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Lingering Obsession

Lingering Obsession

Manie D

5.0
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"He was just a stranger on a road. Now he's the father of my child, the man I can't trust... and the one I can't stop loving." I saved a stranger on a dark, deserted road. What I didn't know was that he was Darlington Cross-a billionaire whose name ruled headlines and whose enemies hunted him like prey. That night changed everything. One night of passion months later? That ruined me. He didn't know I was the woman who once saved his life. I didn't know he would become the man determined to claim mine. Now, I carry his child. And he's turned my world into a golden cage, forcing me into marriage-twisting love, protection, and obsession into one terrifying promise: You will never walk away from me again. But I'm not the same woman anymore. Not just a surgeon. Not just his secret. I'm his equal now. And I'm done running. Because the deeper our war becomes, the more I realize... Darlington isn't just fighting for power. He's fighting for me. And in the ashes of betrayal and blood, I'll have to decide- Is his love my ruin... or my redemption?

Chapter 1 RESCUING DARLINGTON CROSS

Elara POV

I shouldn't have been on the road that late.

My shift at the hospital that had led to two complete weeks of half eyed sleep, back to back surgeries, coffee that had began to taste like medicine. The only thing my mind could picture was the comfort of my tiny home, the warmth of a shower, and the weight of sleep pulling me under.

But then I saw him.

An unconscious figure lying by the side of the road.

I quickly made a slam on my car brakes, making my tire screech to a halt. I felt my heart beat so loud that it felt like it would pop out.

I held to my steering in hesitation as I had heard stories in the city of people who stopped on the road for a stranger who was in need of help and it ended up to be a set up, and i wasn't willing to risk my own safety either.

But something about this... felt off.

I stepped out of my car to take a look on who it was. The night air was damp with the lingering scent of rain, and as I got to where he was, a sharp, metallic tang of blood filled my nostrils.

"Oh my God."

The man was half conscious, his suit had already soaked in blood, his white shirt totally red, a deep wound slashed across his chest very close to where his heart laid. I quickly dropped to my knees beside him, adrenaline surging through my veins.

"Hey! Can you hear me?" I shook his shoulder gently, but there was no response only slow whimpers.

Taking a deep breath, I quickly ran back to my car and turned on my hazard lights, grabbed the first aid kit from my glove compartment, and stepped out of the car running to where he laid.

Panic threatened to take hold, but I pushed it down. Years of working double shifts at the hospital as a surgeon had taught me to stay calm under pressure.

I yanked open the first aid kit, my hands moving on instinct. Applying pressure to the wound, I watched as blood seeped through my fingers. He was losing too much.

"You need to hold on," I murmured, my voice shaking. "Help is coming."

I was still applying pressure to his wound with one hand, then I used to other to fumble for my phone as I dialed emergency services.

"There's a man-he's been stabbed. He's unconscious and bleeding out on the side of the road near Westgate Avenue. I need an ambulance now."

"Ma'am, can you stay with the victim until paramedics arrive?" the dispatcher asked.

I hesitated. I knew how this worked. The police would come next. They'd ask questions.

Too many questions. And I had no answers.

I had no idea on who this man was, why he was attacked terribly like this, or if the people who had planned this were still around somehow.

"I-I have to go," I urged, glancing down at the now unconscious figure laying helplessly..

"Ma'am, please you need to-"

I ended the call, putting my phone back into my pocket as I quickly arranged my kit back to my box.

Not long after, the faint sound of sirens became louder, cutting through the eerie silence of the night. I took one last look at his pale face, his breathing patterns was not steady but shallow. He was alive-for now.

"I'm sorry to leave you like this, sir," I mumured to his ears, as i rose to my feet. The loud sound of the sirens had enveloped my voice making it barely audible.

"But I can assure that you're going to be okay." I stood still for a moment, feeling a pang of guilt. "I don't know how to stay to give a statement for an incident I'm not quite aware of." It sounded like a weak excuse, even to my own ears.

Taking one final glance at the approaching red and blue lights, I crossed over and climbed my car. I knew I had to quickly make my way out of here before the police and ambulance arrive to the scene. I started my engine and drove away from the scene, leaving the stranger all to himself. As I drove off, I was still able to catch a glimpse of the figure in the rearview mirror. He was still lying there, unable to move, as the ambulance cars made a stop around him.

I was already approaching my apartment still trying to clear the scenario from my mind. What had just happened? Who was the helpless man, and why was he almost dead in the middle of the road?

The ambulance sirens had faded into the distance as I was already far away from the scene. And somehow I felt relieved that he was finally going to be okay.

______.

St. Michael Hospital

The ambulance made a sudden stop outside the emergency entrance of St. Michael Hospital, tires screeching louder than they probably needed to. Doors slammed open. Paramedics were shouting - not panicked, but fast, focused. The guy on the stretcher didn't move. Didn't make a sound.

Inside, the ER lit up like a flipped switch as Nurses rushed in to attend to him.

"Doesn't he have an identity?" a nurse called out, already digging through the man's jacket.

"Nothing on him," one of the paramedics replied. "No ID. No phone. Just... nothing."

The doctor leaned in, his brow furrowing. "Get his fingerprints to run some tests. Now."

"Darlington Cross," the doctor muttered, barely above a whisper. Then louder: "We need to move. Now."

In seconds, the quiet chaos exploded again. They wheeled him off toward surgery like the floor was on fire. Doors slammed. Shouts echoed. Someone dropped a clipboard.

-

Back at my apartment

On the other side of the city, I stepped into the shower and just... stood there. Let the hot water run over my face until my skin started to burn a little. My hands were shaking.

I wasn't sure why. I didn't know the guy. He was just a stranger bleeding out on a sidewalk. I called for help. Stayed with him. That's it.

But it didn't feel like just that. Not tonight.

I got out eventually, toweling off slowly, my limbs heavier than usual. Slipped into bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. Too many thoughts, none of them useful. Somewhere between one breath and the next, I found my falling asleep.

----

Morning came too fast.

I sat at my kitchen table, as I curled my fingers around my tiny mug, stirring my coffee absentmindedly. The TV on my wall mumured in the background.

___

"...mystery woman saved billionaire Darlington Cross's life after he was attacked last night near Westgate Avenue. Witnesses say an unidentified woman performed emergency aid before disappearing just as paramedics arrived. "

The metal spoon fell off from my fingers, hitting against the ceramic mug.

Darlington Cross.

I had saved Darlington Cross.

The man on the news-one of the most powerful men in the country, a billionaire whose name graced the covers of business magazines and gossip columns alike. The one with steel in his jaw and ice in his smile?

The anchor continued, "Darlington Cross, CEO of Cross Industries, is presumed to be in stable condition and has made a statement saying he is eager to find the woman who saved him..."

I barely knew anything about him.

I immediately felt cold. I wasn't sure why, but something about that unsettled me.

Because men like Darlington Cross always got what they wanted.

And right now, he was wanted me.

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