Chapter 2

Caroline POV

The hospital wing smelled of antiseptic and expensive lilies-the scent of tragedy masked by money.

I moved down the corridor, my left arm bandaged beneath the soft weave of my cashmere cardigan. The burn was superficial, or so the doctors said. Just a second-degree reminder of where I stood in the food chain.

I carried a thermos of homemade bone broth. It was ridiculous, really. A performance. The dutiful wife bringing sustenance to her hardworking husband. But in our world, appearances were the only currency that mattered.

I reached the private suite reserved for "Friends of the Family." The door was slightly ajar.

I shouldn't have looked. I should have just knocked, announced my presence, and forced them to separate. But I stopped.

Blake was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had shed his ruined jacket. His white dress shirt was stained with soot and sweat, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms-hands that saved lives, hands that had signed my marriage contract.

Ariana was propped up against the pillows. She didn't look injured. She looked radiant in that tragic, Victorian way she had perfected. No burns. Just "smoke inhalation" and "shock."

Blake held a spoon.

He blew on the soup gently, his expression soft, focused. He brought the spoon to her lips.

"Eat, Ari," he murmured. "You need your strength."

She opened her mouth, taking the offering, her eyes fixed on his face with a look of adoration that made my stomach turn.

"I was so scared, Blake," she whispered, her voice raspy. "I thought I was going to die in there. I thought I'd never see you again."

"I wouldn't let that happen," he said. The conviction in his voice was a physical blow. "I became a surgeon so I would never have to stand by and watch you bleed again. Not like that night in the alley."

I froze.

The alley. The origin story. We all knew it. Ten years ago, a rival gang had jumped Ariana. Blake, then just a reckless heir, hadn't been able to stop the bleeding until the paramedics arrived.

He hadn't become a trauma surgeon to save the Family's soldiers. He hadn't done it for the prestige.

He had done it for her.

Every surgery, every late night, every medical miracle he performed... it was all just penance for failing her once.

I was fighting a ghost. I was fighting a ten-year-old wound that refused to close.

I looked down at the thermos in my hand. It felt heavy, like lead.

I pushed the door open.

Blake's head snapped up. The softness vanished instantly, replaced by a mask of irritation.

"Caroline," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought you dinner," I said, my voice flat. I walked over and set the thermos on the bedside table, right next to a vase of white roses that I knew he had ordered. "But I see you're busy."

Ariana smiled at me. It was a small, pitying thing. "Oh, Caroline. Thank you. Blake was just... helping me. My hands are shaking so badly."

She held up a perfectly steady hand.

"I heard about your arm," Blake said, glancing at my bandage. "Is it bad?"

"It's fine," I lied, keeping my face impassive. "Just a scratch."

"Good," he said, turning his attention back to Ariana. "Look, I need to stay here tonight. Monitor her vitals. You go home."

"Actually," I said, straightening my spine. "I came to tell you something else. I'm resigning from the Family's Charity Board."

Blake paused, the spoon hovering halfway to the bowl. "What? Why? You run that board. It's your... thing."

"I don't have time for it anymore," I said. "I have other projects."

He didn't ask what projects. He didn't ask why I was giving up the one public role that gave me any semblance of identity.

He just shrugged. "Fine. Actually, that works out. Ariana needs something to focus on while the gallery is being rebuilt. She can take your seat."

The air left my lungs.

"It's a trauma center board, Blake," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "It requires architectural oversight and budget management. Ariana runs an art gallery."

"It's a trauma center," he corrected, his voice hard. "She understands trauma better than anyone. She'll be perfect."

He looked at her, and she beamed, looking for all the world like a queen accepting a crown she hadn't earned.

"Thank you, Blake," she cooed. "I'd love to."

He didn't just accept my resignation. He handed my life to her, piece by piece, right in front of me.

"Enjoy the soup," I said.

I turned and walked out. I didn't go home. I went to my car, pulled out the ledger, and opened it to the current date.

*Minus five points. He gave her my seat at the table.*

*Total Score: 45.*

We were halfway to zero.