Mark’s head snapped up, his face entirely pale. “Grandpa, no. You can’t ruin my life over this. I’m Claire’s husband!”
“You were her husband,” I said. The words came out of my mouth before I even realized I was thinking them, but the moment they hung in the air, I knew they were the absolute truth. The veil had been lifted, and I could never look at the man before me with love or trust ever again. “Get out, Mark. Take your mother and get out of my room.”
“Claire, listen to me—” Mark started, taking a step toward the bed.
Edward instantly stepped between us, his broad shoulders completely blocking Mark from my sight. “She told you to leave. If you do not walk out of that door right now, I will have the hospital security detail—who are currently waiting in the hallway—escort you out in handcuffs. Choose wisely.”
Vivian grabbed Mark’s arm, her fingers digging deep into his sleeve. “Mark, come on. Let’s go. We need to call the lawyers.”
Without another word, the two of them backed out of the room, leaving the piles of expensive, stolen luxury goods strewn across the floor like a monument to their greed. The heavy wooden door clicked shut behind them, and the sudden quiet of the room felt lighter, as if a suffocating fog had finally cleared.
I slumped back against the pillows, sobbing silently as the adrenaline began to fade. Edward walked over to the side of the bed, his stern expression instantly melting into one of deep, sorrowful tenderness. He sat down gently on the edge of the mattress and wrapped his large, warm hand over mine.
“I am so sorry, my sweet girl,” he whispered, a tear finally escaping his own eye. “I thought I was protecting you. I should have checked on you sooner.”
“You saved me, Grandpa,” I managed to say through my tears, looking down at Lily, who opened her tiny eyes and looked up at me. “You saved both of us.”
