Chapter 4 - THE POLICY BOUGHT WITH MY BLOOD
The dining room descended into a horrifying, breathless silence.
I stared at Daniel. He looked like a cornered animal, his chest heaving, his eyes darting toward the exits his men were blocking.
“Daniel?” I whispered, my voice sounding like it belonged to a ghost. “Tell me she’s lying.”
He couldn’t meet my eyes. He looked at the floor, his hands trembling at his sides. “It was a precaution, Claire,” he mumbled, the words pathetic and hollow. “The doctors said the rejection rate was high. If the worst happened, we would need money for… for arrangements. For the medical debt.”
Lily let out a sound I will never forget. It wasn’t a cry or a scream. It was the sound of a child’s soul breaking in half. She stumbled backward, clutching her stomach—the exact spot where my kidney was sewn into her body.
“You took a bet on whether I would die?” Lily gasped. “You bet on my death?”
“No, Lily, baby, no—” Daniel started forward.
Dante stepped effortlessly between them. He didn’t raise his hands. He didn’t have to. The pure, terrifying stillness of his posture made Daniel freeze.
“Take one more step toward her,” Dante said softly, “and I will show you exactly what kind of man Chicago thinks I am.”
Daniel stumbled back, his face slick with sweat.
“Get them out of here,” Dante ordered his men.
Two of Dante’s security guards flanked us. One of them, a massive man with kind eyes, gently touched my shoulder. “This way, ma’am.”
I wrapped my arm tightly around Lily, pulling her against my side. We walked out of the private dining room, leaving Daniel and Elaine trapped with the very monster they had invited to dinner.
Ten minutes later, we were in the back of a black SUV, the tinted windows shielding us from the flashing lights of downtown Chicago. Lily was curled against my chest, crying so hard her whole body shook. I stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head over and over again, murmuring promises I prayed I could keep.
“I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you. He’s never going to hurt you again.”
When we arrived at the Valenti Hotel, a private elevator whisked us directly to the penthouse. The doors opened to a sprawling suite with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the dark waters of Lake Michigan. It was breathtaking, but I couldn’t appreciate it. All I could feel was the throbbing ache in my side and the shattering of my entire reality.
Dante’s private physician, an older woman named Dr. Aris, was waiting for us. She immediately checked my vitals and examined my incision, scolding Daniel’s neglect under her breath. Then she checked Lily, taking her blood pressure and ensuring the stress hadn’t triggered a rejection episode.
“You need rest,” Dr. Aris told me softly. “Both of you.”
I thanked her, and she left us alone in the massive bedroom. Lily sat on the edge of the California king bed, staring blankly at the wall.
“Mom?” she whispered, the word pulling at the frayed edges of my heart.
“I’m here, sweetie.”
“When I was packing my clutch for dinner…” She reached into her small beaded bag with trembling fingers. “I found something in my coat pocket. The coat Dad brought to the hospital for me.”
She pulled out a sleek, black burner phone.
I frowned, taking it from her. “Lily, whose phone is this?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I turned it on in the car.”
I pressed the power button. The screen illuminated, showing a single unread text message received just twenty minutes ago, while we were in the SUV.
The message read: Is the kid with you? The jet is fueled. If you don't have her, the deal is off and Richard will bury you.
I stared at the screen, my blood running cold. It wasn't just a custody battle. Elaine and Daniel were planning to take her out of the country tonight.
Suddenly, the heavy mahogany door of the bedroom swung open. I gasped, dropping the phone.
May you like
It wasn't Dante.
It was Daniel.
