Chapter 4 - THE NURSE BECAME THE TARGETThe photograph reached Emily’s phone at 3:12 a.m.
It showed her apartment building.
No message.
Ten seconds later, another image arrived.
Her younger brother Noah walking out of a twenty-four-hour grocery store in Queens.
Emily’s blood turned cold.
A final message appeared.
Stop helping Adrian remember.
She immediately showed Daniel.
Within twenty minutes, two security officers were sent to Noah.
Emily called him.
He answered half asleep.
“What happened?”
“Nothing. I need you to go with the men downstairs.”
“What men?”
“Security.”
“Emily, what did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why—”
“Please.”
Something in her voice stopped him.
“Okay.”
Emily ended the call.
Adrian had heard enough.
“Who threatened you?”
“It’s handled.”
His expression darkened.
“Emily.”
She looked at him.
For the first time since he woke, she understood why people feared him.
Not because he shouted.
He didn’t.
Adrian became quieter when angry.
“Show me.”
She handed him the phone.
His eyes lingered on Noah’s photograph.
“Your brother?”
“Yes.”
“How old?”
“Twenty-three.”
Adrian handed the phone to Daniel.
“Move them both.”
Emily shook her head.
“No.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You’re not staying at your apartment.”
“I’m not moving into one of your properties.”
“This isn’t a debate.”
She laughed once.
“Wrong woman.”
His eyebrows lifted.
Even Daniel looked away to hide a smile.
Emily stepped closer.
“I appreciate the security. But you don’t get to make decisions about my life because somebody threatened me.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
She had unknowingly touched something deeper.
He nodded slowly.
“You’re right.”
Emily had expected a fight.
“What?”
“You’re right.”
He looked toward Daniel.
“Offer her options. She chooses.”
That mattered more than Emily expected.
She chose a secure apartment owned by the hospital foundation, with Noah staying nearby.
The next morning, Adrian underwent more testing.
His recovery continued faster than expected, though headaches, weakness, and gaps in memory remained.
Emily became the one person who could recognize when he was pretending not to hurt.
“You’re squinting.”
“I’m thinking.”
“You’re in pain.”
“I can do both.”
“Medication.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
“Emily.”
She held up the pill cup.
He glared.
She waited.
Eventually he took it.
Margaret watched from the doorway.
“You know,” she said, “when he was ten, I had to hide antibiotics in chocolate pudding.”
Adrian looked betrayed.
“Mother.”
Emily laughed.
“I can arrange pudding.”
“I will buy this hospital and fire both of you.”
“You’re recovering beautifully,” Emily said.
For a moment, everything felt almost normal.
Then Michael walked in.
Security followed.
“I have authorization,” he said.
Adrian’s expression closed.
Emily moved toward the door.
Adrian caught her wrist.
“Stay.”
Michael noticed.
His eyes narrowed.
“Interesting.”
Adrian released her.
“What do you want?”
“To see my brother.”
“You’ve seen me.”
Michael smiled coldly.
“You think I caused your crash.”
“I think you removed my car from police custody.”
“I was protecting the family.”
“From evidence?”
“From publicity.”
Adrian’s eyes hardened.
Michael continued.
“You were already under federal scrutiny. I didn’t want investigators inventing another story.”
“Who forged the succession document?”
Michael’s face remained still.
“What?”
Adrian watched him.
“You heard me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
For several seconds, the brothers stared at each other.
Then Michael glanced at Emily.
“You should be careful, Nurse Carter.”
Adrian’s monitor accelerated.
Emily saw it.
So did Michael.
“Is that a threat?” Adrian asked.
“Advice.”
“Leave.”
Michael smiled.
“Still giving orders from a hospital bed.”
Adrian’s voice became almost gentle.
“And you’re still obeying them.”
Michael left.
Emily looked at the monitor.
“One hundred fourteen.”
“Turn it around.”
“What?”
“I don’t like watching my heart betray me.”
She smiled despite herself.
Later, Emily learned more about the brothers.
Adrian and Michael shared a father but not a mother.
Their father, Richard Cole, had been violent, brilliant, and ruthless.
When he died eleven years earlier, Adrian inherited control of the legitimate businesses.
Michael received money.
A lot of it.
But not power.
Adrian had spent the next decade trying to move the Cole organization away from its criminal past.
Michael apparently believed that was weakness.
That evening, Emily helped Adrian sit in a chair beside the window.
Manhattan glowed below.
“You miss it?” she asked.
“What?”
“Being out there.”
“I miss walking without six people monitoring me.”
“You have trust issues.”
“I have attempted-murder issues.”
“Fair.”
He looked at her.
“Why nursing?”
The question surprised her.
“My mother.”
“She was a nurse?”
“No. She was sick.”
Emily rarely discussed it.
But something about the darkness made honesty easier.
“Ovarian cancer. I was nineteen.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She died when I was twenty.”
Adrian said nothing.
Emily appreciated that.
People often filled grief with phrases because silence made them uncomfortable.
Adrian let silence exist.
“She had one nurse,” Emily continued. “Diane. She never treated Mom like a diagnosis. Even when Mom couldn’t speak, Diane talked to her like she was still there.”
Adrian looked at her.
“So you did the same for me.”
“Maybe.”
“You thought I was still there.”
“I hoped.”
His gaze held hers.
“You were right.”
The air changed.
Emily suddenly became aware of how close they were.
She stepped back.
“You need rest.”
“Emily.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Not for medicine.
Not for nursing.
For believing he still existed when everyone else had started speaking in the past tense.
Emily nodded.
That night, Adrian woke from a nightmare.
His heart rate alarm sounded.
Emily entered.
He was breathing hard.
“Adrian.”
His hand shot out and caught hers.
She froze.
His eyes opened.
For a moment he did not recognize the room.
Then he saw her.
“Emily.”
“I’m here.”
His grip loosened.
“I remembered something.”
“What?”
“The crash.”
She sat beside him.
“Marcus said something.”
“What?”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“He said, ‘They changed the route.’”
Emily frowned.
“Who changed it?”
“I don’t know.”
Then his eyes opened.
“The route was sent from my office.”
“Michael?”
“No.”
Adrian looked suddenly frightened.
“Only three people had access.”
“Who?”
“Myself. Michael.”
A pause.
“And Daniel.”
Emily’s stomach dropped.
The attorney they had trusted from the beginning.
At that exact moment, Daniel Cross appeared outside the glass.
May you like
He smiled when he saw them.
And for the first time, neither Emily nor Adrian smiled back.
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