Chapter 171
Maya's POV:
My tears soaked through Adam’s dress shirt. I pressed my face against his chest, shaking uncontrollably.
"I watched Amy grow from a tiny baby," I choked out, my voice muffled by his coat. "I was always so scared she would scrape a knee or catch a cold. When she fell as a toddler, my heart broke. Seeing her lying there... unable to speak, unable to call me Mommy... it felt like someone tore my heart out."
I gripped his lapels tighter. "Adam, she is so small. How could Claire do that? She could have hurt me. Why touch Amy? Why?"
Adam’s expression was terrifyingly cold. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. His jaw was set like granite.
"Amy will be fine," he said, his voice low and vibrating with suppressed rage. "I promise."
An hour later, the operating room doors opened.
I shot up from the chair. I ran toward the gurney but stopped short. My hand hovered over Amy, trembling. I pulled it back, terrified I might hurt her.
Amy lay there quietly. Her face was pale against the white sheets. A small bandage covered her forehead.
The doctor lowered his mask. "Mr. Sterling, Ms. Bennett. The little lady is fine. The wound is superficial. We cleaned and stitched it. She is unconscious now because of the sedative, but she will wake up tomorrow morning."
My legs turned to jelly. I collapsed.
"Maya!"
Adam caught me before I hit the floor. His strong arm hooked around my waist.
I grabbed his forearm to steady myself. I looked up at him and managed a weak smile. "I’m okay."
The adrenaline left my body. Knowing she was safe made my knees give out.
We moved Amy to a private VIP room. I sat by the bed, refusing to leave her side. I stared at her chest rising and falling, needing to see her breathe.
Adam’s phone rang. He stepped back but stayed in the room.
"Mr. Sterling," James Cooper’s voice came through clearly. "What do we do with Claire Ashford?"
Sending her to the police was pointless. With her mental state, she would just plead insanity and avoid a prison sentence.
Adam’s face was void of mercy. His voice was ice. "Send her to the private psychiatric facility. The secure wing. Solitary confinement."
I kept my eyes on Amy. Adam walked over and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.
"She is safe, Maya. Rest for a minute."
I didn't turn around. "I’m not tired."
A moment later, an assistant brought in food containers. He set them up on the table and left silently. None of us had eaten lunch.
The smell of food made my stomach turn. "I don't want to eat."
Adam didn't accept that. He pulled me up and marched me to the sofa. He shoved a fork into my hand. "Eat something. Even a little."
I forced down a few bites of pasta. It tasted like cardboard. I put the fork down. "I can't eat anymore."
Adam didn't force me further. He didn't have an appetite either. He packed the boxes away and sat beside me, keeping watch.
The Sterling family didn't find out until the next morning.
They rushed into the hospital room in a panic. But by the time they arrived, the crisis was over.
Amy was sitting up in bed. She looked energetic. Her face was greasy, and she was happily chewing on a drumstick.
"Daddy, I wanted fried chicken," she had said the moment she woke up at 8 AM. "I dreamed about it. Can I have some?"
"Buy it. Whatever she wants." I said.
It was too early for restaurants, so Adam called the hotel kitchen. They made a fresh batch and delivered it.
Now, Amy was eating happily. It smelled delicious.
The Sterling family stopped at the door, stunned by the scene.
Mrs. Sterling let out a breath. She walked over and smacked Adam hard on the back. "You brat! My great-granddaughter gets hurt, and you tell us the next day?"
Adam sighed. "I didn't want you to worry."
Telling them last night would have only caused panic. Grandma and his father were too old for that kind of stress.
Mrs. Sterling huffed but didn't argue further. She sat by the bed, watching Amy eat.
Amy paused, holding a chicken wing. "Um, you guys are staring. I'm shy."
Mrs. Sterling waved her hand at us. "Go. All of you get out. I'll stay with Amy."
We didn't argue. Adam took my hand and led me out. We drove back to the townhouse on Marlborough Street.
We showered to wash off the hospital smell. I changed into fresh clothes and grabbed my purse.
"I'm going back to the hospital," I said.
Adam grabbed my wrist. He pulled me toward the bed and pushed me down gently but firmly.
"What are you doing?" I struggled to sit up.
Adam lay down beside me. He threw a heavy leg over mine, pinning me to the mattress. He wrapped his arms around me, trapping me in a warm embrace.
"Sleep," he ordered. "We go back when we wake up."
"I'm not sleepy."
"I am. Keep me company."
"But—"
"Honey, Amy is fine. Grandma is there. Just relax."
"What if Claire..."
"She won't come back."
I stopped struggling. His heartbeat was steady against my ear. "Okay."
We slept for three hours. It was a deep, exhausted sleep. We woke up, ate a quick lunch, and returned to the hospital.
Amy went through a full body check in the afternoon. The doctors cleared her. We took her home.
That night, I tucked Amy in. I smoothed the duvet over her shoulders.
"Goodnight, baby," I whispered.
"Goodnight, Mommy."
I turned off the light and left the room. The light in the study was still on. I walked over.
Adam was sitting at his desk. He looked up as I entered. He closed his laptop and walked toward me. Without a word, he bent down and picked me up.
I wrapped my arms around his neck naturally. "Why are you holding me?"
Adam’s lips curved slightly. "I wanted to."
I rested my cheek against his chest. "Okay. I like it."
He carried me to the bedroom and kicked the door shut. He laid me on the bed and hovered over me. His expression turned serious.
"Maya. Claire is dead."
I froze. "What?" I stared at him. "Did... did you kill her?"
Panic surged in my chest. Claire was evil. She deserved punishment. But I didn't want Adam to break the law. He didn't deserve to ruin his life for trash like her.
Adam laughed dryly. "She committed suicide. I didn't touch her."
I let out a long breath. "Oh. Okay."
"You're relieved?"
"I'm relieved you didn't do it," I said seriously. "Honey, you have me and Amy now. You can't do illegal things. I don't want anything to happen to you."
Adam smiled, brushing hair from my forehead. "I know. My life is too happy right now. I wouldn't ruin it."
The day before the wedding.
I was checking the final details at the house. The doorbell rang. I checked the monitor.
It was my mother, Patricia, and my brother, Ryan.
Ryan was looking up at the massive brownstone villa. His eyes were wide with greed. He scanned the property like he was calculating its value.
"Maya!" Ryan called out when I opened the door. "The wedding is tomorrow, right?"
I stood in the doorway. I didn't invite them in. I nodded.
Ryan grinned. "Mom and I are coming."
He said it like he was doing me a favor. Like his presence was a gift.
I looked at them. They hadn't changed. They only saw what they could take.
"No," I said calmly. "There are no seats for you."