Page 46 of Velvet Corruption

"Thanks again," I muttered after a few minutes.

Hannah glanced at me briefly before turning her eyes back to the road. "Of course. I know this can’t be easy."

"It’s not," I admitted quietly. "But I don’t really have a choice."

“Kieran has only ever called me once before for an emergency. The baby had some sort of respiratory issue and the twins both got injured on the trampoline at once.”

That hurt somewhere deep. “Wait,” I said. “Kieran…he has a baby?”

Hannah laughed softly. “No…no, Tristan and Ade’s baby. They have three little ones now and they always have random emergencies pop up, so trust me, I get it. The emergency was…well, it was supposed to be a weekend away for my boss andhis wife, so obviously that didn’t end up happening. Anyway, he must really care about you and your daughter if he’s calling me for an emergency.”

I stiffened at that, a mix of frustration and confusion bubbling in my chest. "I don’t need Kieran to care about me," I said tightly.

Hannah didn’t press further. She simply nodded as if she understood, leaving me with my thoughts as we continued toward Julian’s office. The quiet stretch of road felt surreal, the afternoon finally catching up to me.Beside me, Rosie stirred in her sleep, and I turned to check on her. This had been one hell of a sick day so far, but she was still half-asleep, peaceful. That sight—the fragile calm on her face—was the only thing keeping me together right now.

My daughter had comeso closeto meeting her biological father. He’d been in the driveway, in the shed…almost in our home. He’d offered to watch her while I went to urgent care.

This was bad. Dangerous. He was too close.

We pulled up to Julian’s corporate building after about a half-hour, the building glass facade gleaming under the early afternoon sun, casting crisp shadows on the pavement. I gave the security guard a tight smile, my eyes flicking nervously to Rosie, and he waved us through without hesitation. He knew who we were, knew where we needed to go. The familiarity was a relief, a small piece of assurance in the chaos.

Inside, one of Julian’s assistants greeted us. “Ms. Marquez! Rosie. It’s so good to see you. Do you want some cookies?”

“Can I?” Rosie asked me.

“Sure, love,” I said. “Just remember that it’s only today because you’re not feeling well.”

He was already prepared, leading us down a hallway to a quiet side office. There was a couch, snacks, and a few coloring books scattered on the table. Everything felt too calm, too controlled, and I swallowed down the panic that rose in my throat.

I scanned the room quickly, assessing its safety before helping Rosie settle in. She was so tired, her eyes drooping as I tucked the blanket around her and brushed a kiss over her temple. "Mama has to go take care of something, but you’ll be safe here, okay?"

She looked worried again, her small hand clutching at mine. "It’s because of your hand, right?"

I smiled tightly, forcing myself to look braver than I felt. "I’ll be fine, peanut. You just rest here. I’ll be back soon."

“And I’ll just chill here with you in case you need anything,” Hannah said. “Okay?”

Rosie nodded reluctantly, curling up on the couch with her blanket. She was trying to be strong, trying to believe me, and it broke my heart to leave her like this. But I had to. She was safest here.

I lingered, my feet unwilling to move, my heart torn in two. Pain throbbed in my injured hand. Every beat of my pulse sent a fresh wave of agony shooting up my arm, making it harder to think, harder to breathe. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, willing the dizziness to pass. I couldn’t let Rosie see how much I was struggling. I had to hold it together—for her.

Hannah stood back, silent but understanding, her presence a reminder of the choice I’d made. She let me decide the pace, let me say goodbye even when I didn’t want to. Rosie was already half asleep, her little body sinking into the cushions.

I winced as I flexed my hand slightly, immediately regretting it. The gauze Kieran had wrapped around my palm was soaked through, sticking to the wound. I clenched my teeth to stop myself from groaning. The pain wasn’t going to ease anytime soon. I had to get to urgent care before this got worse—but first, I had to know Rosie would be okay.

"Okay," I said. "If she wakes up and seems scared, just remind her that I’m coming back soon. Make sure she drinks water—I don’t think she’s had much today. And if her fever gets worse, call me immediately. Stay with her until Julian’s free—don’t leave her alone.”

"Got it," Hannah said, her voice calm and reassuring. "She’ll be okay, Ruby. I’ll keep an eye on her. I promise."

I hesitated, glancing at Rosie one last time. "She might not trust you right away. She’s…shy with new people."

"I understand," Hannah said gently. "I’ve worked with plenty of kids who needed time to feel comfortable. I’ll take care of her."

I wanted to believe her. I really did. But part of me still braced for the worst. "And…don’t let anyone else near her, okay? Just you and Julian’s assistants. No one else. And obviously, Julian. This is what he looks like."

I showed her a picture of him on my phone. My hand shook slightly as I held it up, but I pretended it didn’t. Hannah gave a firm nod.

"Understood."