Chapter 169
I hissed, pacing up and down the hall as 1 gripped the phone. “Don’t turn this, Dom. It isn’t a question of her not trusting you anything like that. How would you feel, huh? If Faith was the one lying in bed with another man?”
There was a pause and although I could sense the frustration, it was in heavy breathing alone as he wasn’t talking now
“Eliza says she’s pregnant, Dom. Pregnant! And not only did you let her in your house, you’re acting like that’s okay–as il you agree with her!”
“I did it,” he raised his voice, “I did it because I had to,” he growled, then brought his voice down to barely above a whisper. “I let her in because I need to keep her close. I need to watch her, Raina, I don’t have any proof yet.”
“You think Faith is going to buy that? I threw back, getting loud. “That’s not how this works! You can’t just presume she’ll get over it, down the road, when you’ve degraded her like this in front of her peers.”
“Raina,” he started, his voice oozing impatience, it’s not like that-
“No, Dom,” I cut him off, anger bubbling to the surface. “You don’t do this to your wife. Not to Faith. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll send Eliza
out of that house right now.”
I was nearly shouting into the phone now, my temper getting the better of me, when Ava’s small voice sliced through my fury.
ון
“Mommy?” she ventured hesitantly from a few feet away, eyes wide. “Is everything alright?”
Immediately, I dropped my hand, brought the phone down to lower it and pasted a smile on my face. “Yeah, baby,” I said in a soft tone, crouching downI to her level. “Everything’s fine, sweetheart. Go back inside and stay with Liam. I’ll be there soon, okay?”
She hesitated but nodded, her small shoulders sagging with relief. As she disappeared into the room, I brought the phone back up to my ear, ready to continue arguing with Dom when a knock on the doorframe Interrupted me.
1 turned to find the head of security standing stiff, his expression calm yet allert. “Ma’am, the doctor has arrived.”
I blinked at how fast he’d gotten here. “That was quick. Bring him in,” I said, gesturing toward the house.
“Of course,” he replied, stepping away to escort the doctor inside,
I brought the phone back to my ear, my voice firm as I spoke to Dominic. “This conversation isn’t over, Dom. You need to get this figured out before you ruin it. I’ll call you later.”
1 hung up before he could say anything and turned my focus back to the doctor as he entered. He was a middle–aged man with a kind face, his medical bag slung over one shoulder
“Mrs. Graham,” he said, nodding his head.
“Thank you for getting here so fast,” I said, leading him to Liam’s room.
Grandma was sitting next to Liam’s bed when we walked in, and her presence had stabilized the air in the room. She glanced up as we entered, her expression easing a notch when she saw the doctor.
The exam seemed to take an eternity, minutes weighted by my anxiety. Hovering in the doorway, I watched as the doctor checked Liam’s temperature and a few questions to him before reaching out to tenderly feel his forehead and neck.
When he finally turned to me, his expression was reassuring. “It’s just a fever, nothing serious,” he said. “Plenty of fluids, rest, and maybe some over- the–counter medication if his temperature spikes again.”
I felt a surge of relief, so strong I had to hang onto the doorframe for support. “Thank you,” I murmured, my voice unsteady.
The doctor packed up his things and gave a few additional instructions before leaving Grandma, ever the nurturer, wasted no time making a bowl of soup in the kitchen. She brought it back and sat by Liam, coaxing him to take small sips.
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