Chapter 4 4

The blinding surgical lights in the top-floor VIP suite of Mercer Hospital burned Hayden's eyes.

The doctor held a pair of tweezers, carefully swabbing the deep, jagged cut on her left wrist with iodine.

The chemical burn of the antiseptic hitting raw flesh made Hayden's stomach roll. A cold sweat broke out across her forehead. Her entire body trembled.

She bit down hard on her lower lip, tasting the metallic tang of her own blood. She refused to make a single sound. She was terrified of angering the man standing in the corner.

Alois stood near the heavy wooden door. His arms were crossed over his chest. He stayed in the shadows, his dark eyes fixed on the bloody mess of her arm.

The doctor finished the last stitch and snipped the black thread. He let out a long breath.

"You're lucky it missed the main vein," the doctor said, tossing the bloody gauze into a metal bin. "Keep it completely dry for at least a week. And absolutely avoid any severe emotional fluctuations or physical exertion that could spike her blood pressure and tear the sutures wide open again."

Alois gave a single, stiff nod.

"Get out," Alois said. His voice had zero inflection.

The doctor and the two nurses felt the crushing pressure in the room. They didn't say a word. They quickly pushed the metal cart out into the hallway.

The heavy door clicked shut. The lock engaged with a loud, metallic thud.

They were alone.

Alois pushed off the wall. His leather shoes clicked against the polished linoleum floor. Each step was slow, deliberate, and heavy with threat.

He stopped at the foot of her hospital bed. He gripped the metal railing with both hands, leaning his weight forward as he stared down at her pale face.

The smell of bleach and fresh blood hung in the air, making it hard to breathe.

"The pity play is over," Alois said, his lips curling into a cruel sneer. "Let's talk terms."

Hayden froze. She looked up at him, her chest tight with confusion.

"What exactly does Erick want this time?" Alois demanded, his voice rising in volume. "The development rights for the harbor plot? Or five percent dry shares in the group?"

Hearing Erick's name made Hayden's throat close up. A violent wave of nausea hit her stomach.

She scrambled to sit up straight, desperate to explain. The sudden movement yanked her freshly stitched wrist.

She let out a sharp gasp of pain.

Alois's eyes flickered, his fingers tightening on the metal rail, but he didn't move an inch to help her. He kept his defensive posture.

Hayden ignored the pain. She looked straight into Alois's cold eyes. Her own eyes were red and wet.

"I don't want anything," she said, her voice shaking but completely clear.

She took a deep, ragged breath. "I will say it again. I am absolutely not marrying Erick."

Alois narrowed his eyes. He looked at her like she was a cheap, counterfeit painting he was trying to appraise.

He suddenly let go of the rail. He walked around the side of the bed and leaned over her.

His large hand shot out. His long fingers clamped around her small jaw like a steel vice.

He forced her head up. His face was mere inches from hers. She could feel the heat of his harsh breaths hitting her skin.

The violent madness Alois had been suppressing all night finally cracked through his calm facade.

"Hayden," he whispered, his voice dropping to a terrifying, gravelly pitch. "Do you have any idea what will happen to you if you're lying to me?"

Hayden didn't try to pull away. She stared right back into his dark, obsessive eyes.

A single tear slipped from her eye and dropped onto the back of his hand.

"If I ever go back to him," Hayden said softly, her voice filled with absolute conviction, "you can break my legs and lock me up."

The words hit Alois like a physical blow to the chest.

His pupils dilated rapidly. His breathing completely stopped.

He jerked his hand back as if her skin had burned him. He stood up straight, his chest heaving as he turned his back to her, desperately trying to hide the violent, possessive thrill that had just ripped through his blood.