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Who will take him if Stephanie dies?
He is so frustrated with himself. Out of some misguided sense not to pry into Stephanie’s personal life, he has hardly asked her about her family. Does she have any siblings? Are her parents alive or merely retired? What about her extended family?
He had been so careful to avoid questions that might require him to reciprocate with an answer himself, that he hardly knew anything of significant importance about Stephanie. If she made it through, he vows to be there for her. To be a better friend. A friend that wouldn’t allow anything like that to ever happen again.
For the first time in months, Rian feels it again – the sheer determination to make a move.
Glancing back at Stephanie, he imagines his own face instead of hers covered in blood, broken, and bruised.
What about Bran?
To what extent is he willing to put up with Harris?
How long before he is rushed to the hospital in an ambulance like this one, all alone?
What will happen with Bran then?
He's ashamed to admit that he's known he should have askedhimself these questions from the first night he decided to become Bran's father. The ambulance pulls into the bay. He jumps out, making way for the paramedics. He runs after them until the final set of doors fly shut in his face, and he is forced to wait outside, pacing up and down the long corridors.
He is calm enough to talk to the detectives when they arrive at the hospital.
They won’t tell him if they have located Toby or Colton. It’s an ongoing investigation.
The bullshit circus rolls in once the reporters get a hold of the hot tip of Stephanie’s domestic violence assault.
Rian has always known she was quite wealthy, but her relaxed demeanor, and the way she was always so focused on Toby, hardly talking about herself, have somewhat minimized the truth of how famous she really is.
“Heiress of the Daud fortune, assaulted by her husband Colton Blightley.”A newscaster, from a local news outlet delivers the headline. Rian is gaping at the ancient television set, bolted to the ceiling of the waiting room, he’s been sitting in for hours.
Stephanie Blightley as inthe Stephanie Daud?!
Jesus Christ! The Daud fashion empire is a conglomerate of companies. The magnitude of their financial success puts Stephanie in the top one percent of the wealthiest people on earth. How has she managed to keep her life private at all? How had Rian been so oblivious?
For as long as Rian has known her, Stephanie has been nothing but kind, friendly, down to earth, modest, and polite.
They’ve spent countless weekends in the park with the kids, doing regular stuff – nothing one would expect someone as outrageously wealthy as Stephanie would be accustomed to.
If anything, only now he realizes, that perhaps Stephanie’s wealth may be news to him, but certainly not to Harris as he had never once stopped him from meeting with the heiress. Perhaps in his twisted mind, his husband had seen the serendipitous connection as an asset he could use in the future.
Rian feels so sick how naively he had cruised through it all, putting in his friendship with Stephanie only superficial effort, when he should have done so much fucking more.
Her lawyers barge into the hospital as well as the crisis acting CEO of her company. For a long time, he stays in the waiting room, out of the loop, and seemingly forgotten.
He wants to video call Margarita so he can say goodnight to Bran, but one quick look at his camera tells him he is a mess. There is blood on his shirt and jeans.
When things quiet down, he finally calls Margarita and tells her the whole story, trying to spare her the gory details and his own personal turmoil. Margarita is frantic with worry and offers to stay the night to look after Bran. “I could take the guest bedroom, next to his nursery. It’s no hardship.” The woman is a life savior and Rian thanks his lucky stars he has her in his corner.
“I feel terrible asking ––”
“Please. I insist.”
“Thank you, Margarita. I appreciate that. I really don’t want to leave Stephanie on her own. I might need to talk to the police again.” He swallows thickly. “I can only imagine what kind of nightmare she’s lived through. I don’t want her to wake up alone. I’ve been told her family is on the way. I’d feel a lot better if I could watch over her until they arrive. That bastard has taken Toby.”
Margarita is quiet for a moment. “Ray, I want you to know…you’re not alone. I’m sorry I didn’t do more. I’m sorry I never said what I damn well knew I should have.” Her voice is trembling.
Rian isn’t prepared to hear her acknowledgment – Margarita knows what is being done to him and wants to help him. It’s the first time she has acknowledged his domestic abuse nightmare out loud. Perhaps the shock of hearing about Stephanie and realizing Rian might end up like her one day has finally given her enough courage to speak up.
Rian quiets a sob. He can hear Margarita has gone just as emotional on her end of the line. He mutters, “Thank you. Kiss Bran for me.”
