Chapter 6 - THE NIGHT HE REFUSED TO LEAVE
At 2:13 a.m., Alicia collapsed.
One moment, she was standing beside the bathroom sink.
The next, her knees gave way.
Valyrian heard the noise from the bedroom.
He reached her before she hit the floor completely.
"Alicia!"
Her skin was burning.
She tried to answer, but her breathing had become shallow.
He lifted her carefully.
"Look at me."
Her eyes fluttered.
"Don't panic."
The absurdity of the words nearly shattered him.
His wife was struggling to remain conscious.
And she was still trying to reassure him.
Valyrian carried her downstairs while calling emergency services.
By the time the ambulance arrived, he was waiting at the entrance with Alicia wrapped in a blanket.
He climbed in beside her.
The paramedic checked her temperature and blood pressure.
"How long has she been receiving treatment?"
Valyrian opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
He didn't know the complete answer.
He didn't know the dates of her infusions.
He didn't know the names of her specialists.
He didn't even know when she'd last eaten a full meal.
His shame was overwhelming.
Alicia weakly reached for him.
"Val."
He took her hand.
"I'm here."
She whispered, "Don't leave."
He leaned close.
"Never again."
At the hospital, doctors evaluated her urgently for a possible serious infection, a known risk during some cancer treatments.
Valyrian waited outside the treatment room.
For the first time in years, he couldn't make a single phone call that would solve the problem in front of him.
He couldn't buy certainty.
He couldn't command the test results.
He could only wait for medical professionals to do their work.
Dr. Hannah Brooks arrived shortly before dawn.
She was Alicia's oncologist.
"Mr. Darks?"
Valyrian stood immediately.
"How is she?"
"She's receiving treatment and close monitoring. Her condition is serious, but she's responding to the initial care."
He gripped the back of a chair.
"Will she survive?"
Dr. Brooks regarded him carefully.
"We're doing everything medically appropriate. I can't make promises, but we're encouraged by some of her early signs."
Valyrian nodded.
Then asked the question he dreaded.
"How long has my wife been fighting this alone?"
The doctor hesitated.
"Alicia has attended most appointments without a family member. She told our team she didn't want to worry anyone."
Valyrian looked toward the treatment room.
"She should never have had to do that."
Dr. Brooks softened.
"Then be here now."
Hours later, Alicia was moved to a private room.
Valyrian sat beside her.
He took the divorce papers from his jacket.
The pages were wrinkled from the rain.
He stared at his signature.
Then tore the documents in half.
And again.
And again.
He dropped the pieces into the wastebasket.
Alicia watched from the bed.
"You know that doesn't legally cancel anything."
Valyrian looked up.
A faint smile touched her lips.
Despite everything, she was still correcting him.
"I'll notify the attorney," he said.
She studied him.
"Why?"
He pulled his chair closer.
"Because I almost walked away from the woman I promised to love."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Valyrian gently wiped it away.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me tonight."
"Good."
"I'm asking for the chance to become someone you can trust again."
Alicia remained silent.
Then she reached for his hand.
Before either could speak, Valyrian's phone vibrated.
Marco.
"Boss, we found something in the estate's security footage."
"What?"
"Caleum entered Alicia's private study last week."
Valyrian's eyes narrowed.
"And?"
"He removed a medical envelope from her desk."
"Where is it?"
Marco hesitated.
"We recovered a copy from the office scanner."
The envelope had contained a letter from Alicia's specialist.
And across the top was a warning.
URGENT: POSSIBLE EVIDENCE OF MEDICAL RECORD TAMPERING.
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Caleum hadn't just known Alicia was sick.
He had known someone was investigating why her treatment history didn't make sense.
