Chapter 15
ELIZABETH
“Neither of you deserves this company!” Grandfather’s face gets redder and redder with every word he yells, and I wonder if he’s going to have a heart attack.
“Grandfather.” Edward moves toward him. “Please, sit down. I’m sure we can work through what your concerns are.”
My brother is a better person than me. I’d quite happily call security and have him removed from the building. I have the power to do that now.
“The shame you’ve brought to our name—” Grandfather grabs the side of his head. “I can’t—”
We don’t have a chance to calm the man down because with strangled cry, he crumples to the floor.
We’re at his side in a heartbeat. I might not like the man, but he is my grandfather. He’s unconscious and when my brother presses a finger to his neck, our gazes lock.
“Is he dead?” I ask. Conflicting emotions fill my chest.
“No.” He leans over and holds his hand above Grandfather’s mouth. “He’s breathing.”
“He’s unconscious,” I state the obvious because I’m not sure what else to say or do.
“Call an ambulance,” Edward directs his assistant, who’s hovering by the door.
“Already did.”
I glance at the woman. “Can you call Carlla and Devon? Let them know we’re heading to the hospital.”
“Sure.” She looks behind her. “I’ll go direct the paramedics up here.”
“Do you think he had a heart attack,” I ask.
“No. He wouldn’t have a pulse.” Edward frowns. “I think.”
I want to laugh at his uncertainty, but it doesn’t seem like the time for humor. “Will you go with him?”
Edward’s gaze meets mine. He stares for a few seconds before nodding. “Yes. You call a ride. Don’t drive.”
“Should we wait for—” My words are cut off by the arrival of the paramedics.
Standing, I move out of the way and wait. It doesn’t take them long to evaluate him and get him on the stretcher. They think he’s had a stroke. He’ll need tests to confirm and with him stable, they wheel him out of the room.
“I’ll go with them. Stacey, can you call a car for Elizabeth please?”
“Done. It’s waiting downstairs with instructions to follow the ambulance.”
“Thank you. Cancel the rest—”
“I’m on that. For both of you.”
With a nod to his assistant and a hand to my back, Edward urges me out of his office. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“I’ll wait to hear from you before issuing a statement.”
“I’ll put something together and email it to you within the hour.”
I’m numb, listening to my brother sort out the necessary steps to calm employees. The board. I can’t get the image of Grandfather crumpled on the floor, his face flushed red.
“Elizabeth!”
Snapping my attention to Edward, I say, “Sorry, what?”
“I said, can you help me by writing a memo to send to the staff? I’ll deal with the one for the board.”
“So we need to? I mean, he’s not in control here anymore.”
“No. He’s not. But he did collapse in the office.”
“Right. Okay. I guess a general, the founder of the company has…” I shake my head. “He’s what? We don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
“Keep it simple. He collapsed and is receiving medical attention, and we’ll give an update when we can.”
In spite of Edward’s words, this isn’t simple. Less than two weeks ago, we took over the company in what the media is calling a hostile coup. This won’t help our dipping share price. Then again, the dip wasn’t as big as I expected and we’ve already regained most of that drop.
“I’ll send it to you before we get to the hospital.”
Edward’s phone beeps and he reads the text. “Carlla is waiting to hear where they’re taking him.”
“Oh, I should message Devon.” Sliding my phone from my pocket, I glance down and unlock it.
“Don’t bother.”
Head jerking up, I’m about to give my brother a tongue lashing about treating Devon with respect when I see why he said what he did.
Devon is standing in the foyer of our building. I don’t know what shocks me more. The fact I don’t remember coming down in the elevator or that Devon is here.
“I’ll leave her in your capable hands,” Edward says before continuing behind the paramedics.
“I need…”
“We do.” Devon slips an arm around my waist and urges me out of the building. His bike is parked beside the ambulance. “Livi or Lexi is going to swing by here and collect your bag. They’ll meet us at the hospital.”
“Why?” There is no love from my friends for my grandfather.
“Because you need them.” He glances at me. “And they want to be there for you.”
“Oh.” I’m still amazed by the support my friends have given me since I walked out on my wedding.
“It isn’t about him.” Devon’s words are sharp. He’s been less than accommodating when it comes to my grandfather since he was served with divorce papers.
Not that I blame him. I’d be pissed about it too. “Thank you. But how did you get here so fast?”
“I was already heading this way.” He steers me to the bike. Pulls my helmet from the handlebars. “Was going to surprise you with a ride and lunch.”
I smile. It’s not the first time he’s shown up at my work and whisked me away for an hour in the middle of the day. Or brought me a meal we eat in the garden terrace off my office. “I’m sorry your surprise was ruined.”
“I’m not.” He doesn’t elaborate. Just plonks my helmet on my head and fastens the strap.
While Devon is making sure I’m safe, the ambulance doors are closing. “They’re about to leave.”
“We won’t lose them,” he promises while swinging his leg over the seat and putting on his helmet. “Jump on.”
Another smile graces my lips. In spite of the situation, I can’t help smiling around Devon. He makes me happy. In the months we’ve been married, I’ve gotten very comfortable with him. More so than I was in our first few days together. I hate knowing this will end. Except we made a deal.
With a rev of the bike, I wipe my mind clear of those thoughts and concentrate on what’s happening now. I hold onto Devon as he maneuvers the bike and follows the ambulance into traffic. And when we reach the hospital, he ushers me inside and waits beside me, my hand in his.
When Olivia and Alexandria arrive, Carter and Garrett in tow, I can’t help but smile. We don’t talk. Not even Edward says anything other than hi to Carlla when she arrives.
It’s only the doctor coming into the waiting room that draws out words.
Quickly on his feet, Edward asks, “How is he?”
“As we suspected. He’s had a stroke.”
“Okay. How bad?”
The somber look on the doctor’s face says it all. But it’s his words that drive the severity of the situation home. “If he makes it through the next twenty-four hours, I’ll be shocked. And if he defies the odds and does, he won’t be capable of taking care of himself.”
“Right.” Edward nods. “Well, I guess all we can do is wait.”
“You don’t have to do that here.” The doctor looks around our group. “There’s nothing you can do and he’s not up for visitors, although you can see him if you wish.”
All I want to do is leave. I don’t want my last memories of the man who controlled me for so long to be of him in a hospital bed. He doesn’t deserve my sympathy, and I know if I see him now, my heart will give it to him.
Turning to Devon I say, “Take me home.”
Without question or word, he tips his head in agreement and pulls me from the room. I can’t speak. I’m on the verge of breaking and I hate that I’m going to do it over a man who never loved me for me.
“Shh…” Devon pulls me into his arms, presses my face to his chest. “I’ll have us home in a few minutes. Just hold on until then.”
His words have the tears pushing closer to release. He knows me so well. Knows what I need and when I need it.
And I hate that I’m going to have follow through on our agreement and give him up.