Five days.
Five days since Robert Sterling's heart attack, and he was stable. Off the ventilator. Talking. The doctors were cautiously optimistic about his recovery.
Five days, and Emma had barely seen her husband.
Alexander spent every waking moment at the hospital—managing business from his father's bedside, coordinating with the medical team, supporting his mother through the emotional roller coaster of recovery. All perfectly reasonable things that Emma understood and supported.
Except Victoria was always there too.
She'd somehow inserted herself into the family dynamic so seamlessly that even the nurses assumed she belonged. She brought Caroline's favorite tea. She coordinated meal deliveries. She sat with Robert when the family needed breaks, chatting about old times and business contacts they shared.
And Alexander let her.
