Chapter 4
Elena
"Jax, you can stay in the guest room for now."
I opened the door and bent down to grab the slippers. That's when I froze.
I'd rented this place behind William's back. On our first anniversary, he got drunk and actually opened up to me for once. He told me he never felt warmth growing up in that massive house. He said he hated how empty it felt, how he'd always wanted a small cozy place with someone he loved. He even mentioned he liked warm colors, not all that black and white minimalist crap his family was obsessed with.
The next morning, of course, he went right back to being his usual cold self. But I remembered every word he said that night.
I'd been renting this 900-square-foot two-bedroom for five years, slowly turning it into the kind of home he described. I was just waiting for the right moment to bring him here.
I guess that moment would never come now.
At least I had somewhere to go after leaving him.
Jax peeked over my shoulder and paused too.
"Is this the place you shared with your husband? Elena, it's fine. I can find somewhere else."
Jax had no idea my husband was William Holloway. When he went to prison, I was still in grad school at Kingsley University. Who would've thought a nobody orphan like me would end up married to the CEO of Holloway Group?
He turned to leave, but I grabbed his wrist.
Where was a guy fresh out of prison supposed to go? He had no money.
"Jax, please stay. I'm about to divorce him anyway. It doesn't matter. Besides, you're like a brother to me."
I'd never forget how he protected me when I first arrived at St. Mary's and the older kids picked on me. I remembered how a nice couple wanted to adopt him, but he refused unless they took me too. We both ended up staying at the group home because of that.
Without Jax, I might not have made it through childhood.
To me, he was family.
I pulled out a pair of men's slippers.
"Sit down. There's food and drinks in the fridge. Help yourself. I'll go make up your bed."
As I walked away, I could feel his eyes on my back. When I glanced over my shoulder, that guilt was written all over his face again.
The next morning, I showed up at the pharmaceutical research institute.
If I had any choice, I wouldn't be making a deal with Chloe. But for St. Mary's, I had to do this.
The receptionist was young with one of those cute round faces. The second I mentioned Chloe's name, her smile vanished.
"Dr. Sinclair is in a meeting. Wait over there."
I blinked but didn't argue. I walked over to the couch by the window and sat down.
I pulled out my phone to check if any of the firms I'd applied to had responded. Now that I'd asked William for a divorce, I obviously couldn't keep working at Holloway Group. I needed money for treatment, for living. I needed a job.
The faint smell of herbs hung in the air. Most people hated that scent, but I loved it. All my professors used to say I was born for pharmaceutical research.
But then I gave it all up. I married William and switched to law instead, a field I knew nothing about.
At least I was smart enough to pass the bar in three years. I could make it work as a lawyer.
I'd sent my resume to several law firms and corporations, but so far, nothing. Not even a rejection email.
I frowned and locked my phone. It was still early. Maybe I'd hear back by noon.
Time crawled by. Every half hour, I went back to the desk to ask when Chloe's meeting would end. Every time, the receptionist told me to keep waiting.
The last time I asked, she didn't even try to hide her irritation.
"Dr. Sinclair is in a meeting that affects millions of lives. Whatever you need can wait!"
I bit back my frustration. If it weren't for the group home, I wouldn't care if Chloe's reputation went up in flames. She brought this on herself.
I walked back to the couch and sat down. My head started spinning.
I pulled out my compact mirror. With makeup on, I looked fine, but the sweat beading on my forehead and nose gave me away. I wasn't okay.
I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand. I needed to get to the hospital.
I'd barely made it to the door when the receptionist called out.
"Hey! Where are you going?"
I could barely get the words out.
"I'm not feeling well. I need to leave."
She let out a cold laugh.
"I've never seen anyone so insincere! Do you know how exceptional Dr. Sinclair is? You wait a few hours and throw a tantrum? Look at yourself. Your education, your abilities, your looks. How do you even compare to Dr. Sinclair? You've got some nerve acting entitled. I'm telling you, if you leave now, you'll never get another chance to see her!"
"Dr. Sinclair" this, "Dr. Sinclair" that. Each time she said it, something bitter twisted in my chest.
If I'd stuck with my studies, I'd be a doctor too by now.
But there was no going back.
I gritted my teeth and lowered myself back onto the couch. Everything in front of me blurred and doubled. I bit down on my tongue to stay conscious.
I dragged myself back to the desk one more time.
"Please... can you just... check..."
The receptionist looked up from her phone with a scowl.
"I told you to wait! Don't you understand? Dr. Sinclair is—hey! What's wrong with you? Don't even think about pulling some scam!"
Before she could finish, my legs gave out. I hit the floor hard.
The girl's voice turned panicked, but it sounded like she was underwater. Everything went black.
When I woke up, it was already afternoon.
A man in a tailored suit sat beside my hospital bed. Sunlight poured through the window and made him glow like he was carved out of gold.
"Will—"
