Chapter 6 Hearts & Aches

The intense pain she felt as she hit the ground hard was nothing compared to the heartache from Dante's betrayal.

She had twisted her ankle from the way Dante threw her out. Her hands clutched the wall as she managed to stand. She staggered forward, her breath coming out in broken sobs.

Each step she took felt like torture. Her ankle screamed with pain, and yet her heart bled louder. Tears blurred her vision, dripping down her cheeks as she dragged herself away.

With shaky steps, she hurried to her room, her slippers scuffing against the polished floor.

It was the middle of the night, but she no longer wanted to stay. The home meant to be a safe haven started to suffocate her.

She packed very few of her things into a bag and made her way out of the villa. Although she wasn't sure where she was going, she knew she couldn't stay.

One wrong step, she stumbled hard and fell against the bannister. Pain shot through her ankle as she let out a loud gasp.

The sound echoed through the quiet night, sharp enough to draw the attention of the security stationed by the entrance.

"Mrs Moretti!" the head security called out, boots pounding as he rushed toward her. His eyes widened with alarm while he bent to help her upright.

Her vision blurred as he tried to steady her. She waved him off weakly, her pride fighting against the shame of collapsing under their watchful gaze.

"I'm fine," she whispered quietly, though her ankle throbbed and her breath came unevenly.

But the look in his eyes said otherwise. He knew she wasn't fine. He saw the way she stumbled, the way her strength seemed to drain from her with each step.

"Let's get you to the hospital ma'am," he said, almost running off to get one of the cars parked at the garage.

"No, I said I'm fine!" Heira snapped.

She continued limping towards the entrance and was accompanied by the security's gaze. "Ma'am, may I know where you are going at this time of the night?" He questioned curiously.

"Where I'm going is none of your business. Open the gate and let me out," she snarled.

"Alright ma'am, but it isn't safe for you to be out at this late hour. Please go in and you can leave in the morning."

"Will you open it, or I will have to do that myself?"

The security was stunned by her sudden outburst. He knew Heira to be a calm and cheerful woman on regular days. She always smiled and talked to the staff in polite tones.

However, the woman in front of him was no longer the same person she used to be. He could feel the sharpness in her words and the unyielding glare in her eyes that carried all the force of command, but he still wasn't convinced to allow a woman out by herself in that hour of the night, let alone his boss's wife.

She made every attempt to leave but he wouldn't let her. When he saw that she wasn't going to give in, he called Dante to make him aware of the situation at hand.

"I don't care what she does, she's grown and can make her own choices. Just don't call me about it again," he said dismissively.

The security's face grew in disbelief. How can a man be so heartless to his own wife? For a second, he stood there, shocked by what he just heard.

Heira's heart shattered even more. This only made her realize he never liked nor cared about her, making her suspect he had been with the other woman before he married her.

If he had someone he loved, why did he decide to marry her then?

Perhaps he only did so to punish her because to him, she's just a possession or he and her Dad had both connived to make her life a living nightmare.

Heira felt her life mirrored the old tale of Beauty and the Beast. Even though Beauty had given herself up to protect her father, just as Heira had been handed over to Dante to protect her father's company. Beauty had uncovered gentleness beneath the harshness and cruelty of the beast, and their love had bloomed.

Unlike the fairytale, Dante is making it harder for her to see anything good in him. With him, it looks like there's no compassion. His flawless public facade completely masking his true identity.

"Can you let me out now? You've gotten the confirmation you so desperately needed," she said coldly as she wiped the tears that profusely ran down her cheeks.

The security opened the gate without much hesitation, and he watched her limp out into the night. He felt really sorry for her but there was nothing else he could do as he is bound by his duties.

Heira stood outside the gate, oblivious to where she was going. All she knew was that the last place she would go in the world was her father's house.

The night was pitch dark, and she wouldn't want to disturb Bethy by calling her to come get her, seeing that she's a woman herself and might experience difficulties driving out alone.

Also, Bethy is prone to worrying and the last thing Heira needed right now was to be flooded with questions she didn't have the strength to answer, so the only person she could call was Sebastian.

She rang a few times but he wouldn't pick up. Disappointed, she began making her way out of the dimly lit streets so she could get a cab.

Her legs felt weaker by the second with the throbbing pain in her ankle. Her vision started to blur, her steps faltered, and just when her strength started to fail her, her phone vibrated.

She snatched it up, her voice barely steady. "Please... come pick me up. I'm on my street," she whispered, the desperation clear in her tone.

"Alright, stay right where you are. I'm coming."

Minutes later, his headlights shone across the lonely road, and a sense of relief came upon her.

Sebastian jumped out as soon as he saw her, rushing to her side. He was shocked to see her lying weakly by the roadside.

His eyes dropped to her swollen ankle, his expression showing concern. "You need to go to the hospital."

Heira shook her head weakly. "It's fine, I'll be..."

"No, Heira," he cut her off.

"Look at your foot. You can barely stand."

She didn't fight or argue with him, instead she let herself lean against him, the weight of her exhaustion pressing into his steady frame, and then a total darkness followed.

***

Heira's eyes lifted heavily, white walls in sight and muted beeping. Her throat felt dry, her body weak. She shifted slightly, only to realize there was a sting in her hand.

Blinking harder, her gaze settled on the clear drip line taped to her skin, a slow stream of fluid flowing into her veins.

Beside her bed, James Arthur was checking the IV bag hanging from a pole. "Glad to see you've regained consciousness, that shows you're getting better."

Heira slightly lifted her head to look at her foot which was already dressed and covered in bandages.

"That has been taken care of, you do not need to worry. What you have to worry about is this," he said grimly while handing a test result to her.

"We've run some tests and we found out that your arrhythmia has gotten worse. The irregular heartbeat you've had for a while is more unstable now."

He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing.

"You've been advised to avoid being stressed. Stress and exhaustion put more strain on your heart. That's likely why you collapsed, and if you keep pushing yourself the way you have been, the risks will grow."

Heira gripped the sheets of the bed tightly with her slender fingers. Her petite face, pale and solemn. "I'm sorry Doc.... I've just been under a lot of emotional stress lately. What must I do now?"

"From now on, you'll need close monitoring, medication, and the most important thing which is rest. You have been placed on admission, so you could get them all."

Heira bit her lips while forcing out, "Thank you."

"I heard you're married. Your husband should have..."

"Please Doc, I just want to get that rest you talked about," she said, unwilling to talk about her marriage.