Chapter 84

That night, Jason was awakened by Grace's muffled scream. She tossed and turned, mumbling in her sleep. He couldn't make out what she was saying, but her pained whimpers and trembling suggested she was in fear or pain.

"Sister," he called. She didn't respond. When he touched her head, he frowned. Her head was hot, and her small body was slick with sweat. He hurriedly wrung out a towel soaked in cool water and wiped Grace's forehead. Her eyes remained shut, and she continued muttering. No matter how he called her, she wouldn't wake up. A flash of panic swept over him. He didn't know what to do, and he hated feeling inept. He hated it almost as much as realizing how worried he was about her—which meant he was in over his head.

No. This was just a reaction, given her medical history and their circumstances. Nothing more, nothing less.

He took out his phone and immediately dialed Terrence. "Get me a doctor. Send them to the apartment."

"Now?" Terrence asked.

"Yes, now," Jason ordered.

"Yes, sir." A pause followed.

"What is it?" Jason asked irritably.

"What is the severity of the situation, sir? Should I instead call an ambulance?"

It was an intelligent question, and it lessened Jason's annoyance slightly. "No," he said. "No ambulance. I don't think so."

"I'm working on it, sir."

But where Jason would normally have hung up, he paused to offer an explanation, knowing any doctor would want more details. "She has a high fever."

"I have a doctor on the other line," Terrence said. "I'll relay today's events and the medical data from her earlier hospital visit."

"Good." Jason smoothed Grace's brow and wrung out the washcloth to cool her face and neck again.

"Do you want me to stay on the line, sir?"

Jason, too busy with Grace, hadn't realized he hadn't hung up. "No."

"Okay, sir. See you soon."

Terrence had noticed many changes in his boss since Mr. Reed saved Miss Cummins. Mr. Reed's actions suggested more than a work or business obligation. Given this woman's background and the circumstances surrounding Mr. Reed's fiancée's death, it was rather incredible. If asked to predict these events, Terrence would have said, "No. Not in a million years would Mr. Reed act like this."

But here he was. In a cramped apartment, with a woman who had killed his former lover. And Jason wasn't just there; he was present. But that realization was one he would keep to himself. It wasn't his place to question or inform Mr. Reed about his emotional attachments—or lack thereof.

Terrence used the Reed Group name to enlist one of the city's best physicians. He then woke the doctor and collected him from his house, being especially careful when knocking. After all, his employer didn't want Grace to discover his true identity. Terrence kept to the side, ready to retreat unseen. But when the door opened, Jason immediately stepped aside and gestured him in.

"Come in," he said, ushering the doctor inside.

Terrence quickly surveyed the room. He'd known these studio apartments were small, but this was minuscule compared to Mr. Reed's office. The kitchenette was perhaps ten feet long, with just enough room for a sink, stove, and refrigerator. A small dinette table for two sat in the center. There was one armoire, a single bed, a pile of pillows and blankets on the floor, one door (presumably to a bathroom), and no windows except the one above the sink.

Terrence tried hard to mask his shock.

"Take a look at her," Jason said. "What's wrong with her? I've been calling her, but I can't wake her up." Jason stood beside the bed.

Terrence sensed his employer had lost his usual composure. Jason's expression was anxious, and his posture was tense.

Dr. Raunfield glanced at Terrence briefly, as if for confirmation. Terrence nodded.

Dr. Raunfield immediately began examining Grace, checking her vitals, while Jason stood by, looking on the verge of losing control.

"Sir," Terrence said gently, "Dr. Raunfield is one of the best general practitioners in the city. And we can have Miss Cummins airlifted at any time, if the doctor deems it necessary."

Jason nodded, but his eyes still held the wild look of a man about to unravel.

"I was told she suffered a fall earlier today," the doctor said, taking her pulse and listening to her heart.

"That's correct. Down an escalator."

"Hmm." He probed Grace's abdomen and lifted her shirt to check her ribs. Terrence averted his gaze, turning to face the opposite side of the room.

"Her breathing is steady, and I don't see any signs of swelling in her spleen or anything to suggest internal hemorrhaging."

After a long while, he concluded, "There's no major issue. It's possible that due to today's injury, the inflammation caused a fever. It's not unusual for a patient to run a fever or lose body temperature if they're going into shock."

"What do you prescribe?" Jason asked.

"Aspirin to lower the fever. If the fever persists tomorrow, take her to a hospital for further examination." The doctor looked at Jason and Terrence sharply. "I was told she was already treated in a hospital today. Did they run blood work?"

"Full panels," Jason said.

"Hmm. And you don't want to bring her back to the hospital now?"

Jason frowned. "She doesn't want to go."

"Then give it a little more time. If her blood work came back okay, this is likely a reaction to the severity of the trauma."

Jason nodded.

Dr. Raunfield wrote some notes. "This is my cell phone, and Terrence knows how to reach me. If her condition doesn't improve in the next few hours, call."

Once the doctor left, Jason poured a glass of water for Grace to take with the medicine. She was unconscious, but he propped her up, whispering words of encouragement to get her to drink.

Watching this, Terrence was speechless. Jason had never been so caring with anyone else. His expression, his features etched with concern and affection… Mr. Reed might not realize it, but he was clearly attached to this woman. Terrence would go so far as to say his boss was deeply in love.