Chapter 2 - Sanctuary and Shadows
The private medical suite on the top floor of St. Jude’s Hospital was bathed in the soft, warm glow of recessed lighting. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the Chicago blizzard raged on, but inside, the air was warm, smelling faintly of lavender and sterile linen.
Four top specialists had worked on Evelyn for three straight hours. She was hooked up to IV drips supplying warm fluids, nutrients, and antibiotics for severe pneumonia. She was finally sleeping peacefully beneath a heated feather duvet, her breathing steady for the first time in months.
Maya sat on a plush velvet sofa in the corner of the private suite, wrapped in a plush cashmere throw, holding a steaming mug of cocoa between her hands. She had been bathed, dressed in clean, warm clothes provided by Cole’s staff, and evaluated by a doctor. She suffered only from minor frostbite on her fingertips.
Cole stood at the window, his arms folded across his chest, staring down at the twinkling lights of the city grid below. Moose lay at the foot of Evelyn's bed, his massive chin resting on his paws, his dark eyes never leaving the old woman's face.
The door clicked open, and Marcus slipped into the room, holding a thick leather folder.
"Report," Cole said without turning around.
"We ran the financial audit on Julian Vane’s secondary accounts," Marcus said, his voice quiet so as not to wake Evelyn. "It's worse than we thought, boss."
Cole turned around slowly. "Talk."
"Julian diverted the five thousand dollars a month you wired for your mother into a offshore shell account in the Caymans starting three years ago," Marcus explained, opening the file. "Eighteen months ago, he forged your power of attorney and sold your mother’s house to a real estate development firm for four hundred thousand cash. He pocketed every cent. Then he stopped paying her medical insurance, canceled her prescription delivery, and had her evicted six months ago."
Maya spoke up from the sofa, her voice quiet. "She stayed in the neighborhood because she thought you were coming home, Mr. Ashworth. Every day, even when it started snowing, she would walk back to that empty porch and sit on the steps. She thought... she thought if she stayed where you left her, you’d find her."
A sharp, searing pain shot straight through Cole’s heart. He closed his eyes, squeezing the bridge of his nose as a wave of self-loathing threatened to drown him.
Eight years. Eight years of building a cold, ruthless empire, believing that sending paper money was a substitute for presence. Believing that success absolved him of his duty as a son.
"Where is Julian right now?" Cole asked, opening his eyes. They were devoid of any human warmth.
"He's at the Grand Royale Casino downtown," Marcus replied. "He's hosting an anniversary party for his logistics company. He bought himself a three-million-dollar estate in Lincoln Park last month using your mother's stolen equity as a down payment."
Cole looked at his mother’s resting face. Her cheeks were already regaining a faint hint of color beneath the warm blankets.
He walked over to Maya, sinking down onto one knee in front of her, just as he had done in the snow.
"Maya," Cole said gently. "My mother survived because of you. My team has already secured a luxury apartment for you downtown, and a trust fund has been established in your name. But I need to ask you one thing."
Maya looked into the eyes of the city's most feared man, seeing not a monster, but a broken son trying to fix a ruined soul. "Anything, Mr. Ashworth."
"Did Julian Vane ever lay a hand on her?"
Maya’s jaw tightened. She looked down at her cocoa, then back into Cole’s eyes. "The day he evicted her... she tried to hold onto the doorframe. He grabbed her arm and shoved her down the front steps. That’s how her hip was damaged."
May you like
Cole stood up smoothly. He reached down and adjusted the cuffs of his clean white shirt, then grabbed his suit jacket from the chair.
"Marcus," Cole said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Call the team. We are going to a party."
