Chapter 163
“The detective officially confirmed it. The crash was caused by Rosie,” Wade said over the phone.
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Thomas clenched his fist, his heart pounding with anger. He swallowed it down and forced himself to speak calmly. “How sure is the detective?”
He heard the small gasp of surprise from Wade before he replied. “Very sure. CCTV footage showed it was her. She was driving the same red car, and two witnesses saw her drive off after it happened.”
The anger surged again, uncontrollable, and he began pacing around the hospital corridor. He didn’t want to believe it.
He didn’t want to believe that his dear wife of three years had injured his family. Fuck. They were her family too.
How could she do this? What happened?
“Thank you, Wade,” he said softly, hiding the anger. “If there are any updates, let me know.”
“Alright,” Wade replied before ending the call.
Thomas turned and saw that Ivy was now with Silas. They held each other tightly, intimately. For a split second, jealousy raced through him and then anger.
That used to be his life. Him and Rosie. They did everything together, successes, failures–everything.
He stepped out of the corridor and found a door leading to a small balcony by the staircase at the back. It wasn’t that he resented Silas for being happy, it just reminded him of too much.
The anger returned, flooding his chest, and this time, he didn’t fight it.
“Fuck!” he growled, slamming his fists into the door. The wood cracked, bending in the middle.
Rage mounted even more and he kicked the door.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” He delivered each word with a kick, pounding on the innocent door until it was completely removed from its hinges.
He stood there, his chest heaving as he half–expected someone to find him. To stop him. To offer something other than this
rage.
At this point, he didn’t mind feeling guilty or ashamed, he just needed something else.
But nobody came and he was left alone. The anger swirled in his chest, mocking him, reminding him of his failure.
He hadn’t worked this hard in life just to end up here. He was Thomas fucking Stone. Rosie wasn’t supposed to betray him like this.
His mind drifted to her, and gradually, the rage faded away, replaced by memories of two of them tangled together in bed, laughing, whispering. His heart softened.
And then, without warning, a tèar fell.
He gave in to the emotions, at least it was better than anger. He cried, his body jerking from sadness and pent–up rage. Uncle Mike’s condition was critical, Andrew was fighting for his life, the pain added to his sadness.
He dropped to his knees, holding the balcony railing. He didn’t care who saw him, he just needed to feel something else.
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Chapter 163
The tears kept coming, and in that weak moment, he reached for his phone and dialed his wife’s number.
He needed to hear her voice. To believe she was still human and not the monster everyone now said she was.
Thomas Stone never failed. Not in business. Not in negotiation. And definitely not in marriage.
But when the automated voice said the number didn’t exist, he knew he had failed,
He dropped the phone, sniffling and wiping the tears away.
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He laid his head against the wall, his heart heavy as he stretched his legs. He knew he should be angry at Rosie, but he just couldn’t bring himself to be.
He dialed her number again, and again, listening to the automated response until he finally gave up.
Rosie had gone wild, maybe it was time to accept that.
He wiped his eyes again, stood up and dusted himself off. He felt nothing now, just emptiness.
He walked back into the corridor and saw that Silas and Ivy were still wrapped in each other’s arms. Before he began to feel emotions he shouldn’t, he made his way to Uncle Mike’s room.
Inside, machines beeped steadily, a reminder that his uncle was fighting. For a moment, he just stood there, letting the silence settle inside him. Then he stepped closer to the bed and stared at his uncle’s face.
Mike looked peaceful. This was probably the first time Thomas was seeing him rest.
With several clubs in California and South America, Mike was always on the move, always working.
Thomas watched as the heart monitor’s green line moved steadily; everything looked and sounded right. Now, he could anly hope both Mike and Andrew made it out alive.
His heart sank at the thought, he couldn’t lose anyone else. Mike was like a father to him, guiding him from the beginning. After he and Silas lost their parents, Mike stepped in and had never stopped.
His phone rang, snapping him out of thoughts. Mike didn’t even budge at the shrill.
“Hey, Reina,” he answered.
A small line of guilt crossed his chest. He hadn’t gotten over the fact that he’d accused his personal assistant for something Rosie did.
“How are you doing, sir?” Reina asked gingerly, like she was picking her words.
And could he blame her? He was the one yelling at everyone in the office.
“Good,” he said flatly. Of course she knew he wasn’t. “Why are you calling?”
“I… know… it’s not a good time sir, and I apologize. But there has been a… security breach. The media got into the company. We need-”
“Call Preston Securities. Have them secure the place. I’ll deal with the rest later,” he said before she finished.
“Alright sir,” Reina said, relief spreading in her voice.
He ended the call, annoyance snapping inside him.
“Fucking media,” he mumbled, tucking the phone in his pocket. He turned his attention to Uncle Mike, who still hadn’t moved.
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Chapter 163
The door opened behind him and he turned.
“Hello, Thomas,” Ivy said, walking in with Silas,
“Hey,” he said, forcing a smile. “How are you doing?” he asked before she could,
“Good,” she said softly. Her eyes went to Uncle Mike and he saw the fear shine in them.
Silas took her hand. It was a simple gesture, but it made Thomas’s stomach churn.
“Is… he okay?”
“Hopefully,” he said, turning to Uncle Mike,
Silas reached out and patted his shoulder but didn’t say anything. The three of them stood by the bed, watching silently,
“Any news about Andrew?” Silas asked.
“Not yet,” Thomas said quietly.
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His heart tightened at the thought of what Andrew might be enduring. None of the doctors had come out of the surgery room yet, and that silence was becoming terrifying.
He swallowed his fear, not wanting to ignite Silas’s own. He had to be strong for him–for all of them.
“Where’s Theresa and Aria?” he asked Ivy.
But Silas answered for her. “We haven’t told them. I don’t know how they would react to the news.”
“They’ll need to know eventually,” he said without looking at his brother.
“Definitely,” Silas agreed. “On the bright side, the media have no idea this happened, and it gives us the time to deliver it to them smoothly.”
Thomas didn’t entirely like the idea, but he said nothing. Silas must have sensed this, because he patted him gently on the shoulder again.
“We’ll get through this,” he smiled.
Thomas nodded just as his phone buzzed. He pulled it out. When he saw the name, his heart stopped.
“What? What happened?” Silas asked, his voice rising.
“Nothing… just work,” he replied quickly. Before Silas could push further, he turned towards the door. “Excuse me.”
In the corridor, he took a deep breath, shock slicing through his veins. He rushed back to the balcony, stepping over the shards of the broken door.
Maybe he had read the name wrong?
Maybe he had mistaken it for another?
He checked it again, his pulse racing.
His guts had been correct; the message was from Mateo Castro.
After five years of silence, why was Mateo texting him now? Had he forgotten the no–contact rule?
Anger surged inside Thomas. He couldn’t believe Mateo could still text him after everything. His jaw clenched as he read the
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Chapter 163
message:
‘Island Nova is under investigation. You and Mike should be careful
Thomas’s heart sank. No. He didn’t need this. He couldn’t be connected to this.
Not now.
