05.

Riley’s POV

The man pulled me away from the scene and walked us to the ICU, my thoughts still reeling from the events that just transpired.

"What's going on?" I ask, trying to pull my wrist free.

"Come with me," he says, his grip firm.

I stumble after him, confused. "What do you mean 'the Boss's wife'?" I ask, trying to make sense of the situation.

The man stops in front of the ICU door and turns to face me. "You're his wife," he says, his eyes narrowing.

I shake my head. "No, I'm not. I only signed the papers so he could get surgery. I think there is a misunderstanding," I try to reason, but he remains mute.

“Who are you? If you work for the man undergoing surgery, how would you not know who his wife or his family is?” I questioned frustration building up.

I don’t know if it was the pregnancy hormones or what, but I suddenly felt infuriated.

Speaking of pregnancy, I was supposed to have been done with the abortion procedure.

“I do, and for now you’re the only family Mr. King has—“ he trails off.

Before the man could finish speaking, the doctor walked out of the ICU. "Your husband is out of danger," he says, smiling.

The man nods. "We'll take him home now."

The doctor nods. "I'll make the necessary arrangements. Mrs. King, please follow me to sign the paperwork."

I hesitate, unsure of what to do. The man turns to me, his eyes expectant. "Come on," he says.

I follow the doctor, the man tailing behind us. We walk to a small office, where the doctor hands me a clipboard with papers.

"Sign these, please," he says.

I take the clipboard and scan the papers. They appear to be discharge papers, but they're addressed to the patient's wife.

"I'm not his wife," I say again, looking up at the doctor.

The man interrupts, his voice firm. "She's his wife."

I turn to him, frustrated. "I'm not!"

The doctor looks at me, then at the man. "I apologize for the confusion. If you're not his wife, then why did you sign the papers earlier?"

I sigh, feeling a headache coming on. "I did it so he could get surgery. I didn't want him to die."

“There’s a bit of a misunderstanding here. Mr. and Mrs. King’s relationship is going through a rough patch, but I can assure you, doctor, she’s his wife.” The man yet again intervenes.

The doctor looks between me and the man clearing his throat before nodding, “Very well done. But if I must say, your husband needs you the most now; he’s out of danger, but he needs proper care that only you as his wife could render for him to be able to get back on his feet and get better.”

I bit on my bottom lip, knowing that I have myself entangled in a mess I am hoping to clear off when Mr. King regains consciousness.

I signed the papers yet again.

“You're coming with us," the man says.

I was too exhausted to argue or try to clear the misunderstanding. Today has been a lot to take in; all I want now is to get myself home and cry myself to sleep.

But then again, I don’t have a home, at least not anymore.

Nowhere to go, I’d rather sleep on the street than go back to Asher’s house.

My only option now is to follow the man in suits and wait until the patient wakes up.

As we walked out of the hospital, I was struck by the array of black, sleek, expensive cars lined up outside.

Guards dressed in black suits stood at attention, their eyes scanning the surrounding area. It looked like a scene from a movie, and I couldn't help but wonder who Mr. King was and how rich he was.

The man led me to one of the cars, a sleek black Mercedes.

He opened the door, and I hesitated for a moment before getting in. He followed me in, sitting down beside me.

As the car pulled away from the hospital, I turned to him. "Who are you?" I asked.

He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "My name is Ryder. I work for Mr. King, your husband," he said.

I groaned, rolling my eyes.

“Why are you so adamant about this issue? You know I’m not Mr. King’s wife—“

He cut me off, “Don’t worry, Riley, you’ll find out soon enough.”

My eyes widen, surprised at how he knows my name.

Who are these people, and what do they want with me? What mess have I gotten myself into?

“It’s to finally meet you, Mrs. King," he said.

I turned to Ryder, curiosity getting the better of me. "Who is Mr. King?" I asked.

Ryder's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Mr. King is my boss like I mentioned earlier

I raised an eyebrow. “Your boss?” I repeated.

Ryder nodded. "Yes. And he's also your husband..."

I hissed, and he chuckled.

“How did he get shot?” I couldn’t help but ask.

He shakes his head, “That should be your least concern now.”

My lips parted to protest, but I thought against it, looking out the window and letting out a deep breath.

My thoughts came to a halt as the car pulled up to a massive gate, which swung open to reveal a sprawling estate.

"Welcome to Mr. King's residence," Ryder announced.

I stared out the window, my eyes wide with wonder. The estate was enormous, with beautifully manicured lawns and a massive house that looked like it belonged in a fairy tale.

As the car pulled up to the house, my heart dropped.

Okay, maybe I was screwed completely.

The car door opened, and Ryder got out, helping me out of the car.

"Welcome home, Mrs. King.".