Chapter 2: Betrayal Behind Hospital Walls

When I woke up, Autumn was there. Crying.

She looked like a scene from a soap opera—makeup streaked, shoulders shaking, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

“Ryan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stormed off.” Her voice was soft, almost trembling.

She reached for my hand, but I pulled away. I could smell the guilt on her breath. But her eyes never quite met mine.

“I regretted taking the yacht as soon as I left. I wanted to come back for you, but I got caught in the storm too.”

She painted herself as the victim. As if fate had turned against her.

I stared at the ceiling, refusing to let her see the pain in my eyes.

“It’s all my fault. You must’ve suffered a lot.”

I wondered if she’d cried for Lucas the same way.

Her eyes were red. Her performance, so convincing. But I pushed her away. Numb.

I didn’t feel anything anymore—not anger, not sadness. Just a cold emptiness that settled in my bones.

“I’m fine. It’s not your fault.” I wanted her gone.

She said she’d try again in a month. Fine. That was enough time for me to move my assets and leave for good.

I started making calls, moving things around, tying up loose ends.

Autumn’s act didn’t last long. Her real intentions showed.

“Ryan, my brother-in-law’s company is in trouble. Could you give him the Maplewood contract?”

She dropped the act so fast it made my head spin. Always about Lucas.

I let out a bitter laugh. “I just barely survived, and this is what you want to talk about? That project matters to me, too. I’m not giving it up.”

I could see the annoyance flicker across her face. She hated when I said no.

Her face darkened. “Ryan Lane, there weren’t even any wild animals on that island. You did this to yourself just to make me feel guilty, didn’t you?”

She was already rewriting the story, making herself the victim.

“I’ve already apologized. What more do you want? Lucas is your brother. You won’t even do him this one favor?”

She crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently.

I rolled up my pant leg, showed her the mess my leg had become.

The wounds were still fresh, angry red welts crisscrossing my skin.

No wild animals, but plenty of poisonous insects.

The doctors said I was lucky to be alive. I guess luck is a funny thing.

Autumn frowned impatiently. “Who told you to be so useless? Can’t even handle a few bugs.”

She scoffed, like I was a child who’d skinned his knee on the playground.

I watched her face carefully. “How do you know there were only a few bugs?”

For a split second, I saw panic in her eyes before she covered it up with a smile.

She swallowed her impatience. “Honey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. It’s just that your brother has always helped us. If you don’t help him now, people will talk. But if you really don’t want to, fine.”

She tried to sound sweet, but I heard the edge.