(Jayden)“Abby, Abby, Daddy’s here. Don’t be scared. I’ll get Mommy to you as soon as I can.”“Jayden. I told you to wait in the staff room until I called for you.” Dr. Green admonishes me.I rush to Abby's side, her tiny, limp body lying on the stretcher, surrounded by paramedics and medical staff. My heart is pounding, and all I can think about is losing her now.Phillip moves across from me, looking like he’s in charge, like he has any right to be here. “I’m here, Abby. Just keep holding on.” Phillip says as he takes her hand.The sight of him touching Abby, trying to take my place, makes my blood boil. I push past a paramedic, getting right in Phillip's face. “What the hell are you doing here?”Phillip doesn’t back down. “I’m here for Abby. She needs someone who can stay calm and help. Winona can’t be here, so I’m stepping up.”“Stepping up? More like interfering.” I spit out the words, fury coursing through me. “You think you can take my place?”“Jayden, now’s not the time for t
(Winona)Sheila comes into the living room where I’m sitting alone. My head is so full I can’t even function.“Jayden texted me. The ambulance isn’t quite there, but Abby is still holding on. Doctor Green is waiting, ready.”“Oh, thank God!” Tears are coming from somewhere; I didn’t think I had any left. “She’s still alive.”“Jayden was very adamant about you knowing that the doctor said the actions you took are the reasons Abby is still alive now. Jayden said to thank you.”My whole body is shaking. What’s the point of him being nice about that? He still believes the worst of me. He broke my heart into a million pieces again that day in the jail cell. I just can’t see a way back from that.Anne comes in with a fruit and cheese platter.“Abby is with the doctor now. She made it to the hospital. Jayden is with her.”“She’s a fighter, Winona. You know that. Now you need to keep up your strength, so eat a little something.” Anne says as she pops the platter on the side table. “Help yours
(Jayden)I look in the hospital bathroom mirror and see a bruise on my cheek, redness around one eye –pfft, must have been when we fell, I never felt his fist land up there – a very swollen bottom lip and my ribs feel like hell. Lucky shot is all.There’s blood on my white business shirt but I don’t have time to change now. Phillip has already wasted enough of my time. I’m going to be with Abby when she wakes up. I stride out of the bathroom and Gus falls in step beside me.“Do you have any evidence incriminating Ashlyn and supporting Winona’s claim she set her up?” I ask quietly.“My security has turned in every bit of video and audio they have.”“Have you listened to any of it?”“No.”“Don’t fuck me around, Gus. I need Winona cleared of all this.”“Okay, okay,” he concedes. “There’s some words but I couldn’t really make out anything clearly. It needs an expert to pick up the audio. It’s with them now.”“Someone must have gotten something. Maybe if we check the videos, we can see w
(Winona)The doorbell rings, jolting me from my thoughts. I glance at the nearest screen to check who it is. It’s Gordon Brown, thank God. “Gordon’s here. I hope it’s good news,” I say, heading towards the door with a mix of hope and anxiety swirling in my chest. “Anne, Gordon Brown is here,” I call out as I make my way to the front door, figuring she might want to know.I open the door and give Gordon a weak smile. “Gordon, come in.”He steps inside, his expression serious yet hopeful. “Winona, I have permission here for you to go see Abby in the hospital.”Relief floods through me like a tidal wave. “Thank God.” My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I glance at the screen. It’s Phillip. “Go right in, I have to take this call,” I say, shutting the front door behind Gordon and walking back to the sitting room as I connect the call. “Phillip, how is she?”“She’s awake. Jayden’s in with her now. One at a time. I thought I’d call you and let him go first,” Phillip says, his voice a mix of
(Winona)The next day, I’m feeling better. The visit with Abby was amazing. She even sipped a little milk. She’ll be back home before we know it. Maybe today will be a good day. Phillip is still in bed, resting his sore head, no doubt.Gordon and I are in the private office. He’s sipping a coffee, looking more animated than usual. His eyes gleam with a certain excitement that makes me both hopeful and anxious.“Alright, Gordon,” I say, settling into the chair opposite him. “Spill. How did last night go?”Gordon leans back, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. “Last night was... enlightening, to say the least.”“Yeah, exciting stuff watching men guzzle beer and shots.” I’m still a little surprised still that Gordon and Jayden’s lawyer, Daniel, were involved in this.I mean, I know they’re human, but it strikes me as a little odd, all the same. They are supremely professional men at the top of their game.“The real purpose of me going out with them was to get a read on Jayden and his
(Winona)Later that day, Dr. Green called to say that Abby could come home tomorrow, and her surgery was still scheduled for one month’s time. Mixed feelings wash over me. I can’t believe five months have passed already. So much of that time was blissful in Santa Monica with Jayden and Abby, a bubble of happiness that now feels like a distant dream.But it wasn’t reality. I see that now. The fantasy we lived was just that—a fantasy. Lisa is coming to talk about the weather again. Maybe we can’t talk about anything much, but her being here makes my life slightly bearable. Having lost my freedom to come and go, I realize just how much of life I took for granted. Simple things like a walk in the park or grabbing coffee with a friend seem like luxuries now.On the other hand, I have felt quite safe within these walls. I’m not sure what’s going on in the world of the media, but I’m sure this case is still alive and well, not to mention the tumultuous life of the Brennan billionaires.
(Jayden)I don’t think I’ve avoided going back to my penthouse as much as today, ever. I just don’t want to have to face Ashlyn. But in another way, it’s all I want to do. Just face her and get her away from me. But if I trigger her too much, I risk putting Winona and Abby at more risk.Ashlyn won’t let anything keep her away from taking Winona down. So, it seems anyway. I use my key and go inside. There’s not much noise in here. I walk down to the kitchen, and I see Mother. I look around. No Ashlyn.“Hi.”Mother turns around with a start. “Jayden, you’re home. You gave me a start…”“Sorry. I probably should have messaged given the circumstances.”“The circumstances are still sleeping.”I eye her carefully. “Did you give her something?”“Nothing dangerous. I slipped some sleep medication into her breath freshener. I wasn’t to know she would practically drink that stuff.”“She is obsessed about fresh breath.”“She is in the guest room down the hall. Your old office you converted. It w
(Winona)Phillip and I are sitting talking in the bedroom. I’m not sure I should ask too much about his night out. He wasn’t that late home and of course, he’d stayed sober drinking zero percent beers. But he is still sore and sorry from his wrestling match yesterday.“I may as well have a hangover. I feel just as bad.”“No. I don’t ever want to see you drunk again.”“I’m really sorry I did that to you, Winona. It will never happen again.”As close as I’ve gotten to Phillip again, I know I can never trust him like I used to. He attacked me and I don’t know how far he would have gone if Jayden hadn’t come back that night.“I appreciate you being here for me now. But you must see that I can never just trust you again. But I want us to always be friends. But that’s it.”I’ve taken a lot of time over this. I’ve really searched deep inside myself to see if I could ever love Phillip like that. If I could ever truly forgive and forget. But I know that’s not going to happen and part of me r