The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 56

Aveline

By my fourth day in the hospital, I was practically climbing the walls. Physically, I felt fine—the headaches had subsided, the dizziness was gone, and the doctors kept saying I'd be discharged any day now. But mentally, I was becoming increasingly paranoid with each passing hour.

Ever since learning about the truck driver, Orion's visits had taken on a completely different quality. He'd arrive looking sharp and dangerous, spend maybe twenty minutes checking on my recovery, then disappear again with barely an explanation. But it was the phone calls that really unnerved me—hushed conversations in the hallway where I could only catch fragments like "taken care of" and "won't be a problem anymore."

Worse yet, every time he looked at me, those dark eyes seemed to pierce straight through to my soul. The way he studied my face, like he was solving a puzzle I didn't want him to complete, made my skin crawl with anxiety. I found myself avoiding his gaze, which only seemed to amuse him in a way that was deeply unsettling.

I needed to get out of here before his penetrating stare broke down my defenses completely. At this rate, I'd end up confessing everything just to escape the psychological pressure.

That's when Luna burst through the door like a ray of sunshine, her arms laden with a gorgeous bouquet of mixed flowers and her face bright with concern.

"Aveline!" she practically shrieked, rushing toward my bed and enveloping me in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh my God, are you okay? How are you feeling? Do you need anything? I can't believe you didn't tell me you were in the hospital!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her dramatic entrance, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders for the first time in days. "I'm fine, Luna, really. I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily."

She pulled back to look at me with mock offense, her green eyes sparkling with indignation. "Worry me unnecessarily? Aveline, did all those years in Europe make you forget how friendships work? You don't hide major life events from your best friend!"

"You're absolutely right," I said, feeling genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry. Next time I'll call you immediately, okay?"

"Next time?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "There better not be a next time!"

"But wait," I said, suddenly curious, "how did you even find out I was here?" 

Luna's expression shifted from playful to serious, and she settled into the chair beside my bed with the air of someone about to deliver important news.

"Actually, I had no idea you were in an accident until yesterday," she said, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "It wasn't until word started spreading through our old social circles about Melody Hart that I heard your name mentioned."

My blood went cold. "Melody? What about her?"

"Oh honey," Luna's eyes lit up with a mixture of concern and what looked suspiciously like satisfaction. "You haven't heard? The whole city's talking about it. Melody was arrested for hiring someone to try to kill you."

I nearly fell out of the hospital bed. "What?!"

Luna nodded solemnly. "Apparently the police investigation into your truck driver led them straight back to her. She'd been planning this for weeks, ever since she got fired by some wealthy family. But don't worry," she added quickly, seeing my shocked expression, "she's not going to be bothering anyone for a very long time."

My mind was reeling. So all those threats she'd made before weren't just empty words—she'd actually meant them. The woman was genuinely dangerous, capable of planning an actual murder attempt when things didn't go her way. How terrifying. 

"But that's not even the best part," Luna continued, pulling out her phone with obvious glee. "Look at this."

She showed me her screen, which was filled with news headlines and social media posts. I could barely process what I was reading:

*"Deputy Commissioner Richard Hart Arrested on Corruption Charges"*

*"City Planning Department Scandal Rocks Manhattan"*

*"Hart Family Assets Frozen Pending Investigation"*

"Her father?" I whispered, scrolling through the articles with growing amazement.

"Completely destroyed," Luna said with obvious satisfaction. "And here's the really beautiful part—Melody herself was found beaten unconscious in an alley three days ago. Apparently someone didn't appreciate her little murder-for-hire scheme."

A complex mix of emotions swirled through me. Part of me wanted to feel sorry for anyone who'd been brutally attacked, but when I remembered that truck bearing down on my car, when I thought about how close I'd come to dying...

"I can't say I feel bad for her," I admitted quietly.

"You shouldn't," Luna said firmly. "She literally tried to kill you, Aveline. Whatever happened to her, she brought it on herself."

She leaned forward, her expression growing curious. "But now I need to know—who is he?"

"Who's who?"

"The man who did all this for you," Luna said with obvious excitement. "Do you have any idea how much power it would take to bring down a city official that quickly? And to have someone... handled... with that level of efficiency? We're talking about serious, serious connections here."

I felt my face flush. "Luna, you're making this sound like some kind of romantic gesture. He's just Ryan's father, and he was concerned about his son's teacher being attacked."

"Ryan's father?" Luna's eyes went wide. "Wait a minute. Please don't tell me you're talking about Orion Blackwell."

"I... how do you know his name?"

Luna practically bounced in her chair. "Aveline! Do you realize you're talking about Manhattan's most eligible bachelor? The man every single woman in the city has been trying to catch for years? He's gorgeous, brilliant, incredibly wealthy, and he's a devoted single father to boot!"

She grabbed my hands with obvious excitement. "And he just destroyed a government official for you! That's not concern for his son's teacher—that's a man protecting someone he cares about!"

"Luna, stop," I said, trying to pull my hands away. "You're being ridiculous. Yes, he's attractive and successful, but you know me—I have zero interest in becoming someone's stepmother. Besides, we're just..." I trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.

"Just what?" Luna pressed, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

I thought about Orion's intense stares, the way he'd stayed with me all night, the possessive edge in his voice when he talked about being "responsible" for my care. Then I thought about the hotel room, the ring, the growing certainty in his eyes that suggested he was piecing together a puzzle I desperately needed him to leave unsolved.

"Just complicated," I finished weakly.

Luna's grin was absolutely wicked. "Honey, the best relationships always are."

Before I could protest further, she was already planning what she clearly saw as my inevitable romantic future with one of New York's most powerful men. If only she knew how catastrophically complicated the situation really was.