With a look of annoyance, he rifled through my bag, finding the small orange bottle. Instead of handing it to me, he studied the label.
"These are expensive," he remarked coldly. "Another drain on resources that could be going to Victoria and the baby."
As my breathing became more labored, he finally tossed the bottle onto the bed, just beyond my reach. I struggled to grasp it with trembling fingers.
"You know," he said, watching me struggle, "you should really stop this childish behavior. It's embarrassing at your age."
I managed to swallow a pill dry, waiting for the medicine to ease the crushing pressure in my chest.
Alexander's phone chimed with a message. His entire appearance changed as he read it, his face softening.
"Victoria's having cravings again," he murmured.
Before he could leave, I gathered my strength to ask, "May I have my phone?"
He paused, studying me with sudden suspicion. "Who would you need to call?"
"My healer," I lied smoothly. "About my medication."
After a moment of deliberation, he instructed a nurse to bring my phone from the drawer.
As I scrolled through my notifications, I noticed dozens of missed calls from a number Alexander had never seen before.
"Who's been calling you so persistently?" he demanded, hostility creeping into his voice.
I looked up at him, my gaze unwavering for the first time in years. "Someone who actually cares whether I live or die."
His jaw tightened as he loosened his tie. Leaning over my hospital bed, he gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white.
"Olivia," he hissed, "I've tolerated your little rebellion long enough. You belong to me, remember? Everything you have—your medical care, this private room, the clothes on your back—all of it exists because of my generosity."
Once, those words would have broken me. I would have apologized, begged for forgiveness, tried to make amends.
Instead, I simply pointed to his vibrating phone and said tonelessly, "Victoria needs you."
The fight drained from his expression at the sound of her name. Without another glance in my direction, he strode into the hallway to answer her call.
The moment the door closed behind him, my phone rang again. I answered immediately, my voice barely above a whisper.