His for a year. - Chapter 44: Chapter 44

The nurse came running in, breathless, her hair messily pinned like she’d left in a rush. Zade yanked her toward me.
“Take out the drip—now,” he growled.
She looked confused. “Sir, we can’t—”
“It’s an emergency,” Ray cut in from the doorway, voice low but firm. “Just do it. Please.”
Her eyes widened at the urgency in the room, but she didn’t argue. She moved quickly, her fingers steady despite the chaos outside. In seconds, the IV was out and I was free.
Zade didn’t waste a second. He wrapped one arm around my back and the other under my knees, lifting me off the bed like I weighed nothing. His chest was warm and solid, his hold surprisingly gentle.
I gasped slightly at the motion—my ribs ached, and pain lanced through my side—but I clutched onto his shirt, biting down the cry that almost escaped.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “I’m sorry.”
He turned to Ray, Jake, and Aliyah. “Second car’s ready. Ray, you and Jake go first. I’ll follow with Olive.”
“No,” Aliyah protested. “I’m not leaving her—”
“You’re not,” Zade interrupted. “You’re riding with us. We’re sticking together.”
They moved quickly, Ray leaning on Jake as they led the way out the emergency stairwell, the sound of chaos still echoing through the corridors. The air outside hit cold against my skin. A black SUV was idling by the back entrance, the driver hopping out to open the door.
Zade slid in with me still in his arms. Aliyah climbed in after us, in the front seat, her eyes wide and frantic. The door slammed shut, and the engine roared to life as we sped out of the hospital compound.
I was panting, my breaths shallow and fast. The sudden movements had reignited every injury I’d tried to forget. But more than that—my mind was spinning.
I turned my face into Zade’s chest, feeling the beat of his heart under my cheek. Too fast. Just like mine.
“What’s going on?” I asked weakly. My voice barely came out. “Zade… what happened?”
He exhaled, pressing his lips into my hair for a beat before pulling back just enough to look at me.
“When I went to Ray’s room,” he said, “I walked in on someone. Dressed in black. He had a gun pointed at Ray.”
My whole body stiffened.
Zade continued, jaw clenched. “I tackled him. Fought him off. He was fast, slippery even. But he ran, and I chased him. That’s what caused the noise you heard.”
He paused, still breathless, his hand brushing my cheek. “I told you I’d protect you. As long as I’m breathing, no one is getting to you. Not again.”
The world tilted.
Everything—every word, every breath, every fear—swirled inside me, too fast, too heavy, too loud.
And just like that… my body couldn’t keep up.
The darkness came soft and slow, like a wave finally crashing against the shore.
I heard Aliyah calling my name. Zade’s arms tightening around me.
Then nothing.
The first thing I felt was the softness of the sheets. Warmer. Heavier. The pillows were firmer than the hospital ones, and the faint smell of cedarwood and clean linen curled around me like a memory.
I wasn’t in the hospital anymore.
I blinked slowly, my eyes adjusting to the low, amber glow filtering through elegant curtains. A chandelier above. High ceilings. Marble floors peeking out from under a deep blue rug.
My heart thudded, slow and confused.
I turned my head—and then I knew.
Zade’s room.
I was back at the Anvers house.
There was an IV drip standing beside the bed. A fresh one. The line was carefully taped to my hand again. Someone had gone through the effort of continuing my treatment here.
Why?
Why bring me back?
The last thing I remembered was Zade holding me, whispering that I’d be safe with him. His voice, his arms, the pounding of his heart. And then… darkness.
I tried to sit up, but my body wasn’t ready. Pain flickered through my side and ribs again, sharp and warning. So I laid back down, eyes scanning the room.
It was silent.
Too silent.
No Aliyah. No Jake. No Ray.
Just the hum of the air conditioner and the steady drip of fluids through the IV line.
Panic started to flutter in my chest again. Where were they? Had something happened? Were we really safe?
Before the thoughts could spiral, the door creaked open gently.
Zade stepped in.
He looked like he hadn’t slept.
His tie was gone, the first few buttons of his shirt undone, sleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was disheveled, like he’d run his fingers through it a hundred times. But the second his eyes met mine, he froze.
“You’re awake,” he said, barely above a whisper.
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t know what to say.
He stepped closer, quietly, carefully, as if he wasn’t sure I’d want him near.
“You passed out in the car,” he continued. “We brought you here. Had my doctor come in and set everything up. You needed rest.”
“Where’s Aliyah?” I croaked, voice rasped.
He sat on the edge of the bed but kept a little distance. “She’s here. So is Jake. And Ray. Everyone’s safe. I wouldn’t leave them behind.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
His eyes flickered to my hand, where the IV ran, and then back to my face. “Do you want water? Anything? Or—should I call Aliyah?”
I shook my head.
“I just…” I licked my lips. “I thought I was dreaming. But this bed—it felt familiar. I knew it was yours.”
He gave a small smile. It didn’t reach his eyes. “I didn’t want you anywhere else.”
“Why?”
The word slipped out before I could stop it.
He blinked. “Because I needed to see you. Every second. Because I needed to know you were breathing, that you’d open your eyes again. Because—” His voice caught. “Because this was the only place I could watch over you properly.”
Silence settled between us.
Thick with things unsaid.
I stared at the man in front of me—the billionaire, the storm, the contradiction. He’d carried me out of danger, fought for me, protected me. And now here he was, sitting like a boy afraid he might lose something precious.
I swallowed hard. “Thank you.”
His eyes flicked up to mine, surprised.
“For not leaving me,” I added softly.
He nodded once, almost imperceptibly. “I never will.”
And for a moment, I almost believed him. Despite the contract screaming in my face.
The door creaked again.
Zade turned, alert.
“Hey,” came a familiar voice. “I didn’t know I was allowed to come in yet.”
Leo.
He walked in carefully, a small bouquet of orange tulips in his hand. His expression was soft, but his eyes shimmered with a tired kind of worry. He looked like someone who hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days.
My heart squeezed.
I remembered how I’d treated him last—brushing off his kindness, snapping when all he ever did was try to be nice. Guilt crawled over me like a blanket too heavy for my frame.
“I—Leo…” I started, sitting up slightly.
But he waved a hand and strolled over like I hadn’t spoken yet. “Don’t say anything sad. You’re awake. That’s all I care about.”
“I was really awful to you,” I whispered.
Leo blinked. “You remember that?”
Zade shot him a look.
Leo grinned. “I’m kidding. Olive, come on. You were going through stuff. It’s not like I haven’t been moody before. Ask Zade—he’s seen me throw a full tantrum because my wine got warm once.”
“Twice,” Zade muttered.
Leo laughed. “Exactly. Look at me. The most dramatic one in the house, and I still didn’t take it personally.”
I smiled, even if it hurt a little.
Leo turned serious, just for a moment, and placed the tulips on the side table. “Don’t scare us like that again, okay? This house... it felt empty. Some people in it were walking around like zombies. Especially certain brooding billionaires who refused to leave their office.”
He gave Zade a playful nudge with his elbow.
Zade rolled his eyes but didn’t respond.
I looked at Zade, then back at Leo. “Thank you. For caring. Both of you.”
Zade reached for my hand again without asking. I let him.
Leo noticed but only smiled faintly. “I’ll give you two a minute. Just don’t get all mushy while I’m out. It’s bad for my eyes.”
“Your eyes are already too perfect,” I muttered.
He chuckled. “Still got your sharp mouth. You’re definitely on the mend.”
And with that, Leo left, the soft click of the door leaving a comfortable quiet behind.
I turned to Zade.
But he was already watching me again.
“Aliyah,” I whispered, blinking slowly. “Is she okay? And Jake?”
Zade, who had been quietly adjusting my blanket, looked at me. “They’re fine. I moved them to your room after we got back.”
I raised a brow. “Together?”
He didn’t miss a beat. “Yes. They’re a couple. And we’re a couple too. That’s why I insisted you stay in here. With me.”
My cheeks burned. It was still strange hearing him say things like that. Still stranger how he said it so naturally, as though there’d never been any contract. No mess. No pain.
Before I could respond, a sharp noise echoed from downstairs—heels clicking hard against marble and the unmistakable sound of a furious woman shouting.
“Zade! Zade Avner! Where is my son?!”
I froze.
Zade groaned under his breath. “Oh God.”
And then the storm came crashing in.
The door burst open, and Mrs. Eloise Avner swept in like a hurricane in black velvet, Anna right behind her. Her hair was perfectly pinned, but her eyes were wild and rimmed with tears. She didn’t acknowledge me at first—just went straight to Zade, grabbing his face like he was five years old again.
“I heard what happened! A hospital? You were in a hospital for three days and I had to hear it from the director?! Why didn’t you call me? What did they do to you? Did you get checked?”
She was tugging at his sleeves, checking his arms, brushing his hair like he’d just fallen off a bicycle.
“Mom,” Zade muttered, “I’m fine. I wasn’t the one admitted.”
That was when her eyes landed on me.
Her concern morphed into fire.
“You.” Her voice was laced with venom. “You are the reason this house keeps spinning in disaster. First you vanish, now the hospital? What are you doing to my son?”
I winced, the pain in my head intensifying, sharp and relentless. I brought a hand to my temple and tried not to cry out.
Zade noticed instantly. “That’s enough.” His voice was ice. “She’s recovering. You’re upsetting her.”
“She’s—!” Mrs. Eloise looked ready to scream again, but then her eyes flicked to me—my pale skin, my trembling hand, the silent wince I couldn’t mask.
Zade stood fully now, stepping between me and his mother. “Out. Now. My wife needs rest. If you care about me at all, don’t make me say it twice.”
“Zade—” Anna started, but he cut her a cold look that snapped her jaw shut.
Mrs. Eloise stood tall, the queen of disdain, lips trembling with rage.
But she didn’t argue.
With a dramatic sigh and a hard glare at me, she turned and swept out. Anna followed, casting me one last look that I couldn’t quite read—something between smugness and hatred.
The room went still again.
Zade turned back to me, gently pushing my hand away from my temple to rub the side of my head in slow, calming circles.
“She won’t come back in here,” he said softly.
“I didn’t mean to make everything worse,” I mumbled.
“You didn’t,” he said. “And if she ever raises her voice at you again, I’ll do more than send her out.”
His voice was firm. And I didn't want to believe him, but a part of me did.
_ _ _
It had been a strange week. Strange and soft and… confusing.
Zade hadn’t left my side.
He moved me into his room like it was the most natural thing in the world. He adjusted my pillows, warmed my meals, ignored phone calls like they were background noise. Some days he silenced the device entirely. Other times, I watched him switch it off mid-ring, as if nothing outside that room mattered more than I did.
And that did something to me.
Something I didn’t know how to name.
But he never crossed any lines. He kept a respectful distance. Aliyah was the one who helped me bathe, gently washing around the bruises like they were fragile glass. When I protested that I could manage alone now, Zade still lingered just close enough to hear my breathing shift. Just in case.
Meanwhile, Ray had healed so fast it almost made me feel slow. He brushed it off when I expressed concern, and told me it was just “part of the job.” Apparently, surviving pain was something he was getting used to.
But me? I wasn’t used to any of this.
Not accidents.
Not the soft tone in Zade’s voice when he woke her for breakfast.
Not the way he rubbed my shoulders when the nightmares came.
Not the way he looked at me like I was… his.
It unsettled me. But in a good way.
And when he told me that Aliyah and Jake had to move out—into a new place he’d gotten for them because “the old house was compromised”—I’d tried to argue. Tried to say he didn’t have to.
But he insisted. And when Zade insisted, the earth usually stopped moving.
Aliyah had hugged me so tight the morning they left, nearly making me cry. Jake had thanked Zade in a quiet, respectful voice, like he’d seen a side of him no one ever talked about. We all parted with laughter and leftover pain—and a peace that felt… eerie.
Too perfect.
But Amanda… She still hadn't said anything, literally. No texts or calls. Nothing at all.
It drained me thinking about her everyday.
This morning, I sat on the edge of the bed, my legs tucked beneath me, fingers brushing the soft cotton of his sheets. Thinking. About everything. About him.
Zade emerged from the closet, fully dressed in deep navy—button-down shirt, fitted pants, gold cufflinks. Sharp. Controlled. Gorgeous.
“Hey,” he said, checking his watch, then me. “Would you be okay if I went in for a few hours?”
I looked up, surprised. “Yes. Of course. You’ve already missed too much.”
He walked over, slowly, eyes fixed on me like he was trying to read my mind. “I didn’t want to go until I was sure.”
The way he said it made my chest tight.
“You’ve been acting like a perfect husband lately,” I said softly.
He smiled. Just a little. “Maybe I like the role.”
Before I could process that, he leaned down, one hand gently cradling the back of my head, and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“Stay safe,” he murmured.
Then he walked out.
And the room felt… bigger. Quieter. Like something was coming.
Something that might shatter this peace.
I ate lunch alone in the dining room, surrounded by golden silence. The kind of silence that made you feel like someone was watching—even when you were alone.
Just as I pushed my plate aside, my phone buzzed with a text..
It was Zade.
“I’ve sent Anna to get some documents from my study. Let her in when she arrives.
I scoffed under my breath. Like I can even stop Anna from coming in…
Minutes later, the heels came first, clicking crisply against the polished floors, and then Anna appeared in the doorway, flawless as ever in her fitted ivory blouse and blood-red lipstick. The sight of her still made my stomach tighten.