Chapter 132
Grace's POV
I hadn't left Alex's side for twenty-four hours. The hospital chair had left my entire body aching, my head throbbing with a dull pain. The fluorescent lights seemed too bright, too harsh for my exhausted eyes to bear.
When was the last time I ate? When was the last time I slept properly?
I pressed my palm against my forehead, feeling the heat radiating from my skin. The rushed flight to Valhalla, the stress, the sleepless night—it was all catching up with me now. I should have brought warmer clothes, but all I could think about at the time was getting to Alex as quickly as possible.
Despite the hospital's warmth, I shivered. My throat felt scratchy, and there was a heaviness in my chest that had nothing to do with worry.
"Grace, dear." Eleanor's voice broke through my daze. I looked up to see her standing in the doorway, her usually composed face etched with worry lines. "You look terrible."
I managed a weak smile. "I'm fine. Just tired."
"No, you're not fine." She moved closer, her sharp gaze taking in my pale complexion and the way I unconsciously hugged myself for warmth. "When was the last time you ate? Or slept?"
"I don't remember," I admitted, my voice hoarse.
Eleanor's expression became resolute. "If you collapse, Alex will be even more heartbroken when he wakes up. You need rest, you need proper food, you need a warm bed."
"I can't leave him—"
"You can, and you must." Her tone brooked no argument. "I'm calling the hotel. You're going to shower, eat, and sleep for at least six hours."
I wanted to protest, but another wave of dizziness hit me. The room tilted slightly, and I gripped the chair's armrest to steady myself.
"The doctors say there won't be any changes for several hours," Eleanor continued, her voice softer now. "He'll still be here when you return."
She's right. I'm no help to Alex like this.
I stood slowly, my legs unsteady beneath me. Moving to Alex's bedside, I leaned down and brushed my fingers across his forehead. His skin was warm, his breathing steady but shallow.
"I'll be back soon," I whispered against his temple. "I promise."
As I left, I swore I saw his fingers twitch slightly, his eyelids flutter just a bit. But when I looked closer, he remained motionless.
Am I imagining things?
---
After the sterile hospital environment, the hotel suite felt impossibly luxurious. I turned the shower to the hottest temperature I could bear, letting steam fill the bathroom. Only when the water cascaded over me did I finally let my guard down.
The tears came without warning—violent, body-shaking sobs that were the emotional release I'd been holding back for hours. All the fear, the helplessness, the crushing weight of nearly losing him poured out of me.
What if he doesn't wake up? What if I never hear his voice again?
I slid down the shower wall, hugging my knees as hot water pounded my back. Images flashed through my mind—Alex's smile when he surprised me with the private jet, the way he believed me when my past with Richard was exposed, his promise to never leave me.
"Alex, you have to wake up," I whispered to the empty bathroom. "You have to."
When I finally emerged, wrapped in the hotel's fluffy bathrobe, my phone was buzzing frantically. Missed calls, emails, texts—all demanding my attention. The outside world wouldn't stop just because my heart was breaking.
I scrolled through the messages, growing more alarmed. Wilson Holdings project reviews flagged as abnormal. Charles's messages indicating project reviews might be delayed for days. The time difference meant it was already afternoon in Starport, and Julie had been trying to reach me.
I dialed her number.
"Grace! Thank God. I thought something had happened to you." Julie's voice was tight with anxiety.
"Sorry. I had to leave suddenly to handle a family emergency." I kept my voice steady, not ready to explain Alex's accident to anyone outside the Morgan family.
"The moment you left, Charles took over your duties. He's been in meetings all morning, and Elizabeth showed up an hour ago."
My blood turned cold. "What kind of meetings?"
"About modifying the new fragrance project contracts. Grace, I think they planned this whole thing."
Of course they planned it. They knew if Alex was hurt, I'd drop everything.
"What about the project reviews?" I asked.
"That's the strange thing—something weird is happening. Charles has been pushing through approvals that usually require your signature. But when I checked the system, there's a secondary approval process I didn't know about."
I closed my eyes, feeling a flicker of relief. "Emergency board protocol."
"What?"
"I set up a safeguard a week ago. When I'm absent, any major decisions require unanimous board approval. Charles represents my interests, but he can't be overruled without full board consent."
Julie's relief was audible. "So Charles can't just take over?"
"Not entirely."
"There's something else I need to tell you," Julie said.
"What?"
"Grace, Andrew asked me to dinner."
"Julie, that's dangerous."
"I know. But Andrew let something slip yesterday. He mentioned Elizabeth has been in contact with someone about timing—like they knew exactly when you'd be away."
The room spun slightly, and I sank onto the sofa. They knew. Somehow, they knew before Alex's accident even happened.
"Julie, if you feel unsafe for even a second, you leave. Promise me."
Her voice came after a moment of silence. "I promise."
After hanging up, I curled up in the corner of the sofa, pulling a blanket around my shoulders. Exhaustion hit me like a physical weight, but my brain wouldn't stop spinning.
I tried to focus on emails, but the words blurred together. Despite my racing thoughts, my eyelids grew heavy. Then sleep finally dragged me into its embrace.