Chapter 3 How A Woman Conveys Her Gratitude

Harold carried an air of casual indifference that, paradoxically, only made people feel that he was a man full of warmth and affection.

Carrie's knuckles whitened as she clutched the wheelchair's handles, watching the scene unfold before her with mounting tension. The prestigious Hewitt family - that conniving woman had actually managed to worm her way into their inner circle!

"Engaged or not, it's absolutely despicable for someone who committed murder to stand before their victim with such audacity!" Simon's words cut through the air like ice.

Christina's soft laughter held an edge of steel. "Simon, I served three years in prison after leaving her unable to walk. What more could I possibly owe her?" Her eyes glinted dangerously. "Though you're not entirely wrong, Miss Willis and I have many unfinished matters to address."

Simon's face darkened with disappointment as he fixed his gaze on Christina. "How can you speak so callously? Your reckless actions caused Carrie unimaginable suffering - all of it undeserved! Christina, you're truly an incorrigible woman!"

"Undeserved?" Christina's laugh held no warmth. "Even Miss Willis wouldn't dare swear an oath that her suffering was undeserved. So what gives you that right?"

"Christina!" Carrie's voice cracked with emotion, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her fragile demeanor and carefully crafted display of hurt seemed designed to evoke maximum sympathy. "Haven't you destroyed enough of my life already? What more could you possibly want?"

Christina's eyelashes fluttered downward, veiling the arctic chill in her gaze as she contemplated Carrie's words.

She knew that people like Carrie, even when made to endure the very pain they inflicted on others, would never pause to examine their own misdeeds.

The time had come for Carrie's true nature to be exposed to the world.

"I heard you've reached out to Dr. Wade about treating your leg?" Christina's measured words struck Carrie like a physical blow, leaving her momentarily paralyzed. "Save yourself the effort. Someone like you doesn't deserve the freedom to walk again."

Without another word, Christina turned and strode from the hospital room.

Harold quirked an eyebrow at Simon, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Mr. Gilbert, the law exists to uphold truth, not personal vendettas."

His words sent an icy tendril of fear coiling through Carrie's heart.

Before she could formulate a response, Harold had already followed Christina's exit.

Cade observed the unfolding drama with a deepening frown. Shame colored his features as he mumbled a hasty apology and manufactured an excuse to depart.

Carrie turned to Simon, her expression a masterful blend of vulnerability and barely concealed distress. Her teeth worried at her lower lip as she tugged at his sleeve, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "Simon, I'm terrified. What if Dr. Wade really refuses to come?"

Simon's gaze softened as it fell upon her tear-stained face. He drew her into his embrace, his expression hardening with determination. "Don't let her frighten you. I'll never leave your side. Dr. Wade is already en route - Christina's just trying to manipulate you."

Hope bloomed across Carrie's features. "You mean it?"

Simon paused before nodding slowly. "Jackson arranged everything. He and Dr. Wade share a long-standing professional relationship."

"Simon, I'm so grateful. I'll do everything possible to prepare for the surgery. But Christina's boldness terrifies me..."

After a weighted silence, Simon responded, "I'll release those photographs. That should put her in her place."

"Oh Simon, you're too good to me..." Carrie pressed her face against his chest, a momentary flash of malevolent triumph lighting her eyes.

Once Simon departed, Carrie swiftly retrieved her phone and dialed with practiced precision.

Her voice was soft and innocent, carrying a hint of vulnerability. "Mr. Reed? Your fiancée visited me in the hospital today to apologize, but... I've discovered she's been intimate with another man. I know Christina's always been wild, but I couldn't bear watching her make a fool of you..."

Aidan's voice crackled through the line, cold and venomous. "That treacherous woman! She dares betray me? She'll regret this."

Carrie's lips curved into a slight smile as she spoke softly. "I heard Christina will be attending an upcoming business conference to secure a project for her family. Perhaps you might..."

Aidan's voice carried an arctic chill, undercut by a menacing laugh. "A woman like her has no place at a business conference. Her rightful place is beneath me, pleading for mercy."

His thoughts drifted to a long-ago encounter with Christina in a dimly lit bar. The memory remained sharp - him sprawled on the floor, pride shattered, as Christina's penetrating gaze cut through him. Behind her stood the trembling girl he had cornered, her eyes still wet with terror.

Christina's words had sliced through the air that night. "Mr. Reed, any man who uses his strength to terrorize women descends to the level of a beast."

Her beauty had ignited a fire in his blood, but her defiance had stoked an inferno of rage.

Before he could break her spirit, news arrived of her arrest - she had crippled Carrie and received a seven-year sentence.

Seven years ago, she had stood untouchable in her pride, denying him the chance to subjugate her. Now, he refused to believe that a woman who had endured prison could still be so unyielding. As Aidan conjured her captivating features in his mind, his eyes gleamed with predatory intent.

Meanwhile, Christina departed the hospital room, oblivious to Carrie's machinations.

She lifted her gaze to Harold with genuine appreciation. "Mr. Hewitt, thank you."

Harold's eyes traced her features as he tilted her chin upward, his voice playful. "Christina, surely you can offer more gratitude than that."

The implications weren't lost on Christina. Their engagement announcement would only amplify the whispers surrounding Harold.

Yet...

Christina arched an eyebrow. "How would you prefer I express my gratitude, Mr. Hewitt?"

The world tilted as he grasped her wrist, and suddenly she found herself pressed against the wall of a shadowy on-call room, Harold's presence overwhelming her space.

Mere inches separated them.

Her reflection danced in Harold's eyes as his devastatingly handsome features wore an expression both playful and seductive. His voice dropped to a velvet murmur. "Christina, allow me to demonstrate how a woman should thank her fiancé."

...

The thin wall barely muffled the hospital corridor's bustle as tension thickened the air around them. Harold's firm grip on her waist commanded attention, his presence consuming. Christina retreated instinctively until the cold wall halted her escape.

Her strength seemed to desert her limbs, leaving her body to seek support against Harold's frame.

Her fluttering eyelashes betrayed a complex mixture of apprehension and an inexplicable sense of sanctuary.

After a long and heated make-out session, Harold finally released her, satisfaction and mischief dancing in his passionate gaze. "Christina, this is how a woman conveys her gratitude to a man."

Her heart thundered in her chest as she inwardly cursed, "Such a rogue."

The lingering uncertainty faded from her eyes as she met his gaze. "Harold, have our paths crossed before?"

Something about his attitude, which was too intimate, toward her nagged at her consciousness - particularly those moments when his gaze held unmistakable masculine interest.

True, his reputation as a playboy preceded him, but he wasn't known for pursuing beauty without discretion.

Yet Harold's denial came swiftly.

"No." His fingers ghosted across her cheek as an enigmatic smile played on his lips. "As the future Mrs. Hewitt, you'll need to grow accustomed to such treatment."

Heat bloomed across Christina's features. Harold seemed poised to continue, but a phone's chime interrupted. After checking the message, he looked up. "Now that news of our engagement has spread, I'll arrange a meeting between you and my grandmother in the coming days."

Christina stiffened. "Your grandmother's surgery approaches. My background..."

Even if Jane possessed a generous spirit, accepting a granddaughter-in-law like her would prove challenging.

"It's merely an introduction," Harold said with casual ease. "The wedding can wait until after her recovery."

Christina held her silence.

Other matters demanded Harold's attention, prompting his departure. Christina left the hospital shortly after.

Upon returning to the Marshall estate, she made her way directly to the study.

The sharp crack of palm against cheek echoed through the room. Cade's eyes blazed with unbridled fury as he towered over Christina. "You dare defy me? First, carrying on with Harold behind my back, then refusing to show proper remorse to Carrie! Have you forgotten that the Willis Group partners with our projects? How am I supposed to explain your behavior to the Reed and Willis families?"

Christina's voice remained steady, undaunted. "You arranged my marriage to the Reed family out of fear and avarice - their influence and money were too tempting to resist. But consider this: the Hewitt family's influence surpasses the Reeds. Would they truly dare retaliate?" Her eyes held a knowing glint. "And regarding funding - what if Nimbus Enterprises matched their investment for the Willis Group project?"

Contempt dripped from Cade's sneering response. "You? Nimbus Enterprises may operate discreetly, but its scale is no small matter. What makes you think you have any standing with them?"

"True, I'm branded a murderer." Christina's smile held an edge of steel. "But I'm also the future Mrs. Hewitt."

Cade's expression darkened, becoming unreadable as his brow twitched with suppressed emotion.

The history between Nimbus Enterprises and the Hewitt Group ran deep - until three years ago, when Nimbus had abruptly severed all ties.

Recent whispers suggested that they now sought to rebuild that bridge.

...

By ten o'clock that evening, Christina pressed a cold compress to her stinging cheek, remembering Cade's parting threat with crystalline clarity. "You claim Nimbus Enterprises will attend the business conference. Fail to secure their cooperation, and you'll find yourself in Mr. Reed's bed."

Cade's motivations had always been transparent - pure profit drove his every action.

Though the Hewitt family's influence was undeniable, Harold's reputation as a mere playboy diminished his standing in Cade's eyes.

This marriage arrangement, while acceptable for now, merely served as leverage for greater gains.

After washing away the day's tensions, Christina changed and made her way to Wanderlust Guesthouse where her trusted assistant, Julie Kirby, awaited with crucial information.

Julie passed her a thick folder, speaking in hushed tones. "This details Nimbus Enterprises' operations during your imprisonment. Ms. Marshall, recovering your mother's assets from Cade's grasp won't be simple - he's thoroughly fragmented and absorbed them."

A bitter smile ghosted across Christina's features.

The world had accused her mother of seducing Cade, resulting in Christina's birth.

The truth was far darker - Cade had manipulated her mother, then seized her assets after her death.

Only her mother's foresight in secretly bequeathing Nimbus Enterprises to Christina had kept it from Cade's clutches.

Three years ago, Christina had carefully managed Nimbus Enterprises from the shadows. Then came the incident involving the Clarke sisters, resulting in Christina's imprisonment for attempted murder.

Upon her release, Cade had weaponized her mother's possessions, attempting to leverage them into a profitable marriage alliance with the Reed family.

If not for those precious belongings still in Cade's possession, Christina would have cut ties with him long ago.

His very presence filled her with revulsion.

Her voice carried arctic determination as she outlined her strategy. "At the conference, ensure Nimbus Enterprises redirects funds to the Marshall Group - with one condition: Nimbus personnel must oversee all funded projects."

Since Cade wanted money, she could give it to him. But she would also ensure her foothold in the Marshall Group!

Meanwhile, in the Hewitt family study, Harold's eyes narrowed with lazy interest as he perused the document before him. "So Nimbus Enterprises seeks renewed cooperation with the Hewitt Group?"

"Indeed."

Nimbus Enterprises had always been an enigma - their sudden withdrawal three years ago due to internal strife had left many questions. Their renewed interest now raised even more.

"Interesting." Harold closed the file with practiced nonchalance. "But such corporate matters fall to my eldest brother. My impending marriage takes precedence."