Chapter 2 - The Hospital at Dawn
The harsh fluorescent lights of the private hospital room flickered against the pale blue walls as morning broke over the city. Outside the window, the morning rain tapped against the glass in a soft, steady rhythm.
Patricia sat on the edge of the hospital bed, wearing a clean cotton gown over her silver evening dress. A pristine white bandage covered her left cheek where Arthur's ring had cut her skin. She looked fragile, her hands trembling as she clutched a warm cup of tea.
Beside the bed sat Jessi. She had finally changed out of her bridal gown into a simple dark blazer and trousers, her dark brown hair falling softly over her shoulders. On her lap rested a sleek, high-end laptop, its screen glowing with complex financial ledgers and legal filings.
"How long has he been hitting you?" Jessi asked quietly, her dark eyes filled with a quiet, fierce empathy as she looked up from her screen.
Patricia swallowed hard, her chest heaving with a sudden, ragged breath. She set her teacup down on the rolling tray, her small frame shaking violently. She leaned forward, glancing nervously toward the closed hospital room door to ensure no one was listening in the hallway.
"Don’t let them know what I’m about to tell you," Patricia whispered, her voice cracking with decades of buried terror. "If Arthur finds out I spoke to you, he won't just hit me, Jessi. He'll kill us both."
Jessi reached out, covering Patricia’s trembling hands with her own. "He can't touch you anymore, Patricia. I brought three private security officers with me. They are standing right outside that door. Luca is currently down the hall in surgery having his hand reconstructed, and Arthur is being kept away by a temporary restraining order I filed an hour ago."
Patricia stared at her new daughter-in-law in stunned silence. "Who... who are you, Jessi? Luca told us you were just a quiet corporate accountant from a middle-class family."
A faint, subtle smile touched Jessi’s lips. "I am an accountant, Patricia. But I specialize in forensic auditing for international asset recovery. I didn't marry Luca because I loved his charm. I married him because your husband stole forty million dollars from my late father’s estate twenty years ago."
Patricia gasped, her fair skin draining of all color. "Your father... was Thomas Vance?"
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"Thomas Sterling," Jessi corrected gently. "My father was Arthur’s original business partner before Arthur framed him, ruined his reputation, and took control of the Vance empire. I spent ten years learning how Arthur operates. But I didn't expect to find you trapped in his house."
Patricia pulled Jessi closer, tears spilling over her bandage. "Arthur didn't just steal your father's company, Jessi. He holds a secret in a floor safe beneath the library in Vance Manor. A secret that could put him in prison for the rest of his life."
