Pervis stared down at the contract in his hands, the weight of it feeling far heavier than the simple paper should. His fingers trembled slightly as he took the pen from Chairman Williams and carefully signed his name at the bottom.
“There,” Aria said with satisfaction, watching the ink dry on the signature. “With the chairman’s forty percent and our family’s existing forty percent stake, you now control eighty percent of Metropolitan General Hospital.”
“Eighty percent?” Pervis repeated, still struggling to process the magnitude of what had just happened.
“Which means Anna Morrison’s ten percent is now completely meaningless,” Aria added with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Chairman Williams winced visibly at the reminder of how irrelevant his former board member had become.
Aria’s expression turned serious as she addressed everyone still gathered in the corridor. “I want to make something absolutely clear. Mr. Tyler’s true identity must remain confidential Anyone who speaks of what happened here today will face consequences far worse than anything you’ve witnessed so far.”
The remaining staff members nodded frantically, their faces pale with understanding.
“Excellent,” Aria said pleasantly. “Come along, Pervis. We have much to discuss.”
As
walked toward the elevator, Pervis couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Aria’s behavior toward him seemed unusual.
“Aria,” he said quietly as the elevator doors closed behind them, “can I ask you something?”
of
“Of course.”
“Your attitude toward me… it doesn’t feel quite like an older sister talking to her younger brother,” Pervis observed carefully. “And I still don’t understand how I could have a sister. I’ve been alone since I was five years old.”
Aria was quiet for a long moment, her fingers absently smoothing down her skirt. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer than before.
“That’s because I’m not your biological sister, Pervis.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m an adopted daughter of the Coleman family,” Aria explained as they stepped out into the hospital parking garage. “The Colemans adopted three girls over the years, giving us lives of privilege and luxury.”
“Three adopted daughters?” Pervis asked, confusion evident in his voice.
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“Yes. But our adoption came with a purpose,” Aria continued, leading him toward a sleek Blanke limousine. “We were raised with one primary mission: to find the lost son of the Coleman
Pervis stopped walking. The lost son?”
Aria turned to face him, her expression gentle but serious. “You, Pervis. You’re the heir the Coleman family has been searching for. And now that I’ve found you, my mission is finally complete
The magnitude of her words hit him like a physical blow. “All these years, you’ve been looking for me?
“All three of us have,” Aria confirmed. “It’s been our life’s work *
The limousine door opened as they approached, and a uniformed driver stepped out to hold it for them
“Please, get in,” Aria said. “There’s so much more you need to know.”
As the car pulled away from the hospital, Pervis stared out the window at the city passing by Everything looked the same, but somehow the world felt completely different.
The drive took them through increasingly affluent neighborhoods until they finally turned through massive iron gates. The Coleman family estate stretched out before them like something from a fairy tale, its manicured grounds and imposing architecture making Anna’s villa look like a modest cottage by comparison.
“This is home,” Aria said simply as the car came to a stop in front of the main entrance
Pervis stepped out of the limousine and craned his neck to take in the full scope of the mandion. Tr
incredible.”
“It’s yours,” Aria replied. “Or it will be, officially, very soon”
“What do you mean?”
“Your biological parents are currently abroad on business,” Aria explained as they walked up the marble steps to the front door. “They’ll return in one month’s time to officially announce your identity to the world. There will be a press conference, media coverage, the full ceremony.”
“A month,” Pervis repeated, still trying to process everything.
“Until then, your true identity remains our secret,” Aria continued. “The family wants to ensure everything is perfectly prepared for your public debut.”
Meanwhile, across the city, Anna sat in another hospital waiting room, her manicured fingers drumming impatiently against her purse as she watched Noah receive proper medical attention for his wound. “Does it hurt very much?” she asked gently as the doctor finished cleaning and bandaging his palm. “Not too badly,” Noah replied with a brave smile. I’ve been through worse.
“You’re very strong,” Anna said, though her mind kept drifting back to the phone conversation with that
Chapter
+25 BONUS
mysterious woman. The coldness in that voice, the casual threat–it bothered her more than she cared to
admit.
“Anna?” Noah’s voice drew her attention back to the present. “Are you alright? You seem distracted.
“I’m fine,” Anna said quickly, forcing a smile. “Just thinking about some business matters.”
But even as she spoke, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her. Why was she so bothered by Pervis having another woman in his life? She should be relieved that he was finally moving
on
After Noah’s treatment was complete, Anna found herself pulling out her phone as they walked back to
her car.
“Who are you calling?” Noah asked
“The hospital,” Anna replied, dialing the number. “I want to make sure they don’t actually throw out Pervis’s grandmother. That might have been… excessive.”
The phone rang several times before someone answered.
“Metropolitan General Hospital, how may I help you?”
“This is Anna Morrison. I called earlier about stopping medical care for an elderly patient, Mrs. Tyler. I’m rescinding that order.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Morrison, but I’ll need to transfer you to administration. Please hold.”
Anna frowned at the formal tone. Usually the staff fell over themselves to accommodate her requests.
After several minutes of hold music, a different voice came on the line.
“Mrs. Morrison? I’m afraid there’s been some confusion. Mrs. Tyler is currently receiving our finest care as a VIP patient. Her treatment is being personally overseen by our top medical team.”
“VIP patient?” Anna’s voice rose in surprise. “On whose authorization?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss patient confidentiality matters, ma’am. Is there anything else I can help you
with today?”
The line went dead, leaving Anna staring at her phone in bewilderment
“What’s wrong?” Noah asked, noticing her expression.
“Something’s not right,” Anna muttered, trying to call Pervis directly.
The phone went straight to voicemail without ringing. She tried again with the same result.
“He’s blocked me,” she realized, anger flaring in her chest.
+25 BONUS
“Maybe his phone died?” Noah suggested weakly.
“No,” Anna said coldly, starting the car with more force than necessary. “He’s playing games. Well, two can play that game.”
As they drove back toward Anna’s villa, Noah continued his act of concerned innocence.
“Anna, I feel terrible about all this,” he said pitifully. “If my being here has ruined your relationship with Pervis, I should leave right away. I never wanted to cause problems between you two.”
Anna’s expression hardened as she thought about Pervis’s defiance, his mysterious female companion, and his sudden ability to influence hospital decisions.
“Don’t blame yourself, Noah,” she said icily. “Pervis is just being immature and jealous, as usual. But this time, I’m going to make sure he learns a lesson he’ll never forget.”
C
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.
