Chapter 6 - LEARNING TO STAND
Grace answered before Adrian could.
“I locked myself in.”
Vanessa stared at the broken door.
“You locked yourself in?”
“The handle jammed.”
“And Adrian did this?”
Grace nodded toward the bronze sculpture.
“He has anger issues.”
Adrian glared at her.
Grace shrugged.
Vanessa laughed.
The tension broke.
Barely.
Over the next two weeks, Adrian lived two lives.
During the day, he remained the defeated billionaire in the wheelchair.
He took meetings.
Ignored rehabilitation.
Swallowed pills in front of Marcus.
Then secretly spit them into napkins.
At night, after the mansion went quiet, Grace wheeled him into the basement gym.
Dr. Park came through the service entrance three times a week.
The first night, Adrian tried to stand.
His arms shook violently.
His legs trembled.
He collapsed within seconds.
“Again,” he growled.
Evelyn shook her head.
“That’s enough.”
“Again.”
“Adrian.”
“Again.”
Grace stepped in front of him.
“You’re not fighting your brother right now.”
He glared at her.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Grace.”
“You tear something, this is over.”
“I spent eleven months being told it was already over.”
His voice cracked.
The room went still.
Grace crouched beside him.
“Then don’t waste the chance you have because you’re angry about the chance they stole.”
Adrian looked at her.
Slowly, his hands unclenched.
Three days later, he stood for eight seconds.
A week later, twenty-three.
Then thirty-one.
The first time he took a step between the parallel bars, his entire body shook.
Grace covered her mouth.
Evelyn whispered, “Easy.”
Adrian moved his right foot.
Then his left.
One step.
Two.
His knees buckled.
Grace caught him around the chest.
Adrian gripped her shoulder.
For several seconds, neither moved.
“I walked,” he whispered.
Grace smiled through tears.
“Yes.”
“I walked.”
“Yes, you did.”
Then the basement door opened.
They froze.
A shadow stretched across the floor.
Grace pushed Adrian back into the wheelchair.
Evelyn grabbed her bag.
Footsteps approached.
Adrian’s heartbeat thundered.
Marcus appeared.
He looked at Adrian.
Then at Grace.
Then at the parallel bars.
“What the hell is going on?”
Nobody answered.
Marcus stepped closer.
His eyes dropped to Adrian’s legs.
Adrian forced himself to look exhausted.
“Grace thought exercise might help my circulation.”
Marcus stared at him.
“For circulation.”
“Yes.”
Marcus smiled.
But his eyes didn’t.
“Good.”
He walked over and squeezed Adrian’s shoulder.
“Wouldn’t want you getting any crazy ideas.”
Adrian looked up.
“Like what?”
Marcus leaned closer.
“Like thinking things can go back to the way they were.”
Then he walked away.
That night, Adrian checked the security system.
May you like
The basement camera had been turned on.
Someone had recorded everything.
