Chapter 6

Edwardo's car roared down the street, tires squealing, a blur of rage and urgency. I watched him disappear, then scrambled to my feet, my heart hammering against my ribs. Ben. He was still in the hospital. He couldn't have attacked Cassie. This was another one of her heinous lies.

I fumbled for my phone, my fingers trembling as I tried to call Ben's hospital room. No answer. I tried his personal cell. Straight to voicemail. Panic, cold and sharp, clawed at my throat. Edwardo was gone. He would believe Cassie. He would act.

I raced out of the house, hailing the first cab I saw. "To St. Jude's Hospital! Fast!"

The drive was a blur. My mind replayed Cassie's frantic screams, Edwardo's furious accusations. I knew Ben was innocent. I knew Cassie was a liar. But would Edwardo ever see it? He was blinded by her.

We pulled up to the emergency entrance. The flashing red and blue lights of an ambulance cast an eerie glow on the scene. A stretcher was being wheeled past, covered by a white sheet. My stomach lurched.

I jumped out of the cab, throwing money at the driver. I ran inside, my eyes scanning for any sign of Ben. A janitor was mopping up a large puddle of blood near the trauma bay.

"Excuse me!" I gasped, out of breath. "What happened here? My brother, Ben Pena, is a patient here."

The janitor, a tired-looking man, shook his head grimly. "Another accident. Someone fell from the fifth floor. Just brought them in. They're rushing him to surgery. Looked bad."

My blood ran cold. "Fell? Was it... was it a young man? With a bandaged leg?"

He nodded slowly, wiping his brow. "Yeah, that's him. Poor kid. Just had surgery."

Fell from the fifth floor. My mind reeled. Cassie. Her accusation that Ben was going to throw her off a balcony. It was a twisted, sick game. She had orchestrated this. She had pushed him.

I ran towards the trauma bay, pushing past nurses and doctors. "Ben! Where's Ben?"

And then I saw him. Edwardo. He was standing outside the operating room, his back to me. Cassie was there too, clinging to his arm, sobbing dramatically. Her arm, the one she'd supposedly scratched, was now perfectly bare. Her face, tear-streaked and pale, was pressed against his shoulder.

He was comforting her. While my brother was dying.

"Edwardo!" I screamed, the name tearing from my throat.

He turned, his eyes narrowing when he saw me. Cassie flinched, burying her face deeper into his shoulder. "Blair. How dare you show your face here?"

"How dare I?" My voice was raw, laced with fury. "You left him to die! She pushed him! She tried to kill him!" I pointed at Cassie, my finger trembling. "She's a liar, Edwardo! She's a murderer!"

Cassie recoiled, her sobs intensifying. "Edwardo, she's delusional! She's trying to blame me! After her brother attacked me, after he tried to throw me off my balcony!" She looked at me, her eyes flashing with venom. "He got what he deserved!"

He got what he deserved. The words echoed in my ears, a cruel, sickening pronouncement.

"He got what he deserved?" I shrieked, my hand flying before I could stop it. My palm connected with Edwardo' s cheek with a sharp crack that echoed through the quiet hospital corridor.

His head snapped back. A stunned silence fell. He touched his cheek, his eyes blazing with a dangerous fury. "You just hit me."

"And I'll call the police!" I screamed, my voice hoarse. "For attempted murder! For assault! For everything you've done to my brother!"

The doors to the operating room swung open. A doctor, looking grave, stepped out. "Mr. Pena's family?"

"That's us," I said, my voice trembling.

The doctor looked at me, then at Edwardo and Cassie. "His injuries are severe. A broken femur, internal bleeding, multiple fractures. We managed to stabilize him, but... his leg. It's likely he'll never walk properly again. He'll be permanently disabled."

My knees buckled. Permanently disabled. My free-spirited brother, crippled. Because of Edwardo' s blind devotion to a manipulative snake.

Edwardo stiffened, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. But it quickly vanished, replaced by cold indifference. Cassie, meanwhile, was whispering into his ear, "It's all her fault, Edwardo. She drove him to it. He was a menace."

I stared at Edwardo, my eyes pleading. "Edwardo, please. He's crippled. He's broken. Please, don't let Cassie's lies win."

He pulled Cassie closer, his gaze sweeping over me with contempt. "He brought this upon himself, Blair. His actions have consequences. And Cassie's safety is my priority." He looked at the doctor. "As soon as he's stable, prepare the transfer paperwork. He will be moved to a federal holding facility. I'll arrange for round-the-clock security."

"No!" I shrieked, tears bursting from my eyes. "Edwardo, for God's sake! He's almost dead! He needs to recover! You can't send him to prison like this!"

"He's a criminal, Blair. Justice must be served." His voice was flat, unyielding. He had no compassion. No mercy.

I stumbled back, my mind racing. I had to protect Ben. I had to. The crypto key. Ben' s words echoed in my mind. Leverage.

I rushed into Ben's room, my mind already formulating a plan. He was still unconscious, hooked up to an array of machines. I found a hidden pocket sewn into the lining of his old leather jacket, the one he always wore. Inside, a small, inconspicuous USB drive. This was it. The biometric crypto key.

I returned to Edwardo, my face set, my tears dry. "Edwardo Steele," I said, my voice cutting through the hushed corridor. "I have something that belongs to Cassie Shields."

His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Her biometric crypto key," I said, holding up the small USB drive. "The one she used to steal your company's data. The one she uses to encrypt her communications with Domenic Perez."

Edwardo's face went white. He knew the name Perez. He knew the threat. He knew the value of the key. "Where did you get that?"

"Ben gave it to me," I said, my voice firm. "He was trying to protect you, Edwardo. He found out she was working with Perez, stealing your secrets, and he tried to stop her."

Cassie gasped dramatically. "Edwardo, she's lying! She's making it all up!"

Edwardo ignored her. His eyes were fixed on the USB drive, then on my face. "What do you want, Blair?"

"I want Ben released. All charges dropped. And I want him to receive the best medical care money can buy, paid for by you." My voice was unwavering. "And in return, you get this." I held up the key. "And I will sign the divorce papers. Immediately."

A tense silence filled the corridor. Edwardo looked at Cassie, then at the USB drive, then back at me. He knew I held all the cards.

"Fine," he ground out, his voice laced with venom. "But if this is a trick, Blair, I will ruin you."

"And if you don't comply," I retorted, "this key goes straight to the press, along with a full account of how Cassie Shields betrayed you, and how you tried to frame my innocent brother. Your reputation will be in tatters, and your company will be in chaos."

He stared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. But he knew I meant it.

"Henderson!" he barked at his lawyer, who had just arrived, looking bewildered. "Draft the papers. Full medical coverage for Ben Pena. All charges dropped. And finalize the divorce. Now."

Henderson scrambled to comply. Cassie screamed, "Edwardo, no! You can't believe her! She's a liar!"

He ignored her, his gaze still fixed on me. "Consider the divorce finalized, Blair. You're free. And so is your brother. Now give me the key."

"Not yet," I said, my voice steady. "First, I want to see Ben transferred to rehabilitation, not a federal facility. And I want the legal documents, signed and sealed, confirming his freedom and medical care. Only then will you get this."

His jaw clenched, but he nodded. "Fine. But know this, Blair. You will regret this day."

"I regret the day I met you, Edwardo," I said, my voice cold and hard. "I regret every single moment I wasted on you. This is not regret. This is freedom."

I watched as Edwardo barked orders, his face a mask of furious defeat. Within hours, Ben was transferred to a top rehabilitation facility, his medical care secured. The legal documents arrived, signed and notarized. I handed the USB drive to Henderson, then signed the divorce papers again, my hand steady this time.

Edwardo didn't even bother to see me go. He was already tending to Cassie, who was still wailing about her damaged reputation.

I walked out of the hospital, into the harsh afternoon sun. My arm still ached, my face was still bruised, and my heart was a gaping wound. But Ben was safe. And I was free. I would rebuild my life. I would rebuild my family. And I would never look back. My next stop was Stanford. Education. Independence. A new life.

I would make Edwardo Steele regret the day he ever met me. And I knew, with a certainty that chilled me to the bone, that he would.