The Heir's Redemption

Chapter eight

Carter's face contorted with a mixture of fury and fear as he hastily grabbed his phone from the carpeted floor. Panic tinged his voice as he quickly dialed the security line.

"Security, this is Carter. There's an intruder in the lobby, armed and dangerous. Get in here now!" His words were sharp. 

Chris ignored him, his savage mood reflecting on his face. He was conflicted as he watched Anna lying unconsciously. 

He’d done some hard things in his life, but none of them had been as difficult as letting Anna go and having to watch her get cozy with another man, especially a man like Carter. 

On one hand, his heart burned with malice that she’d left him just at the turning point. She'd left him after he had given her all the love he could. She'd left him for someone she felt was wealthier than him. In her own words, 'she needed a real man'.

On the other hand, he knew she was vulnerable and Carter had exploited her vulnerability. Even going as far as drugging her, just to get her into his bed. 

Such a coward.

It went against every instinct he had, but nothing he’d said could change her mind, and he was helpless, handcuffed by circumstance. He couldn’t afford to do anything that would focus attention on her; it would merely increase the danger she was in.

Chris could have sacrificed himself without hesitation or even regret if it had been necessary, but the simple, terrible truth was that he couldn’t sacrifice Anna, no matter what she'd done to him. 

He had to do whatever he could to keep her safe, even if it meant swallowing his pride and possessive instincts. She was better off without him if being with him made her unhappy. 

Chris knew Carter. He knew that he was damned good at his job…too good, had influence and power, and he also knew that he played dirty, just like his father.

He also had a good-sized ego; which meant if this situation went public, it would make him furious, and he wouldn’t let it pass. He would be back.

Patience, the ability to wait even in the face of great urgency, was one of Chris’s greatest gifts. He knew how to wait, how to pick his moment for optimum success, how to ignore danger, and concentrate solely on timing.

He heard approaching footsteps and lifted his gaze to see it was some security staff. 

The security staff surrounded him, trying to handcuff him and lead him out of the lobby. 

"How did he get up here?" Carter yelled at them. "I'll fire all of you, you incompetent bastards!" 

Chris reached for his phone and dialed his butler. The familiar voice answered, "Sir, is everything all right? Have you found them?"

In a calm tone, he responded, "There's a situation here, but I need you to handle it discreetly." 

"I'm here to take my wife with me."

"She isn't your wife," Carter responded with a snarl.

"Well... We aren't officially divorced yet. Which means she's still married to me."

"You can't take her without her consent." 

"She's not in a good state to decide for herself now, is she? Which gives me the right to decide for her."

Just then, Potter arrived with a few guards. Chris recognized them as his former personal bodyguards. 

"Unhand him immediately," Potter said to the security guards holding Chris, his tone urgent. 

They looked at each other in confusion. They didn't budge. 

"How dare you come in here to give orders? This is my hotel!"

"Of course, it is your hotel. And when news of you kidnapping a married woman gets out, your hotel will cease to exist."

"I did no such thing."

"Oh really? There's video Evidence Mr Carter. I'll advise you to end this here and now." 

Cater seemed to weigh the chances and nodded to his security staff. 

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience sir. If you would come with me, sir." Potter said to Chris. 

Chris knew Potter had lied about having video evidence. Potter knew his way around these things. He was very efficient in handling difficult matters like this.

Carter, seeing his opportunity, stalked out of the room. Of course, he knew no one would stop him. He owned the hotel. The staff worked for him. However, he wondered why Mr Potter regarded Chris with so much respect. He was a nobody.

He intended to find out, but first, he had to manage the situation on the ground. 

Chris on the other hand wanted to go after Carter. He wanted to punch him until he was satisfied. However, watching Anna lying there, unconscious, oblivious to the chaos around her, made him not go after him.

He had decided to stay with her till she woke up but hours later, she was still asleep, without even turning. Chris decided to take her to a hospital, afraid that she had been unconscious for too long. 

A few minutes later, Chris leaned against the wall in the hospital waiting room, his nostrils filled with the sharp smell of antiseptic and his dark face cold and remote, even though there was screaming hell in his eyes. Behind him was Potter waiting with him. 

No matter how he tried, Chris couldn’t get the picture of Anna, lying on that couch unconscious, out of his mind. She had looked so small and fragile, her eyes closed and her face paper white, crumpled like a child’s discarded doll, one slender hand lying palm up.

The moment he carried her out of the hotel, incredibly, her eyes had opened. She was dazed, but those clear, clear eyes had fastened on him as if he were her lifeline, and her trembling lips had fashioned his name. It wasn’t until then that he realized she was alive.

He would stay only until he was sure she was okay and he knew she would be all right; there was no way he could leave until he knew until he’d seen her again and touched her. But then he and Potter would have to leave. The situation was critical; he had to leave before the news of this leaked back, before the media told their versions of the story, and before Carter could cover his tracks.

The doctor entered the waiting room, his lined face tired. “Mr. Robinson?”

Chris had identified himself as Anna’s husband. Legality be damned. Technically, they were still married. Their divorce proceedings hadn't been concluded yet. He straightened away from the wall, his entire body taut. “Yes?”

“Your wife is doing fine. She’s in recovery now. It's a good thing you brought her here on time. She had a large amount of Ketamine in her system and she was extremely dehydrated. We managed to get some liquid into her, and her condition is stabilizing.

The relief was so great that all he could do was croak, “When can I see her?”

“Probably in about an hour. I’m going to keep her here overnight, but it’s just precautionary. I don’t think there would be any complications, but if there are, I want her here. I’ll have a nurse come for you when she wakes up."

Chris nodded and shook the doctor’s hand; then he stood rigidly, unable to relax even now. 

 Just when Chris was about to call Anna's parents, they arrived. He was surprised because he hadn't yet called them, so how would they have known where to find him?

Anna's mother, Catherine, had an agitated look on her face. When she got closer, she almost yelled. "What have you done to our daughter? Where's my baby?"

Chris was shocked. He didn't understand why she sounded like he put Anna in her condition. 

"Catherine, please calm down. Anna is okay. The doctor said we'll be able to see her in an hour."

"I should calm down? She wouldn't be here in the first place if not for you. What did you do to her?" She pointed a finger angrily at him, sounding hysterical. Anna's father tried to hold her. 

"Catherine, Anna was drugged at a party. Luckily, I was there to rescue her on time and I brought her here. What do you mean by "I did this to her?"

Chris was confused. He knew Anna's parents had never liked him and they had never supported his marriage to Anna. But right now, they were taking things too far. 

"Save your flimsy explanation, young man. The police are already on their way here." Anna's father said grimly.