Chapter 69 Were They Here to Experiment on Her?
Alexander didn't respond immediately. He simply raised his eyes, his gaze settling on Liam's face in the rearview mirror.
Liam instantly realized his mistake.
It wasn't his place to question his employer's motives.
He quickly lowered his eyes. "I apologize, sir. That was out of line."
Alexander looked away and closed his eyes again.
But in the oppressive silence of the car, unwanted thoughts began creeping into his mind.
His thoughts drifted back to last night.
The clearest memory wasn't the rage. It wasn't even the loss of control when desire had consumed him completely. It was a brief pause—a moment when the light had fallen across her skin and he'd seen the shocking evidence written there. The deep purple bruises circling her throat where the chain had cut in. The crisscrossing welts across her back. And older marks, faded to pale shadows, scars from wounds long healed…
Marks he'd once ignored, tacitly allowed to remain.
Last night, in that chaotic moment, they'd been laid bare before him.
For the first time, he'd truly looked at them.
And when he had, he hadn't felt the vindictive satisfaction he'd expected. Instead, something heavy and unfamiliar had settled in his chest.
Almost instinctively, this morning he'd had Liam pull up her medical records from last year.
He'd been closing a major international deal at the time. Protocol required bringing his wife. The destination had been high altitude, physically demanding, so Alexander had authorized a health screening—just to ensure Caroline could travel and wouldn't collapse before the project concluded.
At the time, he'd barely glanced at the results before tossing them aside. As long as she could accompany him abroad and survive until the deal was done, that was sufficient.
But looking at those same cold numbers now, he noticed the silent warnings he'd missed.
Severe malnutrition. Anemia. Nervous exhaustion. Lingering complications from multiple old injuries…
A thought had flickered through his mind then—he should schedule a comprehensive examination for her. Update those records.
Especially… those old wounds.
But the moment the thought surfaced, he found it absurd.
Was he pitying her? Feeling sorry for her?
No. Impossible.
It was ridiculous. Like betraying everything he'd stood for all these years.
Quickly, he found a rational explanation for this sudden arrangement—one that aligned with his established principles.
Yes. He simply didn't want her dying too easily.
Since Edith's death, all he'd felt for Caroline was hatred. He'd sworn to make her suffer everything Edith had suffered, and more, until she'd paid for every sin.
But if she died unexpectedly, and an autopsy revealed a body covered in injuries, there would be talk. Tedious rumors about Alexander Hamilton abusing his wife.
He didn't fear rumors, but he hated unnecessary complications.
Getting her medical care in advance would at least make her eventual death appear natural.
Yes. That was it. Simply avoiding potential trouble. Protecting the Hamilton family name and his own reputation.
"Sir?" Liam's voice broke through when the silence stretched too long.
Alexander pulled himself from his thoughts, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
What had he just been thinking about? Why had he let his mind wander like that?
He opened his mouth, paused, then spoke.
"Cancel the specialist visit."
Liam blinked, confused.
He'd changed his mind?
But in the next breath, Alexander continued, "Arrange a top-tier medical team instead. Have them at the manor this afternoon for a complete examination. Send the full report to my office as soon as it's ready."
Liam froze for a moment.
Mobilizing an entire medical team for Caroline—that was something he'd never imagined.
This level of attention… Caroline had never received it. Even Celeste hadn't received it.
The only person Alexander had ever treated with such particular care was Edith, and even then, he'd never deployed an entire medical team.
Liam sensed something shifting beneath the surface, but he didn't dare show it. He responded immediately, "Yes, sir. I'll arrange it right away."
Alexander said nothing more. He closed his eyes again.
Back at Ravenwood Manor, Caroline's small bedroom was so quiet she could hear the clock ticking on the wall and her own occasional labored breaths.
She spent the entire morning in anxious anticipation, but the terrible thing she'd been expecting never materialized.
She felt no pain in her abdomen. Not even the familiar cramping and discomfort that usually followed taking birth control.
This abnormal calm didn't reassure her. It made her more uneasy.
Those two pills felt like ticking time bombs, waiting to detonate.
But the day passed quietly at Ravenwood Manor. Almost no one disturbed her.
Only at noon did a maid from the kitchen bring an elegantly prepared lunch.
Caroline ate mechanically, tasting nothing, managing only a few bites before setting it aside.
Time crawled forward, each minute scraping against her nerves like a blade.
Just when she thought the day might end in this unbearable state of suspended dread, someone knocked at her door.
Caroline's heart clenched.
Who now? Was her judgment finally here?
She drew a deep breath, dragged her aching body to the door, pressed down the handle, and pulled it open a crack.
Standing outside wasn't a maid or a bodyguard.
It was a group of people in white coats, pushing carts loaded with equipment, carrying medical bags and instruments.
Doctors.
Caroline's heart lurched. She stepped back instinctively, eyeing them with suspicion and rising fear.
Why had Alexander sent doctors?
Those cold instruments gleamed menacingly under the hallway lights, sending a cold shiver down her spine.
Especially when she noticed what the nurse at the back was wheeling—a small cart with a scalpel lying on top, its blade catching the light with an ominous glint.
Caroline's stomach dropped, dread flooding through her like ice water.
What were they going to do?
Were they here to experiment on her?
Or… to kill her?