Chapter 22
Amelia’s POV
The announcement had come too suddenly. One moment I was checking patient charts, the next I was standing shroider to shoulder with the rest of the hospital staff, waiting for whatever “big news” the CFO had promised.
The conference room was filmed with conversations, nurses whispering, doctors frowning, orderlies leaning on the walls as though they’d rather be anywhere else. My stomach tightened, the unease curling through me like smoke. Something hour all this felt… off.
The CFO stepped forward, clapping his hands together for silence. His polished smile made my chest squeeze tighter.
“Thank you all for gathering on such short notice,” he began. “Today marks a very important day for this hospital. As you all know, we have been seeking ways to strengthen our resources, expand our outreach, and secure our future.” He paused. adjusting his glasses. “It is my honor to announce that we now have a new owner who will be taking this hospital into its next phase. Please, welcome Mr. Edmund Montgomery of Montgomery Conglomerate.”
The room broke into applause.
My heart, however, dropped straight into my stomach.
Mr. Montgomery?
I froze. Every muscle in my body went stiff as the name slammed into me. My breath caught in my throat, and the only thought I could form was a horrified whisper in my head: So that’s what he meant by ‘you’ll see.
And then he stepped out.
Edmund.
in his tailored suit, he exuded confidence and control like he owned not just the hospital but the air we breathed. His gaze swept across the room with practiced ease, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
The room became filled with murmurs,mostly from the women.
“God, he’s even more handsome in person.”
“If he wasn’t married, I’d climb him like a tree.”
“Married or not, I still would.”
I wanted to roll my eyes, but my chest already burned with something I couldn’t quite name.
Edmund raised a hand, his voice smooth and commanding. “Thank you. Please, everyone, sit.”
The murmurs died instantly.
“I want to make something clear,” he continued, his gaze steady, his tone deliberate. “I’m not here to dismantle what you’ve built. I believe in loyalty and dedication, and I don’t intend to fire anyone. This hospital is going to remain in the capable hands of the staff who know it best. What will change,” he paused, a flicker of amusement in his eyes, “is the vision. Montgomery Conglomerate doesn’t run businesses halfway. We aim high, and we deliver.”
The room nodded, impressed. Even I couldn’t deny how easily he commanded them.
“Soon,” he added, “this hospital will officially be renamed Montgomery Hospital. But that’s just the beginning. We’re Working
4.03
TVE IVE
Chapter 22
on something bigger–a project I can’t reveal in detail just yet. What I can say is this: there will be a medical outreach program. It will bring us investors, media attention, and opportunities for growth that this hospital has never seen before. And for it to succeed, I’ll need every single one of you to give your best.”
Another wave of murmurs followed, people already caught up in his charisma.
Then his gaze swept across the crowd again, and my stomach clenched.
“So,” he said slowly, his lips curving, “on that note, I’ll need someone to work closely with me. Someone intelligent, hardworking, and deeply passionate about this cause.”
My chest tightened. I felt his eyes searching, moving deliberately until, inevitably, they landed on me.
I stiffened.
No. Not me. He wouldn’t dare.
I stepped further back into the crowd, ducking my head as if hiding could undo the inevitable. My heart pounded so hard I thought everyone around me could hear it.
He won’t pick you. He won’t. There’s the CFO, the department heads, anyone but me.
I repeated the words in my mind like a mantra, willing them into truth. Slowly, I straightened, forcing myself to believe them.
And then I looked up.
Our eyes met.
The moment his gaze locked on mine, my heart sank. The look in his eyes was clear, smug almost, as if he’d just cornered me in a game I didn’t know I was playing. Like he was about to get exactly what he wanted–exactly what he’d promised me earlier.
His lips curved. “So on that note, I’d like to appoint Dr. Amelia Prescott to this position.”
The crowd clapped politely. I didn’t move.
“Dr. Prescott, will you please step forward?”
I was already moving–just not toward him.
By the time his eyes shifted away, I had slipped silently toward the door, my pulse hammering in my ears. I needed to get out of there, anywhere but under the weight of his gaze and the whispers surrounding me.
I made it down the hall, to my office door. My hands shook as I shoved the key into the lock. It didn’t fit.
“Come on,” I hissed under my breath, jiggling it, pushing harder. My palms were slick, my chest tight with panic and anger
all at once.
Why now? Why me?
The key still refused to turn. My breaths came shorter, harsher, and my throat burned with the weight of everything I didn’t
want to feel.
I leaned against the door, squeezing my eyes shut, whispering to myself as though it would undo the mess he had just dropped me in. My chest heaved, my palms still damp from fumbling with the damn key.
2/4
:04 pm
Chapter 22
“Amelia!”
IVIEM VI
My eyes shot open. His voice. Too close. Too sharp.
Footsteps hurried down the hall. I scrambled, forcing the key into place and twisting until the lock finally gave way. I slipped inside, heart pounding, and tried to slam the door shut, but his foot caught it.
The wood jolted against his shoe, the resistance too strong. I pushed harder, but in a blink he was already inside, shutting the door behind him like he belonged there.
“I was searching everywhere for you,” he said, breath steady, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He looked too calm, as if barging into my office was the most natural thing in the world. “When did you disappear?”
“What the hell was that?” I snapped, the words ripping out of me before I could think.
His brows arched. “What the hell was what?”
“Why the hell did you call my name?” My voice shook, but I didn’t care. My chest burned, the frustration and anger boiling inside me. No matter how I tried to get away from him, he wouldn’t just let me be “You should have chosen anyone, literally anyone but me.”
He tilted his head, the smile widening slightly. “But I chose you.”
I almost laughed, but it came out bitter. “But I don’t want to work with you, Mr. Montgomery,” I spat. “Choose the CFO. Choose Angela. Choose anyone. Just not me.”
Something flickered across his face. Not arrogance this time, something softer- sadder. His lips pressed into a thin line. “You really hate me, don’t you?”
The sadness in his voice caught me off guard. My throat tightened. I forced my gaze away so he wouldn’t see the truth in my eyes, wouldn’t see the confusion clawing at my chest.
“I don’t hate you, sir,” I said quietly, though the word sir left a bitter taste on my tongue. “I just don’t want to work closely with you.”
Silence stretched between us. Heavy, suffocating. I kept my eyes on the desk, the floor, the clock on the wall, anywhere but him. He, on the other hand, didn’t move. I could feel his stare, sharp and unyielding, like it was stripping me down layer by layer.
Finally, he sighed. The sound was low, but it carried weight.
“Very well then,” he murmured, his footsteps slow as he crossed the space between us. “That may be your opinion. But here’s mine.”
I swallowed hard, every step he took pressing down on me like gravity itself.
“It seems like you didn’t hear me clearly,” he continued. “I’m your boss now. And whatever I say… goes.”
I frowned, snapping my gaze up at him. “You don’t even—”
“And if you think you can avoid me by leaving,” he cut in smoothly, his voice firm, maddeningly calm, “think twice.”
My breath caught.
“I own this place now, Amelia,” he said, his eyes locking with mine. “And I can make it so you don’t get a job anywhere near here again for the rest of your life.” His voice dropped lower, like it was made of steel. “And with that being said, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.”
3/4
Chaven 92
The weight of his wide pressed against me like a vice. He was just playing goes, he warnering rur, fine the in with no way out
See you tomorrow,” he added, straightening Fight am sharp My office
He named toward the door, hand brushing the handle before pausing
For a moment. I thought he’d finally leave me in peace. But then he glanced back, his site slow, deliferate, denges
Oh, and Amelia? His voice was almost a whisper. “I’m sure we’re going to entry working together, my love”
My breath hitched.
I gasped, a shiver running through me, but he was already gone–slipping out the door as though he hadn’t just shattered the fragile ground I was standing on.
The silence that followed was deafening.
1 pressed a trembling hand against my chest, my pulse racing beneath my palm.
Did this man just call me his love?..
AD
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
