Chapter 3

3: 3

After the hospital bandaged the cut on my leg, I took a cab straight to Delgado Group.

Through all those years I spent building the company with Russ, every core proposal I'd drafted from scratch, every project file, was locked in the safe in the president's office.

Take them, and we could cut ourselves apart clean.

The moment I reached the turnstiles, the screen lit up red.

【This employee has no access authorization.】

The receptionist looked awkward. "Ms. Henson, Mr. Delgado said you haven't been feeling well lately, so you don't need to come in for now."

I called the head of administration and had him open the gate, then went straight up to the top floor.

The door to the president's office stood ajar.

Lucy was sitting in Russ's chair, and Russ was leaning over her from behind, his hand over hers as he worked the computer.

"Russ, when we take this to James Group tomorrow, they won't figure out that Olivia was the one who actually wrote this proposal, will they?"

Russ's tone was gentle. "The plan's in the company system, so it's company property. You'll present it tomorrow, and I'll be right there helping you."

I pushed the door open.

They both turned at once.

Russ let go of Lucy's hand fast and frowned. "How did you get in?"

I didn't answer. I walked straight to the safe, entered the code, and packed every original draft inside into a document folder.

Russ pressed his hand against the door.

"Olivia Henson, do you really have to push things this far? Yesterday was just a small disagreement. You take those files now, are you trying to blow up tomorrow's investor meeting?"

I lifted my eyes to him.

"Deleting my access, canceling my account, putting Lucy in my place. That's a small disagreement?"

"Lucy's only helping out for a while. Your emotions have been unstable lately. Rest for a bit first. It's better for everyone."

Lucy came over holding a coffee.

"Olivia, don't get the wrong idea. If you don't want me staying at the company, I can leave right now."

As she passed me, her wrist tipped and the coffee spilled all over the carpet.

She let out a little cry, grabbed the industrial-strength cleaner off the desk, and sprayed the stain a dozen times in a row.

The sharp smell filled the whole office in an instant.

My breath caught, and my chest clamped down all at once.

I'd had severe asthma since childhood, and an irritating smell could trigger respiratory failure at any moment.

I clapped a hand over my nose and mouth and stumbled toward the window, but the floor-to-ceiling panes were all sealed shut, and the air conditioner was set to recirculate.

I yanked open a drawer looking for my backup inhaler. It was empty.

Lucy stood off to the side, pinching her nose, muttering, "It's just a little cleaner. Does it really have to be this dramatic?"

I couldn't speak anymore. All I could do was grip the desk and fight for air.

My vision blurred, my arms lost their strength, and the files on the desk went crashing to the floor.

Russ finally noticed something was wrong. He rushed over and swept me up.

"Where's your medicine?"

I clutched his sleeve with everything I had, but only a broken thread of air came out of my throat.

He carried me toward the door.

Behind us, Lucy suddenly cried out in pain.

She'd stepped on the shattered coffee cup, and a cut opened on the sole of her foot, blood quickly soaking through her stockings.

"Russ, my foot hurts so much. I still have to present at James Group tomorrow. What if the wound gets infected?"

Russ stopped walking.

He looked down at me, already convulsing from the lack of oxygen, then turned to look at Lucy sitting on the floor crying.

Ten seconds later, he bent down and dumped me into the arms of the assistant who'd just arrived.

He told the assistant coldly to take me to the hospital.

"Her asthma's acting up. You take her in. Lucy has to present tomorrow, and her foot can't wait. I'll get her out of here first."

With that, he scooped Lucy up and strode into the private elevator.

The doors slid slowly shut.

Lucy lay against his chest, watching me through the closing gap, one corner of her mouth curling into a smile.

The assistant hauled me into the car right away and hit the gas.

The car raced down the long, congested street.

I gripped the seat under me with both hands, the lack of oxygen turning everything to black and white.

A violent, dragging pain tore through my abdomen.

The next second, something warm and wet gushed from between my legs and spread red across my dress.