Back In His Embrace

The yellow cab splashed through the flooded streets of Manhattan, the torrential downpour hammering against the roof like a barrage of bullets. Brandy Clarke sat in the backseat, her eyes fixed on the blurred neon lights bleeding across the wet glass. She hadn't bothered to wait for an umbrella after her evening lecture at the medical seminar, and her trench coat was damp, clinging uncomfortably to her shoulders.

When the cab finally pulled up to the grand entrance of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, she paid the fare and dashed through the sliding glass doors, shivering slightly as the hyper-conditioned air of the lobby hit her wet clothes. She made her way to the VIP wing, the pristine, quiet corridors a stark contrast to the storm raging outside.

As she walked toward the expansive suite where her father was staying, she passed the staff break room. The door was propped open, and she paused instinctively. Inside, a colleague was heating up some late-night takeout, the smell of microwaved pasta wafting into the hall.

"Done with your lecture already, Brandy?" the colleague asked, turning around with a tired smile.

"Yeah," Brandy replied, stepping into the doorway and scanning the room. "Just got back."

"Looking for someone?"

"Is... Chloe not around?" Brandy asked, trying to sound casual.

"Chloe? No, she went home hours ago. She's not on the night rotation this week."

"Oh," Brandy murmured, her fingers tracing the edge of her damp sleeve. She hesitated, biting her lower lip—a nervous habit she couldn't quite shake. Finally, she couldn't stop the question from slipping out. "Does she not need to be here to monitor Mr. Payne? I heard his injuries were... pretty severe."

The colleague let out a soft laugh, stirring her pasta. "Barron Payne? He was discharged this afternoon. Honestly, with his kind of money, he has a whole team of private concierge doctors at his disposal. Why would a billionaire stay in a stuffy hospital room when he can recover in a multi-million-dollar penthouse? We're good, but we can't compete with that level of luxury."

Brandy stood frozen for a second. He was already gone.

A hollow feeling echoed in her chest. Of course he was. With friends like Adrien Pratt and Dr. Evan Hayes—men who represented the absolute elite of their respective fields—Barron lacked nothing. Why had she even worried? A minor complication like this was nothing they couldn't handle. Her concern was entirely redundant.

She forced a polite smile, suppressing the sharp sting of disappointment, and excused herself.

Pushing open the heavy oak door to her father's VIP suite, she was met with the steady, rhythmic beep of the heart monitor. Her father was resting, his breathing shallow but even. Martha, the dedicated private caregiver who had been with their family for years, looked up from her knitting.

"Good heavens, Brandy, you didn't even take an umbrella?" Martha scolded gently, setting her needles down. She immediately grabbed a thick, dry towel from the linen closet and draped it over Brandy's head, vigorously rubbing her damp hair. "Go to the bathroom and change out of those wet clothes. I'll put them in the dryer. It's almost autumn, you can't be catching a chill now."

"I know, Martha, thank you," Brandy sighed, letting the older woman fuss over her. She pulled a clean white button-down shirt from the small wardrobe they kept in the suite and retreated to the bathroom to change.

When she emerged, feeling warmer but no less exhausted, Martha was already hanging her damp coat on the drying rack.

"Where is Blake?" Martha asked, her brow furrowing in disapproval. "He's usually made an appearance by now. Why is he nowhere to be seen tonight?"

"He's probably just busy," Brandy said flatly, picking up a medical journal from the coffee table.