Chapter 43

The vehicle pulled into the front entrance of a hospital.

Thanks to Tristan's influence, the staff moved swiftly, clearing every obstacle until Sean was resting comfortably ina VIP suite.

A heavy workload waited for Tristan back at the office, so he didn't stay a second longer than necessary.

While the nurse adjusted the IV line, Eliana stood nearby, her gaze fixed on Sean. "You're staying here until those wounds close up. No disappearing, no wandering. And make sure you call home so Mom isn't left worrying herself sick. She's had enough stress already."

Her tone made it clear-this was about Stella, not him.

Sean caught on instantly. She hadn't stepped in to save him because of her care for him. It was for Stella's sake.

Though slightly disappointed, he forced a smile. "Still... thanks. If you hadn't shown up today, I might've lost my hand-or worse. My life's yours now."

Eliana's answer was cool. "I have no use foryour life. Just stop giving Mom reasons to lose sleep. That's all l want."

She turned as if the matter was closed.

"Lia-" Sean called after her.

She glanced back, a hint of impatience in her eyes."What now?"

"Back in the car, Tristan mentioned breaking off an engagement... Was he talking about that arrangement between you two?" Sean asked, his words halting midway.

Eliana answered with a simple nod. Sean studied her for a beat. "You're clearly not interested in marrying himn, but have you thought about what happens once people hear he called it off? Some might think twice before approaching you, let alone marrying you!"

A short, dry laugh escaped Eliana. "You think marriage is the only way forward? I'm doing perfectly fine without it."

"It's fine if you never marry," Sean said quickly. "We'll make sure you're taken care of. I just don't want to see you dragged through the mud by people who gossip for sport."

Her voice stayed even. "What people say isn't mine to control, and I'm not wasting energy caring about it. If that's all, I'm leaving."

He almost stopped her-wanting to point out that Tristan had handled things well today, that he was steady and dependable, that the Pearson name carried weight.

But the reminder of his own position made him bite his tongue.

In the end, all he could manage to say was, "Watch yourself on the way back."

Eliana offered no reply and slipped out of the hospital room without a backward glance.

Once in the hallway, she made a quick call, instructing several Onyx Syndicate members in Qidence to keep watch over Sean's room without drawing attention.

Tristan's warning echoed in her mind-several Fist Guild members had been missing during the raid and were still at large.

If they learned Sean had cost them their prized boxing manual, there was every chance they'd come for him again.

Until Stella regained her strength, Sean's safety was non-negotiable.

A taxi carried her back toward the Murrays' estate.

When it rolled to a stop, she spotted Stella standing in the doorway, worry etched across her face. Her plan to slip in quietly vanished. With no escape, she squared her shoulders and stepped out.

"Lia!" Carl reached her first, lowering his voice. "Mom nearly called the police when she realized you weren't home. Damon told her you'd checked in, so she calmed down. Don't let that happen again."

Eliana gave a slight nod before crossing over to Stella. "Mom..."

Stella pulled her in immediately, her hands running over Eliana's arms and shoulders as if checking for injuries. Only when she was satisfied did her grip loosen. "Where did you go? With Sean gone,I was worried he dragged you off somewhere again."

When Eliana was only three, Sean had once taken her out to play-and somehow managed to lose her.

Now, with both of them absent at the same time, that old panic from more than twenty years ago came rushing back to Stella.

Choosing not to bring Sean into the conversation, Eliana followed Carl's lead. "I went to meet someone.Damon and Carl already knew."

"Then why ignore my calls?" Stella asked.

Pulling her phone from her pocket, Eliana saw the screen was spiderwebbed with cracks, the device dead."It's broken."

Stella let out a breath of relief. "If you're safe, that's what matters. Forget the phone."

She turned to Carl. "Get her a new one." Then, taking Eliana by the arm and leading her toward the house,she asked, "Who did you see today?"

A quick answer formed in Eliana's mind. "Tristan."'

That brought Stella to a stop, her brows lifting. "You met with him? What did you talk about? How do you feel about him? And why didn't you tell me beforehand? I could've gone with you."

Faced with the flood of questions, Eliana decided not to hold back. "I went to his place-and ran into his girlfriend." Stella's eyes went wide. "His girlfriend?"

Clearly,Elbert had never shared that piece of information with her.

"Yes," Eliana said with a nod. "They looked genuinely happy together."

"Is that so?" Stella's tone shifted, her expression hard to read.

She had thought Tristan was the best choice to protect Eliana, yet learning he already had someone in his life threw all her plans into disarray.

"I told him straight," Eliana continued. "We can be friends, but marriage is off the table. He also asked me to pass along an apology to you."

For a long moment, Stella didn'trespond. Then she exhaled slowly. "If he already has a girlfriend, then we won't interfere...I truly didn't know. Had I known, I wouldn't have tried to push the two of you together."

"Well, now you do," Eliana said lightly.

Stella let out another sigh. "In that case, we'll drop it. I'll speak to his father and make sure it's settled.I'll find someone better for you."

Eliana jumped in before Stella could press further. "No, Mom. I really do want to stay here with you for a few more years. I can look after myself, and if I can't, well... I've got brothers, don't l? I'm sure they'll step in.Right,Carl?"

"Definitely!" Carl said without hesitation. "Mom, all of us will keep an eye on Lia."

Stella's eyes cut to him, sharp and unamused. "Keep an eye on her? Then explain how she,ended up going out alone. Lia might not be fully aware of our situation, but you do. Or are you pretending you don't?"

Carl gave an awkward laugh and scratched the back of his neck. "That won't happen again, I promise. Next time she leaves, I'll be stuck to her like glue."

Only then did Stella seem willing to let it go.

Inside the house, Ashley guided Stella upstairs to rest. Cart rolled forward and lovered his voice. "Lis, next time you step out,just tell us first. Don't start pulling stunts fike Sean."

" will.l understand. And.. sorry for making you all worry," Elana sald softly.

"Ht's fine-no need to apologize," Damon said in a low, reassuring tone. "What matters is you're safe. As for Sean,he's out of town handling somne business and will be back once it's settled."

Eliana's face remained composed,her only response a small nod of acknowledgment.

The door swung open, and Sawyer stepped in from outside.

After giving Eliana a quick nod of greeting, he turned to Damon. "Any word on Sean? Something big just happened"