SHE'S AWAKE

CHAPTER 3

ALESSANDRO POV.

“How many more minutes until we reach the hall?” I asked Zack, my personal driver, glancing at my watch.

“About two—” he began to reply, but his words were abruptly cut off as a car from the opposite direction collided with ours. The impact sent our vehicle screeching and swerving violently while Zack struggled to regain control. His hands trembled on the steering wheel as he fought to avoid crashing into the row of cars next to us.

Finally, Zack hit the brakes and managed to steer us to safety, but I could tell my car had sustained some damages. The loud thud of the collision echoed in my ears. I quickly opened my door and stormed toward the reckless driver who had hit us.

As I approached the car, my anger flared, and I clenched my fists, ready to confront whoever was inside. But as I drew closer, my fury shifted to deep concern. I saw a woman slumped over the steering wheel, unconscious.

Fortunately, the windows were wide open, so I reached in and gently cradled her neck, trying to wake her.

“Hey, young lady?” I said, my voice calm, but there was no response.

Turning to Zack, I shouted, “Come over here immediately!”

When he arrived, I instructed him to carefully lift the young woman and place her in my car—a sleek new Audi with my name on the license plate. Once she was safely in the backseat, I urged Zack to drive her car back and follow me to the nearest hospital.

I barely knew who she was, so I needed anything valuable to track down her identity if she survived.

Minutes later, I arrived at the hospital and pulled up to the entrance, making it easier for the staff to take the girl and provide immediate treatment. It wasn’t that I hated the idea of people dying; she just looked too young for that fate. I suspected she might have been driving recklessly—perhaps she had caught her boyfriend cheating or was under the influence.

Sitting outside the ward, I waited for news from the doctor about the patient I had brought in. Soon, Zack returned.

“Boss, you can leave. I’ll keep an eye on her,” he suggested earnestly. “If you don’t leave now, you’ll miss the inauguration of the Brown family.”

I rolled my eyes and ran my fingers through my tousled hair. Honestly, I didn’t want to attend any inauguration, but I felt obligated to go to this one. The girl was set to become the first female heir to a major conglomerate in the country. Who doesn’t know about the Brown empire and its associated companies?

Yet, handing the reins to a girl felt absurd to me.

It was completely ridiculous!

He could have just had another child until he got a son to make the heir. I wanted to avoid the inauguration, even though my father would pester me to attend. However, the event had been the talk of the town for the past few nights, and I couldn’t shy away from my responsibilities.

But I didn’t fly all the way from Italy to New York just for an inauguration. I also came to pay a visit to my debtor. He must have thought he could outsmart me and escape without repaying what he owed, but he was too short-sighted to realize I could go wherever I wanted. Once the girl woke up, I planned to head over to his villa and fuck him up!

“Boss!” Zack jolted me from my thoughts.

“You really need to attend this one. It’s important. You’re representing the whole family. None of your brothers are in town for it,” he explained.

I scoffed. “You seem a bit too excited about this damn female inauguration. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Zack rolled his eyes and looked away. “Nothing, boss. I’m just doing my job.”

“Seems like you’ve got some bussy chicks you want to explore over there,” I teased, fixing my gaze on him.

Zack chuckled as he walked away. “My chick is downtown, boss, and you know that.”

A smile crept onto my lips as I turned my attention back to my phone. I didn’t really need to attend this ceremony; after all, who would know if I didn’t show up? But then another idea struck me, and I called out to Zack.

“Come over,” I said urgently, and he rushed back to where I was sitting.

“Why not go to the inauguration? You can represent me there while I wait for the girl to wake up.”

Zack hesitated. “But—”

I cut him off sharply. “Just do as I say. Attend the inauguration,I need to build a good relationship with the Brown family. They’re a force to be reckoned with in New York. Once you’re done there, I need you to stop by that motherfucker’s villa who owes me money and bring the asshole back to my suite.”

“I can discipline him over there boss. You don't need to stress yourself. Just give the order; Two fingers or two toes? “

No!... Bring him back to me. I need to have some fun with that one” I said.

“Is that clear?”

“Yes, boss,” he nodded, bowing slightly before heading straight to the car. I watched him drive off, a deep sigh of relief escaping me. Now the one person who would keep pestering me about that ceremony was out of the way. I finally had some time to myself.

An hour later, I flicked my wrist to check the time.

Dammit! Why are doctors so sluggish here?

It had been hours, and still no update on the woman I brought in.

Speaking of the devil.

Just as I prepared to stand up, the doctor appeared in a white coat, a stethoscope around his neck.

As he approached, his face fell into a deep frown. “Hello, sir,” he said, moving closer.

“Who is she to you? Your wife or sister?” He scribbled on his notepad, clearly gathering information.

I stared at him, slightly confused. I barely knew the woman inside.

“She’s my wife,” I replied, fixing my gaze on him, curious about why he was asking these questions.

“I’m sorry, sir, but it seems she hit her head hard on the steering wheel, resulting in internal bleeding. Right now, we can only place her in a coma until the drugs in her system clears up.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. “Drugs?”

He looked at me, his gaze hesitant. “Didn’t you know she was using drugs, or maybe she started recently?”

I nodded slowly, not wanting him to know I knew nothing about the addict lying in his hospital.

“So what are you saying we should do?”

He sighed deeply, removing his glasses. “We’ll keep monitoring her for the next seventy-two hours to see if she wakes up or if the effects of whatever she took weaken. Then we will try to save her.”

I hesitated, frustration battling with a flicker of worry. “Will she survive?”

######

About a week later, I returned to the hospital after the doctor called to inform me that she was finally awake. I quickly parked my car in the lot and stormed out, my shoulders hunched over in frustration. I was supposed to have left this city days ago, but here I was, still babysitting a reckless drug addict I didn't even know.

"Good morning, Mr. Alessandro," the doctor greeted cheerfully. "This way, sir. Your wife has been waiting for you.”