Chapter 292
[ 552 words ]
Chapter 292:
The fear was a living thing inside her now, a cold knot in her stomach. This was the reality of being with a man like Jarrod Romero. It wasn’t just about navigating family politics and high-society events. It was about this. The agonizing silence. The constant, gnawing dread. The knowledge that at any moment, he could be taken from her by a bullet in some forgotten corner of the world.
She sank onto the plush ottoman in the center of the closet, pulling the jacket into her lap. She buried her face in the fabric, inhaling his scent, and for the first time, she allowed herself to truly acknowledge the terrifying depth of her feelings.
She wasn’t just his wife by contract. She wasn’t just a partner in a strategic alliance.
She was falling in love with him.
And the realization, coming in this moment of absolute terror for his safety, was the most devastating blow of all. It meant she had everything to lose.
The next morning, Caroline returned to the hospital, her face a pale mask of exhaustion. She had barely slept, her night filled with restless tossing and the silent dread of the unanswered phone.
She immediately requested a section transfer from the charge nurse. She asked to be moved to the pediatric ward, fabricating a story about needing a change of pace to avoid burnout. The charge nurse, remembering the swift and brutal firing of Melanie, wanted no part of whatever drama was brewing around Nurse Thompson. She quickly approved the transfer request without asking any questions.
For the first half of the day, Caroline successfully played a tense game of cat and mouse, using back stairwells and service elevators to navigate the massive hospital. She avoided the cafeteria entirely, surviving on a stale protein bar she ate in a sterile supply room.
The radio silence from the military satellite phone continued, a constant, agonizing hum of dread beneath the surface of her professional duties.
Around three in the afternoon, Brenna finally caught up with her. She found Caroline in the pediatric ward’s quiet medication room, meticulously drawing up a dose of antibiotics.
𝗧𝗵e 𝘣𝖾𝗌𝘁 rе𝗏i𝘦w𝘀 о𝗇 𝘨𝗮𝗹𝗇о𝘃𝗲𝗅𝘴.с𝘰m
“There you are,” Brenna said, her voice soft but firm. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Pediatrics? Really?”
Caroline didn’t look up from her task. “I needed a quieter environment for a few days.”
Brenna leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. “I talked to Julian. We’re both worried, C. This isn’t like you. You’re hiding. Whatever is going on, you don’t have to go through it alone.”
The genuine concern in her friend’s voice was like a knife twisting in her gut. “I appreciate it, Brenna, really. But I’m fine. It’s just… complicated family stuff.”
The lie tasted like ash in her mouth. The distance it created between them was a chasm she could feel widening with every word.
Brenna sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Okay. But my phone is on twenty-four seven. The second you’re ready to talk, I’m here.” She left without another word, the unspoken hurt lingering in the air.
Later that afternoon, as Caroline was walking down a quiet corridor carrying a stack of fresh blankets, she suddenly spotted Julian’s white coat turning the corner ahead.
She cursed under her breath. She quickly ducked into an adjacent empty patient room. She held her breath, pressing her back against the wall.
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