Chapter 6

"Valerie!" Carter lurched forward and caught Valerie before she hit the floor. "Cole, she's reacting to something!" he snapped, panic edging his voice. Cole rushed toward Valerie, then stopped short as he remembered Maya had ordered the seafood soup. His expression darkened. He spun on his heel and strode for Maya. She had already hitched up her skirt and was pressing the adrenaline injector against her thigh. Just then, a hard grip clamped on her wrist, and the autoinjector was torn from her hand. Stunned, she looked up straight into Cole's cold eyes. "You triggered Valerie's allergy! She needs this!" He didn't hesitate. He strode toward Valerie and drove the injector into her thigh. Feeling Maya's stare, Carter cut in coldly, "Maya, you're a doctor. You know other ways to stabilize yourself, but Valerie doesn't. She needs the injection more." Cole finished the shot, scooped Valerie into his arms, and bolted for the door. "I'll get the car," Carter said, sprinting after him. Maya sagged to the floor, her bloodshot eyes locked on their retreating backs. None of them looked back, not even once. As her vision blurred, she saw a waiter rush in and drop to one knee beside her. "Ma'am, are you okay?" … Maya was out for a day. When she finally stirred, she saw Cole sitting at her bedside. He took her hand and lowered his voice into a soft tone. "Maya, you're awake. Are you hurting anywhere?" She slipped her fingers from his and closed her eyes. He wasn't angry and just smoothed a loose strand at her temple. "I know you're angry. But my family does a lot of business with Valerie's. I couldn't let anything happen to her in front of us. "I had no choice. You'll be my wife soon, and we're tied to the same interests. I need you to understand. You know I love you most, don't you?" Right then, Carter appeared in the doorway. "He really didn't have a choice, Maya. Big families have big complications. We all have to think about the bigger picture. As a family, I'm asking you to take the hit just this once." Under the blanket, Maya's hand curled into a fist. She stared at them, and a bitter laugh pressed at her throat. They must have rehearsed this act in advance. She refused to argue. "I want to rest," she said, her eyes shutting again. Only when their footsteps faded did she open her eyes. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Hi, is this the streaming company? I'd like to schedule a broadcast..." After the call, she instinctively reached for the pendant at her chest, but her fingers closed around nothing. The pendant with her grandmother's hair and a pinch of ash was gone. Her chest tightened in a panic. She ripped through the bedding, checked the rails, and was just about to call a nurse when her phone buzzed with a message. It was a photo from Valerie. Maya's pendant dangled from Valerie's fingers. "Come get it now, or I'll tip what's inside down the toilet." Fury flared in Maya's eyes. She pushed off the bed with quick and heavy breaths and strode toward Valerie's room. Valerie stood at the window. The chain was looped over her fingertip, and the pendant was swaying just beyond the sill as if a breeze could send it tumbling. "Valerie, give me my necklace back!"