Page 29 of Miss Manage

Chapter Sixteen

CHARLOTTE

Ibarely registered the beautiful space I walked through, the large windows, gleaming wood floors, the faint scent of leather and something earthy, like evergreen. It was all background noise. My body went through the motions, but my mind was still in that hallway, desperately trying to keep George’s heart beating.

The crystal tumbler appeared in my hand, and I didn’t think to question it. Amber liquid promising a short-term reprieve. I tipped it back, welcoming the burn, almost desperate for the way it scorched down my throat and pooled warm in my stomach. It grounded me for a moment, reminding me I wasn’t completely numb.

I hated losing control. I’d built my entire career on composure, on being the one to steady a room. And yet here I was, trembling and raw.

Something warm brushed across my shoulders. I glanced sideways to find Gabe settling a soft blanket around me, tucking it in with surprising gentleness. He didn’t say anything while pressing a cold bottle of water into my hands like it was the most natural thing in the world to take care of me.

When I didn’t move to open it, he twisted the cap for me and set it against my palm. “Bevi.” He suggested I drink in a language I happened to know very well.

“You speak Italian?” The cool water finally started to bring me out of my fuzzy state.

“Indeed. You?”

“Yes. My mother is Italian.”

He smiled. “Mine, too. Drink some more.”

Gabriel stayed close, not crowding, but watching. And for the first time in the last hour, the knot in my chest eased enough for me to take a much-needed deep breath.

“Better?”

“Yeah, I think so. I need to get to the hospital.” I pushed myself up, but my knees gave out, and I dropped back on my butt into the chair. The weakness in my body frustrated me.

Gabe held up his phone, calm as ever. “Sheila just texted. George is in surgery, and his family has arrived. We’ll head over in a few minutes. For now, you should take a beat.”

“I need to call the owners,” I murmured, my brain finally playing catch-up.

“I left a message with their assistant. They’ll call as soon as they’re free, and you can update them then.”

He’d anticipated what was necessary and taken it off my plate. At the same time, he hadn’t overstepped or made me feel incapable. It was unsettling to rely on someone else especially when so much of my life had been built on never needing to.

But in this moment, I couldn’t deny the relief of letting him carry some of the weight. I was forced to hope this wasn’t something he’d use against me later.

“How did you know what to do back there?” His voice was low and conversational. “The CPR and the defibrillator. Have you had medical training?”

I shook my head. “Not formal, no. My father was a trauma surgeon in a Level One ER, and he believed my sister and I should always be prepared. So every year since I was twelve, we took CPR and first aid training. He made it nonnegotiable. Said we’d never know when someone’s life might depend on it.” I swallowed hard, the memory sharp. “First time I’ve ever had to actually use it.”

Gabriel’s expression softened. “That’s remarkable. Most people freeze. Is your father still practicing?”

“No. He passed away five years ago.” It had been an unexpected and aggressive brain tumor. I still felt the hole he’d left behind.

“I’m sorry.” Empathy was etched into his face. No bravado or pretense, just raw sincerity.

“Thank you.”

His gaze lingered, searching. “You ever think about following in his footsteps? The way you handled yourself today had the makings of someone who could’ve been a doctor.”

A small smile tugged at my mouth. “No. I don’t do well with blood or needles. I’ll take boardrooms and spreadsheets over scalpels and sutures any day.” I hesitated, softening as I added, “My sister, Michelle, came close. For a while she thought about med school, but she took a sharp turn and became a lawyer instead.”

This was what I needed to further ground me. Ordinary conversation. “What about your siblings?”

“My brother Leo, the one I traveled home for, he was Special Forces for eight years. Now he runs a security company. My youngest brother, Dominic, works for him, doing sales and marketing.”

“Is Leo all right?”