Chapter 5 - THE STORY ISABELLA SOLD
By sunrise, the hospital had three police cars outside.
By seven in the morning, it had twelve reporters.
By eight, Isabella Rossi’s version of the story was already online.
Khloe saw the headline from her hospital bed.
BILLIONAIRE’S WIFE IN VIOLENT GALA MELTDOWN.
She stared at the screen.
Then another appeared.
SOURCES CLAIM KHLOE THORNE ATTACKED SOCIALITE IN JEALOUS RAGE.
Marcus took the phone from her.
“Don’t read it.”
Khloe looked at him.
“Give it back.”
“Khloe.”
“Give me my phone.”
Marcus returned it.
She opened the article.
Anonymous sources claimed Khloe had become increasingly unstable during pregnancy.
Anonymous sources claimed she had been jealous of Isabella for months.
Anonymous sources claimed Marcus and Isabella shared a romantic history.
That part was true.
The article used truth to carry lies.
That made it dangerous.
Khloe kept reading.
One paragraph made her stop.
According to a person familiar with the incident, Mrs. Thorne became physically aggressive after discovering private communications between her husband and Ms. Rossi.
Khloe slowly looked at Marcus.
“Private communications?”
Marcus’s face hardened.
“There aren’t any.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“You were sure she had moved on.”
Marcus absorbed that without defending himself.
“I deserve that.”
Khloe looked back at the article.
“It went live thirty-two minutes ago.”
Adrian stood near the window.
“And it already has quotes from someone claiming knowledge of your marriage.”
Marcus turned toward him.
“Thomas.”
“Maybe.”
Adrian folded his arms.
“Or someone above him.”
Khloe looked toward both men.
“Where is Isabella?”
Marcus answered.
“Still here.”
“Why?”
“Police interviewed her.”
“And?”
“The video proves the shove.”
“But the missing segment complicates the rest.”
Khloe stared.
“She still attacked a pregnant woman.”
“Yes.”
“Then why isn’t she in jail?”
Adrian answered carefully.
“Her attorney argued she should be medically examined after claiming you struck her first.”
Khloe nearly sat up.
Pain forced her back.
“She is claiming I hit her?”
Marcus’s face darkened.
“Yes.”
“With what?”
“Her attorney says there may have been contact before the recording begins.”
Khloe laughed once.
The sound contained no humor.
“The recording shows me entering alone.”
“I know.”
“And her entering later.”
“I know.”
“So apparently I attacked her before she entered the room.”
Marcus did not answer.
Khloe looked at the article again.
This was not defense.
This was construction.
They were building a second reality before the first one could become public.
A nurse entered.
“Mrs. Thorne.”
Khloe looked up.
“Your doctor wants another ultrasound.”
Marcus stood.
“Is something wrong?”
“We’re being cautious.”
That answer meant yes.
Khloe noticed the nurse would not look directly at her.
“What happened?”
The nurse hesitated.
Adrian stepped closer.
“Tell her.”
“We saw a small placental separation on the last scan.”
Khloe’s face changed.
Marcus grabbed the bedrail.
“How small?”
“Limited.”
“Is the baby in danger?”
“The baby is stable right now.”
“Right now.”
The nurse nodded.
“We need to prevent further stress.”
Khloe looked at Marcus.
Then at the phone.
“Tell the reporters I’m not commenting.”
Marcus nodded.
“Tell everyone.”
“I will.”
“No.”
Khloe’s eyes sharpened.
“Everyone.”
“Your board.”
“Your family.”
“Your lawyers.”
“If anyone uses my name, the baby’s condition, or my medical records, I want to know who authorized it.”
Marcus understood.
“You think someone is leaking from the hospital.”
“Someone deleted camera footage from the hospital.”
“Someone sent a fake nurse into my room.”
“And now a website knows details about our marriage before I’ve even slept.”
She looked toward Adrian.
“Check my records.”
Adrian nodded immediately.
“For what?”
“Access.”
He understood.
Every electronic medical file kept logs.
Names.
Times.
Devices.
If someone had opened Khloe’s chart, there would be a trail.
Unless they had already learned how to erase that too.
Adrian left.
Marcus sat beside the bed.
Khloe kept her eyes on the phone.
“Did Damian know about Isabella?”
Marcus looked at her.
“Everyone knew Isabella.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Marcus exhaled.
“Yes.”
“Did he know she wanted you?”
“Yes.”
“Did he know you slept with her?”
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
“Probably.”
Khloe nodded slowly.
That single word hurt more than she expected.
Probably.
Meaning Marcus’s family had known something about her marriage that she had not.
“How close are you and Damian?”
Marcus considered the question.
“We grew up competing.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“No.”
He looked toward the window.
“We’re not close.”
“Does he hate you?”
Marcus gave a small smile.
“Damian doesn’t hate anyone.”
“That sounds reassuring.”
“It shouldn’t.”
Khloe waited.
“He treats people like numbers.”
“Useful.”
“Dangerous.”
“Replaceable.”
Khloe touched her stomach.
“And the baby?”
Marcus’s voice became quieter.
“The baby changes his entire future.”
There it was.
Not proof.
But motive.
Khloe closed the article.
“Call him.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing.”
Khloe leaned back.
“I want to hear what he says.”
Marcus hesitated.
Then dialed.
Damian answered on the second ring.
“Marcus.”
His voice was smooth.
Calm.
Too calm.
“Where are you?”
“At home.”
“You left the gala early.”
“I heard there was an incident.”
Khloe watched Marcus.
Marcus spoke carefully.
“You heard?”
“Yes.”
“From who?”
A short pause.
“Thomas.”
Khloe’s eyes narrowed.
Marcus continued.
“When?”
“Last night.”
“What time?”
Damian laughed softly.
“Is this an interrogation?”
Marcus said nothing.
Damian’s voice changed.
Only slightly.
“How is Khloe?”
Khloe stared at the phone.
Marcus looked at her.
“She’s listening.”
Silence.
Then Damian spoke again.
“Khloe.”
Khloe answered.
“Damian.”
“I’m sorry this happened.”
“Which part?”
A pause.
“The attack.”
Khloe looked at Marcus.
Interesting word.
Attack.
The press had not called it an attack.
Thomas was publicly calling it a dispute.
Police had not released a statement.
Yet Damian called it an attack.
Khloe asked the obvious question.
“How do you know there was an attack?”
Damian paused.
Then laughed softly.
“Marcus just said there was one.”
Marcus and Khloe looked at each other.
He had not.
Marcus’s voice went cold.
“No, I didn’t.”
Silence.
Damian recovered quickly.
“Thomas told me.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“What exactly did he tell you?”
Damian’s patience thinned.
“Marcus, your wife is in a hospital bed.”
“This is not the moment for corporate paranoia.”
Khloe spoke.
“My medical records were accessed.”
Another pause.
Longer now.
“I didn’t know that.”
“We didn’t say who accessed them.”
Damian said nothing.
Khloe continued.
“But you assumed the access mattered.”
Damian’s voice cooled.
“I’m going to end this call.”
Marcus leaned toward the phone.
“Don’t.”
Damian laughed once.
“There he is.”
“Where’s Thomas?”
“With Isabella, I assume.”
“Why is our family lawyer representing her?”
“You should ask Thomas.”
“I’m asking you.”
“Then you’re wasting your time.”
The call ended.
Marcus stared at the screen.
Khloe whispered.
“He knew.”
Marcus did not answer.
He did not need to.
Twenty minutes later, Adrian returned.
He closed the door.
Locked it.
Then placed a printed report on the bed.
Khloe looked at him.
“What?”
“Your chart was opened sixteen times last night.”
Marcus stood.
“By who?”
“Eleven were legitimate.”
“Doctor.”
“Nurses.”
“Imaging.”
“Pharmacy.”
Khloe looked at the remaining entries.
“And five?”
Adrian pointed.
“One from a hospital administrator profile.”
“Whose?”
“Mine.”
Adrian’s voice hardened.
“I was with you when it happened.”
Marcus stared.
“Someone cloned your credentials too.”
“Yes.”
“Anything else?”
Adrian pointed to the last entry.
A device ID.
Khloe frowned.
“What is that?”
“A remote access terminal.”
“Where?”
Adrian looked at Marcus.
“Thorne Capital.”
Marcus went still.
Khloe’s eyes sharpened.
“Which floor?”
Adrian slid another page forward.
“Executive level.”
Marcus read the number.
His face changed.
Khloe watched him.
“Whose office?”
Marcus did not answer.
“Marcus.”
He looked at her.
“Damian’s.”
A knock came at the door.
Adrian immediately moved toward it.
“Who is it?”
A familiar voice answered.
“Elaine Parker.”
Adrian opened the door partially.
Elaine stood outside.
She looked as if she had not slept.
Her makeup was gone.
Her hair was tied back.
Her hands shook.
“I need to talk to Khloe.”
Adrian studied her.
“About what?”
Elaine looked down the hallway.
Then back at him.
“Last night.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“What about last night?”
Elaine swallowed.
“I lied to the police.”
Khloe stared at her.
“About what?”
Elaine looked terrified.
“I didn’t just hear the glass break.”
A silence passed.
“I saw Isabella go into the suite.”
Marcus frowned.
“You already told them that.”
Elaine shook her head.
“No.”
“I saw who opened the restricted elevator for her.”
Khloe’s heartbeat quickened.
“Who?”
Elaine opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
Footsteps appeared down the hallway.
A man in a dark suit turned the corner.
Elaine saw him.
Her entire face changed.
“Lock the door.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“What?”
Elaine backed into the room.
“Lock the door now.”
Marcus looked into the hallway.
The man was getting closer.
Khloe whispered.
“Who is he?”
May you like
Elaine stared at him through the narrowing doorway.
“That’s Damian Thorne’s driver.”
