Page 76 of The Call She Made That He Never Answered
She'd stop at shelves, calculating which product in the same category gave better value. Sometimes she'd crouch down, checking the bottom shelves where the discounts usually hid.
She'd often spend ten minutes at a shelf to save a few bucks. And I'd stand there with her the whole time.
Getting back to the apartment meant five traffic lights. Along the way, she'd talk to me about trivial things. She'd talk and talk, then stop until I chimed in with "yeah" or "then what?" before continuing enthusiastically.
As these mundane, meaningless daily routines gradually filled the blank between us.
I slowly understood what Ella wanted.
No board meetings, no stock prices, no opponents to conquer or destroy. Just the plain, ordinary life of a normal couple. Yet more interesting than any lavish Manhattan gala.
"You've got it wrong." Joe's voice pulled me back to reality.
"What?" I narrowed my eyes.
Joe straightened, looking directly at me. "Ella is gentle with everyone, Mr. Rockefeller. If you apologize, if you show remorse, she'll give you a chance. That's because she's kind by nature. She can't stand seeing anyone in pain. But it's not because she stillloves you. An arranged marriage based on money isn't what Ella wants. Your insistence on keeping her is just a burden to her."
He spoke with such certainty, as if he were the one who'd spent two years with Ella, as if he understood her better. Watching his self-righteous expression made my blood boil.
"Whether it's meaningful isn't for an outsider to judge."
I stepped forward. I was taller—my shadow covered him. "Dr. Morrison, your job is to heal Maya. If you think you have enough energy left over to covet someone else's wife, I can suggest to the hospital board that they transfer you somewhere busier."
His face went pale, breath stopping for a second.
"Is threatening with power and money all you know how to do?" he said through clenched teeth.
I stared at him, watching the defeat on his face, feeling satisfied.
"Sorry to disappoint, but besides money and power, I do have plenty of other qualities," I said with a cold smile. "But you don't deserve to hear about any of them."
I straightened, meeting his eyes.
"Anyone in this world who tries to take Ella from me," I lowered my voice, "I'll make them regret being alive."
Joe's fingers trembled on the desk edge. His lips parted slightly, but no words came. His eyes showed the truest reaction to unknown fear.
Too bad I'd always followed through on my words. I never bothered with, and never needed to, make empty threats.
I turned, pulled open the door, and walked out. Now that cards were on the table, no need to maintain gentlemanly pretense.
After leaving his office, I called my assistant.
"Schedule meetings with every member of this hospital's board," I said, my voice perfectly calm. "Tell them theRockefeller family plans to invest in their nephrology research center, enough to renovate this entire building."
Silence on the other end for a few seconds. "Sir, are you certain?" My assistant's voice carried hesitation. "This investment requires due diligence, asset valuation, board voting, regulatory approval... normal procedure takes at least three months, involves massive legal documentation and compliance reviews. We don't even have their financial statements yet..."
"I don't care about procedure," I cut him off. "Call their lawyers. Tell them if they can produce a letter of intent by ten tonight, I'll wire thirty million as good faith money. Framework agreement tomorrow. The rest—we'll handle as we sign."
"But sir, this doesn't follow investment protocol."
"Then make it follow," I said, temple throbbing. "Get the best legal team. I want to be a major investor in this hospital by tomorrow."
"Understood," my assistant said. I could hear him typing rapidly. "I'll arrange it immediately."
My purpose was simple. If Ella placed all her hope in this hospital, if her sister's life depended on this place, then I needed to control it. I wouldn't allow any more uncontrollable variables around her.
The next morning, in a discreet, luxurious conference room, the board and I reached an agreement. Their eyes lit up at the numbers on the check.
