To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 15

He didn't look back at her. Still toweling his face dry, he walked over to his own car, signaling wordlessly to the assistant who'd approached for instructions.

The assistant made his way to Elara and asked in a low voice, "Ma'am, do you need me to call an ambulance?"

Wrapped in a towel, Elara felt like she'd barely escaped with her life. Her throat burned raw from seawater and bile; she couldn't make a sound, so she just shook her head.

The assistant seemed surprised by her refusal and hesitated for a moment.

But in the end, they called a rideshare and sent her to the hospital anyway.

Before she left, the assistant pressed a small slip of paper into her hand.

"This is the license plate of the SUV that ran you off the road."

Elara stared at the note. If someone could disguise a deliberate explosion as an accident, it would be just as easy for them to make this crash vanish from the police's radar.

In her moment of life and death, it was a stranger who saved her—while the man who'd promised to protect her was off to be with another woman.

Saltwater dripped from the ends of her hair, each drop echoing the cold, empty ache settling deep inside her.

"Well, my goodness, dear, you're soaked through!"

Mrs. Archer nearly jumped when she saw Elara standing in the hospital doorway. She rushed over and steadied her.

Exhausted, Elara had no energy left for words. She trudged into the bathroom in silence.

Realizing she wanted to shower, Mrs. Archer quickly fetched a clean hospital gown for her.

But when Elara emerged, her face was even paler than before.

Worried, Mrs. Archer called the doctor to check on her again.

She was lucky—no serious injuries, nothing obvious that the doctor could find. The advice was simple: keep monitoring her condition.

By the time Yves Caldwell arrived at the room, Elara was already fast asleep.

Since Elara had instructed Mrs. Archer to keep her outing quiet, Mrs. Archer said nothing to Yves Caldwell.

He simply assumed she was feeling dejected and quietly left the room to call Brian.

"I checked in. She's fine physically, but her mood's clearly shot."

Brian said nothing and hung up.

As Mrs. Archer finished speaking, Nanette swept into the room.

Dressed in designer clothes and carrying a "gift bag," she wore a look of barely-concealed glee.

"Trouble? It's only right for a brother to visit his sister. What gives her the right to make Brian jump through hoops?"

From her hospital bed, Elara turned her gaze toward her.

Nanette feigned surprise, "Oh dear, you look awful… Didn't the doctor give you the best medicine?"

She shot Mrs. Archer a glare.

"To let her end up looking like this—if word got out, people would think the Vincent family was neglectful."

Mrs. Archer didn't dare speak out of turn. "Ma'am, the doctor said it was just emotional stress, and she's got a few injuries—"

Nanette cut her off with a mocking laugh. "Emotional stress? Well, sure. Anyone would feel lousy after being abandoned twice."

"What are you doing here?"