t talk. Just breathe.’

The ambulance came in a wail of sirens, but the minutes until it arrived stretched like hours. Paramedics pushed through.

‘Miss, please step aside.’

‘I’m going with him,’ I said.

No one argued.

The ride was a blur of flashing lights and medical jargon. I sat hunched in the corner, clutching his uninjured hand. The bandaged right hand rested across his chest, swollen under the gauze. Even now, fever burning him up, his body still carried that commanding presence.

At the hospital, they rushed him through swinging doors. I was forced to let go. The corridor swallowed me whole. I sat rigid on a hard plastic chair, staring at the linoleum until the words floated to me from a group of doctors.

‘Infection stabilised, but... risk of permanent nerve damage.’

‘The hand might never regain full function.’

My stomach pitched. Permanent. Nerve damage. Because of me. Because I had dragged him diving, because I had been too stubborn to admit when I was out of my depth.

I pressed my fist against my mouth, eyes burning.

If I had stayed away, none of this would have happened. He would be whole, not broken.

But leaving had only hurt him more.

Not again.

Never again.

I straightened, wiped my eyes, and forced myself to stand.

By the time Dominic Everett appeared in the waiting area, I had been pacing for hours. His tie was loosened, his usual composure rattled.

‘Miss Vance,’ he said quickly, ‘how is he?’

‘Stable,’ I told him, and for once my voice didn’t shake. ‘The fever’s broken for now. He needs rest.’

‘I know, but...’ Dominic’s mouth tightened. ‘LGH is in chaos. The shareholders are unsettled, the press is circling, and Miss Lopez—’

‘No.’ I cut him off. ‘You’ll not disturb him with company matters until he recovers. Do you understand? Tell whoever you must that Ashton Laurent is unavailable. That’s final.’

He studied me, as though weighing whether I had the authority to issue such commands. Then, to my surprise, he nodded. ‘Very well.’

When he left, silence seeped back in, thick and oppressive. I sat at Ashton’s bedside. The beeping monitors were steady, but his bandaged hand rested lifeless on the sheet.

Lea’s words at the café replayed in my mind. She had sipped her coffee, eyes smug, and told me she was willing to risk everything for Ashton. She had said she would even kill.

What was I willing to do for him?

When Daniel appeared the next morning, I didn’t dismiss him outright.

‘I heard about the collapse. Thought you might need help,’ he said casually.

‘I don’t need you. But you said you could arrange a meeting with Deputy Commissioner Haldane.’

His brows lifted. ‘I can. But nothing comes free.’

‘I know,’ I said flatly.

He brightened. ‘So it’s a yes on the date? Just dinner, I promise. Maybe a film. No strings. Just one night.’

I gave him a long, hard look. ‘You don’t lack women, Daniel. Why me?’

He grinned and gave me the truth this time. ‘Because you’re the one Rhys still dreams about. Hurts him more if you’re with me.’

‘So this is about Rhys.’

‘Partly,’ he admitted with a shrug. ‘But also because I want you. Win-win.’

I folded my arms. ‘I’m not going on a date with you, but I can offer you something better. You’ve been fighting Louisa Granger at the company, haven’t you? She’ll never let you take your place while she’s protecting Rhys. If I talk to her, persuade her to stop sabotaging you, you’ll have a clean shot.’

For the first time, his smirk faltered.

‘You’d really do that?’

‘I will. If you deliver Haldane.’

He studied me for a moment, calculating, then nodded slowly. ‘Deal.’

I extended my hand. He took it.