He should have picked her up from work himself. If he had, none of this would have happened.
Regret sank its claws into him, dragging him deeper into the dark. He sat there, lost in thought, the weight of his failure pressing down so heavily that he didn’t even notice Dominic stepping into the room.
Sensing the heavy tension around Collin, Dominic hesitated before stepping forward. “I found traces of a drug in Linsey’s system,” he said carefully. “Luckily, you got her here in time. She’s on an IV now, and after some rest, she should be fine. But…”
His gaze flickered over Collin, taking in the rigid posture and the storm brewing beneath his expression.
“Collin, what the hell is going on?” Dominic’s voice was edged with urgency. “How did she end up drugged?”
His expression darkened, suspicion flickering across his face. “You didn’t do this to her… did you?”
Collin’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t dignify the accusation with outrage. Instead, his voice was eerily calm. “She was kidnapped. I got her out and brought her here.”
Dominic’s expression stiffened. “Who the hell would dare pull something like this?”
Collin exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “The bastard’s already been dealt with. It was Linsey’s ex-Felix Wells.”
Dominic’s frown deepened. He had heard bits and pieces about Linsey’s past from Dustin, but this? This was messier than he had expected.
“Felix’s family runs a small, insignificant company,” Dominic said, his voice measured. “But the drug in Linsey’s system… That’s not something just anyone can get their hands on. If you hadn’t brought her to me, most doctors wouldn’t have even recognized it, let alone traced it back to its source.”
He met Collin’s gaze, eyes sharp with suspicion. “Which means Felix probably isn’t working alone.”
Collin’s initial panic over Linsey’s condition ebbed, giving way to a cold, calculating stillness. Felix alone couldn’t have pulled this off. That much was certain.
The business park where Linsey worked had top-tier security. Random streetlight repairs, like the one tonight, were practically unheard of. This wasn’t a coincidence-someone had orchestrated it.
Only a handful of people had the resources to execute something this precise. One name surfaced in Collin’s mind-Huntley. Huntley himself wasn’t particularly cunning, but with Fernanda backing him, there were no limits to what he could do.
Before Collin could voice his thoughts, Dominic spoke first. “Could it be Gorman?”
When Collin heard that familiar name, his face immediately clouded over.
With growing certainty, Dominic declared, “In town, for every person trying to cozy up to you as the founder of CR Corporation, there’s another trying to knock you down-especially Gorman. He’s not only made blatant attempts to poach resources from CR Corporation, but he’s also been probing your identity. He’s likely tried to take you down more times than we can count. Could tonight’s incident be his handiwork? Perhaps he unearthed something and orchestrated this as revenge?”
Collin’s expression grew more severe.
He had spent years posing as the ineffectual eldest son of the Riley family, all the while shielding his true identity as the head of CR Corporation. This ruse was designed to divert the Rileys, but chiefly to dodge the plots of Gorman Green.
The persistent attacks from Gorman were one matter, but if Linsey was being dragged into this mess, Collin would not stand for it!
Drawing in a deep breath, he spoke in a subdued tone. “I’m going to uncover who’s behind this.”
At that moment, Dominic’s assistant tapped on the door and informed them, “Dr. Larson, the young lady should be waking up soon.” Hearing this, Collin instantly put everything else out of his mind and made to check on Linsey.
Dominic swiftly stepped in front of him, his tone urgent. “You can’t just walk out like that.”
He cast a quick glance at Collin’s legs and murmured, “Too many eyes are watching us here. For Linsey’s safety, you can’t let anyone see that your disability is merely a pretense.”
Collin paused, absorbing the caution in Dominic’s voice. “Understood,” he murmured.
Inside the hospital room, Linsey slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry as she stared at the stark white ceiling, her mind clouded with confusion.
Where was she? What just happened? Why couldn’t she remember anything?
A faint frown formed on her brow.
Suddenly, a voice filled with relief spoke from beside her. “You’re awake.”
A hand reached toward her forehead.
As soon as Linsey saw the hand, she flashed back to the image of Felix lunging at her.
“Ah!” Linsey’s heart raced with panic, and she quickly pushed herself up, scooting back. She didn’t even notice the needle slipping from her hand. “Don’t come near me! Stay away!”
The nurse, taken aback by the sudden outburst, asked, “What’s wrong?”
The sight of the unfamiliar nurse’s face heightened Linsey’s anxiety. She shook her head, her eyes wide with terror. “Don’t come any closer!” she cried out hoarsely.
The nurse, noticing the blood starting to drip from Linsey’s hand, stepped forward. “Please calm down. You’re bleeding. I need to treat your wound.”
But Linsey, consumed by her fear, didn’t listen. As the nurse approached, her panic escalated.
“Stay away!” Linsey screamed, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face. Desperately, she turned her head, and her eyes landed on a fruit knife on the nearby table. Without thinking, she snatched the knife, holding it out defensively.
“Stay away! If you come any closer, I’ll… I’ll…”
The nurse stopped, frozen in place, unsure how to proceed. Fearing Linsey might harm herself, the nurse quickly exited to seek help.
Just as the nurse dashed out, she nearly ran into Dominic, who was pushing Collin’s wheelchair. “Dr. Larson! Please, come quickly! The patient is agitated, and I don’t know what to do!” she exclaimed. Collin’s eyes widened with concern. He propelled himself toward the room as fast as he could.
Upon reaching the doorway, he saw Linsey, knife in hand, her face etched with fear.
“Linsey!”
Collin’s chest tightened as he stepped closer, stopping at the edge of the bed.
At the sound of movement, she let out another terrified scream.
“Stay away! Don’t touch me!”
Her head remained bowed, her entire body trembling. The fruit knife in her grip shook violently, held so tightly her knuckles turned white. Blood seeped from the back of her hand where the IV needle had been ripped out, crimson streaking against her pale skin.
The sight sent a sharp pang through Collin’s chest.
Pain flickered in his eyes, but he forced himself to stay calm. He took a slow, steady breath and softened his tone, keeping it low but firm.
“Linsey, look at me. It’s Collin. I’m here. You’re safe.”
Linsey stiffened, her breath hitching as her wide, tear-streaked eyes locked onto his.
“Collin?” she whispered, voice unsteady.
He nodded slowly.
“It’s me, Linsey. You’re safe. We’re in a hospital-no one can hurt you here. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.