Chapter 6

The city was sweltering under the streetlights when Lily stepped out of the hospital. Her first stop was a boutique bistro on the east side for the rare mushroom bisque Marina insisted David needed. The order took nearly forty minutes to prepare. As she was finally paying, her phone buzzed. Marina’s voice was syrup-sweet, masking the steel beneath. “Lily, darling, I completely forgot. David’s been craving a specific steamed herbal broth from that new place in the West Village. It’s essential for his recovery. You wouldn’t mind, would you? And maybe pick up some gluten-free sourdough from that bakery on 5th? You know how particular he is.” Lily hesitated, glancing at the heavy, warm bag in her hand. “I already have the bisque…” “And as his former secretary, you understand the importance of following through,” Marina cut in, her tone cooling. “I wouldn’t want to have to tell David you refused such a simple request when he’s injured because of you.” Lily clenched her jaw. “Fine.” An hour and a half later, she trudged back toward the hospital. Her clothes clung to her like a second skin, her arms ached from the weight of multiple bags, and sweat plastered strands of hair to her forehead. But nothing prepared her for the scene through the slightly ajar door of the private suite. David was propped comfortably against the pillows. Marina was perched on the edge of his bed, feeding him spoonfuls from a bowl, a soft, intimate laugh escaping her lips. His expression was relaxed, almost tender—a side of him Lily hadn’t seen in years. A sharp pang shot through her chest. She pushed the door open wider. “You’ve already eaten?” David’s head snapped up, startled. Marina’s eyes widened, not with guilt, but with triumph. “We didn’t know you’d be so long,” David said, his voice neutral. Lily dropped the bags onto a side table with a heavy thud. “Are you serious? She sent me on a wild goose chase across the city. You could have just ordered in if you were hungry.” Marina adopted a wounded look. “I… I honestly didn’t realize… I’ve been gone so long, I forgot how traffic gets. I thought he still preferred the old recipes.” Lily let out a cold, disbelieving laugh. “Spare me.” “Lily,” David’s voice hardened, “that’s enough.” “Oh, please don’t be angry,” Marina whimpered, her eyes welling up with theatrical tears. “I truly didn’t mean to. I won’t let your efforts go to waste. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll eat it all myself—every last bite.” She reached for the container of mushroom bisque with exaggerated care, unscrewing the lid. Lily stared at her. Was this woman for real? The theatrics, the crocodile tears—it was laughable. But there was nothing funny about the way David looked at her, as if she were the unreasonable one. “Don’t force yourself,” Lily said coldly. “I don’t care what you do with it.” She turned to leave, anger and humiliation tightening her throat. Behind her, she heard the rustle of plastic. “I mean it,” Marina declared. “I’ll finish it all… See?” Lily glanced back just in time to see Marina take an exaggerated, overly large bite, her movements performative. In that moment, it looked less like an apology and more like a stage act. Lily’s eyes narrowed. What game was she playing? But then, Marina froze. Her eyes flew wide open, her face draining of color in an instant. One hand flew to her throat, clutching it. "Marina?" David's voice rose sharply. Marina stumbled to her feet, gasping. "Can't... breathe..." she choked, her face swelling rapidly, red blotches erupting across her skin. “Get a doctor in here!” David barked, already on his feet. Lily’s heart plummeted to her stomach. “Oh my god…” she whispered, horrified. A nurse rushed in with a crash cart, barking orders. David swept Marina into his arms, carrying her down the hall toward the ER, shouting for help as he went. Lily followed, her legs moving before her mind could catch up. But just outside the ER doors, David turned on her. His expression was savage. “You forced her to eat that,” he hissed. “You knew she was allergic to mushrooms.” “What? No… I didn’t know!” Lily stammered, her throat closing. “I swear I had no idea!” “She could have died!” he snarled. He took a step closer. “If anything happens to her… anything… I’ll sue you for everything you’re worth. Do you hear me?” His words hit her like a slap. Lily took a step back, hands shaking. "You think I poisoned her?" He didn't answer. He didn't need to. The raw accusation in his eyes said everything. The silence between them stretched for a long, painful beat, broken only by the frantic sounds of nurses and doctors rushing in and out of Marina’s room. Lily drew in a sharp, shuddering breath. David had already turned his back, storming into the ER without another glance. She had done nothing. She hadn’t known about the allergy. She hadn’t forced Marina to eat anything. Lily closed her eyes, recalling Marina’s final, dramatic words before shoving the food into her mouth: “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll eat it all myself.” What kind of person said that? Who would willingly eat something they knew they were allergic to? It was such a clumsy, transparent ploy. The most ridiculous part was that David Hardison—a man renowned for his ruthless clarity—couldn’t see through it. Or did he choose not to? Was he… in on it? A cold dread slithered down Lily’s spine. She was ready to bow out. So why wouldn’t they just let her go?