Chapter 3 - The Woman He Chose to Answer
Sofia locked the hospital-room door and whispered, "You need to stop waiting for him."
Madison stared at Vincent's private black keycard in Sofia's hand.
A fresh scratch cut across its metal edge.
Two letters had been carved beneath it.
V.C.
Madison suddenly understood Sofia hadn't borrowed it.
"How did you get that?"
Sofia looked at the keycard.
"Vincent gave it to me."
Madison felt something inside her go quiet.
Not break.
Breaking was loud.
This was different.
This was the moment after something broke, when the pieces had already hit the floor.
"Why are you here?"
Sofia walked toward the bed.
"Because you keep calling."
"He's my husband."
"And he's busy."
Madison almost laughed.
"Get out."
"Madison—"
"Get out."
"You deserve to know what's happening."
"I don't want anything from you."
"Vincent is in the middle of a war."
"Then tell my husband congratulations. He finally found something more important than his family."
Sofia's eyes narrowed.
"You knew who he was when you married him."
"I knew exactly who he was."
"No. You knew the version he let you see."
Madison shifted Leo higher against her chest.
Pain pulled across her abdomen.
She refused to show it.
"Why are you really here?"
Sofia glanced at the baby.
"He's beautiful."
"Don't look at my son."
Something flashed across Sofia's face.
Jealousy?
Pain?
Madison couldn't tell.
Sofia placed Vincent's keycard on the table.
"I've known Vincent since we were children."
"I know."
"Our fathers worked together."
"I know."
"I was there before you."
Madison stared at her.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The reason you're here."
Sofia smiled faintly.
"You think this is about jealousy?"
"I think a woman who walks into another woman's hospital room fifteen days after childbirth carrying her husband's private key wants her to think something."
"Eleven days."
Madison froze.
"What?"
"You've been here eleven days."
Sofia knew.
Of course she knew.
Madison looked at the keycard again.
"Did you stop my calls?"
Sofia's expression didn't move.
That was enough.
Madison slowly reached for the nurse button.
Sofia caught her wrist.
Madison looked down at her hand.
"Let go."
Sofia released her.
"I was protecting him."
"From his wife?"
"From distraction."
Madison pressed the button.
"You need to leave."
"You don't understand what happens if Vincent loses focus."
"And you don't understand what happens if you touch me again."
The door opened.
Margaret entered with a nurse.
Sofia stepped backward.
Madison pointed toward her.
"She isn't allowed in here again."
The nurse nodded.
"Of course."
Sofia picked up the keycard.
Before leaving, she looked at Madison.
"Vincent will come when this is over."
Madison met her eyes.
"No."
Sofia paused.
Madison kissed Leo's forehead.
"When this is over, there won't be anything here for him to come back to."
Sofia's confidence disappeared for one brief second.
Then she left.
Margaret closed the door.
"Who was that?"
Madison stared at the empty doorway.
"The woman who just helped me make a decision."
That afternoon, Madison called Daniel again.
Tomorrow became tonight.
At 9:40 p.m., Margaret helped Madison dress.
At 10:05, hospital administration completed her discharge paperwork.
At 10:17, Madison removed her wedding ring.
She held it for almost a minute.
Then she placed it on the bed.
At 10:23, she wrote Vincent's letter.
At 10:51, an orderly arrived with a wheelchair.
Except he wasn't an orderly.
Daniel Mercer had changed.
Seven years had added lines around his eyes.
A scar ran from his jaw toward his collar.
But Madison knew him instantly.
Her brother.
The brother she had buried.
"Hello, Maddie."
Madison stopped breathing.
Daniel smiled.
She began crying.
He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her.
Madison buried her face against his chest.
"You're alive."
"I am."
"You're alive."
"I'm sorry."
She hit him.
Once.
Weakly.
Then again.
"You let me bury you."
"I had to."
"You let me think you were dead."
"If Vincent knew—"
She pulled away.
"Don't."
Daniel stopped.
"Not tonight."
He nodded.
"Okay."
Madison looked at Leo.
Daniel's expression softened.
"My nephew?"
"Leo."
"Can I?"
Madison carefully handed him the baby.
Daniel stared down at Leo.
Something in his face collapsed.
"Hey, little man."
Madison wiped her tears.
"We need to go."
Daniel nodded.
They left through a private service corridor.
Madison never looked back.
Not until the elevator doors were closing.
Then she saw the hospital room at the end of the hallway.
The empty bed.
The envelope.
Her ring.
For one impossible second, she imagined Vincent walking around the corner.
He didn't.
The elevator doors closed.
Four days later, Vincent stood in that same room staring at security footage of Daniel.
Alive.
His phone rang again.
Nico.
"We found another camera."
"Where?"
"Parking garage."
Vincent walked toward the window.
"What does it show?"
"Daniel wasn't alone."
Vincent's expression hardened.
"Who else?"
"I'm sending it."
A photograph appeared.
Vincent opened it.
Daniel was pushing Madison's wheelchair.
Another man stood beside their car.
Vincent enlarged the face.
Then stopped breathing.
Because the second man wasn't dead.
He was supposed to be in Vincent's organization.
And Vincent had spoken to him that morning.
Vincent called Nico back.
"Lock the house down."
"Boss?"
"Nobody leaves."
"What happened?"
Vincent stared at the photograph.
"There's a traitor inside my family."
Then another message arrived.
Unknown number.
One photograph.
Madison asleep beside Leo.
May you like
Under it were six words.
YOU SHOULD HAVE LET DANIEL DIE.
