Chapter 2 - The Woman He Thought He Had Lost
Chloe woke to the sound of a heartbeat monitor.
For several seconds, she did not know where she was.
Then she smelled antiseptic.
Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach.
A larger hand closed gently around it.
“She's awake.”
Arthur.
Chloe opened her eyes.
He sat beside the bed, still wearing the black tuxedo from his wedding.
Except there was no wedding anymore.
His tie had been removed.
His white shirt was stained with rain and someone else's blood.
His face looked exhausted.
“I told you not to drink the wine,” Chloe whispered.
“I didn't.”
“Did anyone?”
“No.”
“Good.”
She tried to sit up.
Arthur stopped her.
“Don't.”
“Where is my baby?”
“Healthy.”
The answer came immediately.
“Doctor says the stress caused the bleeding. Baby is stable.”
Tears filled Chloe’s eyes before she could stop them.
Arthur stared at her.
“I didn't know.”
She looked away.
“You told me to forget you.”
“I know.”
“You didn't even ask if I was safe.”
“I know.”
“You disappeared.”
“I know.”
She turned toward him.
“Then why are you here?”
Arthur's jaw tightened.
“Because the second I saw you, every lie I had told myself stopped making sense.”
Chloe gave a weak laugh.
“That sounds romantic.”
“It isn't.”
“No?”
“No.”
He leaned forward.
“I thought leaving you would save your life.”
“You failed.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you didn't love me.”
His eyes closed.
“I loved you enough to do something unforgivable.”
“That doesn't make it better.”
“No.”
He opened his eyes.
“It makes it worse.”
Chloe looked at him for a long moment.
Then she asked the question that had haunted her for seven weeks.
“Did you ever love Vivien?”
“No.”
“Did you ever intend to marry her?”
“Yes.”
She flinched.
Arthur continued.
“Because Malcolm threatened you.”
Chloe went still.
“What?”
“He had surveillance on you.”
“How do you know?”
“Leo found the files.”
Arthur pulled a folder from the table.
Inside were photographs.
Chloe leaving the diner.
Chloe entering her apartment.
Chloe buying prenatal vitamins.
Chloe asleep beside the window.
Her face went white.
“They knew.”
“Yes.”
Arthur touched the edge of a photograph.
“I discovered Malcolm was watching you the same week I found out his people were planning to attack one of my warehouses.”
“You never told me.”
“I couldn't.”
“You could have told me the truth.”
“If I'd told you, you would have stayed.”
Chloe stared.
“And you thought you knew what was best for me.”
“Yes.”
“That wasn't your choice.”
“I know that now.”
The door opened.
Leo entered.
His eyes went immediately to Chloe.
“You're awake.”
“Yes.”
“We've got problems.”
Arthur stood.
“Talk.”
“The wine contained a lethal concentration of aconitine.”
Chloe shuddered.
“Could it have killed him?”
“Yes.”
Arthur’s expression hardened.
“Who handled the cup?”
“Vivien’s assistant delivered it.”
“Where is she?”
“Missing.”
“And Malcolm?”
“Gone.”
Arthur looked at Leo.
“Find them.”
Leo hesitated.
“There's more.”
“What?”
“The poison wasn't originally meant for the wedding.”
Chloe frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Leo placed a second file on the table.
“We found traces of the same compound in Arthur's home.”
Arthur stared.
“When?”
“Two days before the wedding.”
Chloe slowly looked at Arthur.
“Someone poisoned you before today.”
“Yes.”
“Then this isn't about Vivien.”
“No.”
“It’s about someone inside your family.”
A knock sounded.
A nurse entered.
“Mr. Romano?”
“Yes?”
“There's someone here to see Chloe.”
“Who?”
The nurse looked uncomfortable.
“She says her name is Elena Romano.”
Arthur froze.
Chloe noticed.
“Who is Elena?”
“My aunt.”
“You have an aunt?”
“I thought she was dead.”
The nurse lowered her voice.
“She claims she has proof your father was murdered.”
Arthur and Chloe looked at each other.
Then Arthur said:
“Let her in.”
An elderly woman entered in a dark coat.
She looked at Arthur and started crying.
“You have your mother's eyes.”
Arthur's face changed.
“Aunt Elena?”
She nodded.
“I should have come sooner.”
Arthur moved toward her.
“Where have you been?”
“Hiding.”
“From who?”
Elena looked at Chloe.
Then at the baby.
“From the same people who are trying to kill you now.”
She pulled a small envelope from her coat.
“This belonged to your father.”
Arthur took it.
May you like
“What's inside?”
“Everything.”
