Four

OLIVIA

I hesitated, disliking the idea of packing for a trip. Still, Kate was right - it could provide a welcome escape, and I hadn’t traveled in a while.

“This nephew of Signor Dante’s... what do we know about him?” I asked.

“Just that his name is Adrian, and he’s set to inherit everything his uncle has,” Kate replied.

I chuckled. “That’s not very descriptive.”

“I’m your assistant, not a detective. If you want details on the man, I can find some for you, but wouldn’t it be better to meet him in person? Get to know what he’s like…”

As Kate continued speaking, I suddenly felt a ringing in my ears.

I could see her lips moving, but the words were lost to me. My palms felt sweaty, and beads of perspiration formed on my forehead. I blinked, and tears rolled down my cheeks in quick succession. I tried to say something, but no words came out. By the time Kate realized something was wrong, the last thing I saw was the clock striking midnight. Then it was pitch black.

I opened my eyes and glanced around the room. The white walls were a stark contrast to the pale green ones I had in my office, and I began to wonder where I was. As I tried to sit up, I saw Kate, who had been sitting in the corner, open her eyes and sigh in relief.

“You’re awake,” she said, her voice laced with concern.

“Where are we?” I asked, and as soon as the words left my mouth, the door opened, and a nurse stepped into the room.

“Hello, Ms. Penhurst. How are you feeling?” she said, placing a palm on my forehead.

“Confused, for starters. Please, call me Olivia,” I responded, and she smiled.

“It’s alright to be a little disoriented,” she began, stepping back to scribble in the notepad she carried. “You fainted for a while there. What other symptoms are you feeling?”

“When you say I fainted for a while, you mean an hour or two, yes?” I asked, and the nurse froze before turning to look at Kate, who started to reply.

“She means a few days…” Kate began.

“A few days?!” I exclaimed, and the nurse flinched at my tone.

“That’s what I thought too! Imagine how scared I was,” Kate continued, glancing at the nurse, who tried to remain as invisible as possible.

I watched as the nurse lowered her gaze, staring at her shoes to pass the time. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt a flicker of suspicion. “One minute I was explaining why I thought Singapore was a good idea, the next minute, you passed out cold on your desk,” Kate muttered.

“That sounds like a nightmare,” I stated quietly, running my hand through my hair.

“You hit your head so hard; I was scared something had gone wrong,” she said, her eyes filled with worry.

“I don’t… I don’t feel any pain, just a faint ringing in my ears. Is that good or bad?” I asked, glancing at the nurse, who had raised her head to meet my gaze.

“We ran a few tests,” the nurse started, and I listened intently. “You’re alright, thankfully. Minor trauma to the head; nothing a few painkillers can’t solve. We were a little concerned when you didn’t wake up after 24 hours,” she finished, handing me a thermometer.

I placed it under my tongue and turned to Kate, who had left her chair to sit on the edge of the bed. “I told them you were working yourself to death, exhaustion. That’s the only reason you passed out cold in the—”

“I’m alright,” I murmured stubbornly, closing my eyes.

“Thermometer, please,” the nurse said. I handed it to her and exhaled slowly.

“The doctor… he’ll be here soon, and you’ll be able to go home if that’s what you want, Ms…” she started to say, but Kate scoffed.

“She can’t go home; she’ll just go back to work and try to kill herself again,” she interjected, and I opened my eyes immediately.

“I’m not spending another night here; I don’t care if I have to crawl out the door,” I answered in a stern tone, and she shook her head.

“You have to promise you won’t go back to the office first. I don’t want you dying on my watch,” she insisted, crossing her arms.

“We’re supposed to be going to…” I started, and her eyes lit up.

“Singapore, yes,” she said, smiling like she’d just had the brightest idea. “I have an idea.”

“I figured,” I mumbled, and the nurse chuckled.

“You could use that trip as an opportunity to go on a vacation; you haven’t gone in a long time,” she suggested.

“Fine, but that would be after the work meeting with Adrian. That’s his name, right?” I answered, and she smiled.

“Glad to know your memory’s working pretty well after what your head has been through,” she said in an amused tone, and I laughed.

“What about Cyril?” I inquired, looking around for my phone. “Did you tell him? Has he come to the hospital?”

As I spoke, I could feel the atmosphere thicken with tension. The nurse lowered her gaze again and said something about getting the doctor as she walked out of the room.

“I called him, but it all went to voicemail; I sent texts too… but he hasn’t been here,” Kate responded, studying my face for a reaction.

I forced a smile and refused to dwell on the implications of those few words. If I had been in the hospital for days, unconscious, and the person I called my husband hadn’t bothered to check on me.

“Can I have my phone?” I asked, and she reached into her jacket and handed it to me.

I turned it on and dialed Cyril’s number. He didn’t pick up the first time, but when I tried again, he said something about calling me back later and didn’t bother to hear my response before hanging up.