Page 131 of The Protégé

“Are you done? You’re ruining my evening.”

“You should pay more attention to your boyfriend.” She made a face. “He’s not a one-woman kind of guy. You’ll see.”

With that, she rose and walked over to a table with a group of women.

Was she trying to annoy me? Or was there some truth in there?

Frustration clawed at me for not being able to shake off her words. She’d planted self-doubtsin my head.

A text from Orionpopped onto my screen. And it wasn’t what I expected.

Orion:Can’t make it. See you at home.

The self-doubt grew as I drove home.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

ORION

I hungup the phone with Dr. Karl Cederholm and waited for Elena to arrive. My chest ached from the news of my father’s dire situation and my missed date with Elena. The guilt tore at me, but I had to deal with an emergency.

I had to maintain composure and clarity to deal with it, otherwise I’d make a mistake.

My hands trembled as I wondered what had happened to my father. As far as I knew, he’d always been a healthy man. Earlier today, he had a horrible allergic reaction to seafood that collapsed his body into a coma. Everyone knew he was allergic to seafood. Like me, Rex Reimann had enemies as well. Probably more because he’d been in the business arena much longer than I had.

My chest tightened again. I didn’t realize how much I wanted him to be proud of me until this moment. What if there would never be an opportunity? What if he never woke up from his coma?

Had I been too stubborn to forgive him? To make amends like my mother had always wanted? The emotional instabilityoverwhelmed me, and my mind wandered back to Elena for comfort.

I loved her more than she could ever know. A powerful storm had arrived, placing me in the middle of it. I was trying my best to deal with each issue carefully and cautiously.

In the unpredictable business arena, I was used to instability. The only difference now was that I had more at stake. I was in love. Before Elena, I didn’t need to worry about anyone. But now, my world and hers had blended. I’d never wanted the darkness from my world touching hers. But it appeared we were fated. I still needed to tell her about The Condor.

I heard Elena’s car pull up to the driveway. A sense of relief swept over me.

Elena entered the house, looking sad and tired. I hated the crease on her forehead, the tight lips and the sagging shoulders. She kicked off her shoes and met my gaze.

I probably didn’t look any better because her facial expression changed.

She dropped her purse on the side table and walked up to me. “What’s wrong?”

I wrapped my arms around her, inhaling her scent. The familiar floral scent comforted me.

I drew back. “My father’s in a coma. Ralph called me earlier. I’ve been on calls with the doctors, lawyers, and board members of the Reimann Corporation most of the day.”

“Oh my God.” She placed a gentle hand on my arm, soothing me. “What happened? Do you need to go see him?”

“Yes, I do,” I said, noticing the fatigue in her eyes being replaced with concern for me. “Sorry about our dinner date. I didn’t get a chance?—”

“Don’t worry about it.” She kissed me. “Do you need me to come with you?

“I would appreciate that.” More than she could ever know.

“I’ll go pack now.”

Hours later we arrived at Central Care Hospital in Sweden. I’d purchased this hospital years ago when it was about to close because of a lack of funding. The doctors and nurses here had treated me and Ralph many years ago when we’d gotten into a car accident. They were efficient, thorough, and not a single detail about a Reimann family member being at the hospital was leaked to the media. I appreciated that. The media liked to put their spin on things, and I preferred my privacy.

I’d made urgent arrangements to have my father transported to Central Care Hospital for his safety and the best care in the world. My father’s health situation made me question too many things. I needed time to investigate while the best doctors cared for him.

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