The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife-Chapter 70: Safe For Now

Two long hours passed before the doors to the OR finally opened.

Cassidy jolted upright. Zeke stood immediately beside her, eyes sharp and searching.

A doctor stepped out, still in his surgical scrubs. He removed his mask as he approached them. His expression was calm, composed but not cold.

"Ms. Calista? Mr. Salvador?"

Cassidy’s breath caught. "Yes. How is she?"

The doctor gave a short nod. "She’s stable."

Cassidy’s knees nearly gave out.

"The surgery went well," the doctor continued. "Thankfully, she was brought in quickly, and the bullet used was a small caliber. It missed all major organs."

Zeke exhaled deeply, like he’d been holding his breath the entire time.

"There was internal bleeding, but we managed to stop it. She’s still unconscious, but we’ll be moving her to the recovery unit soon. She’ll need to be closely monitored for the next two to five days."

Cassidy’s hand flew to her mouth, tears springing back to her eyes but this time, they were different. Lighter. Less suffocating.

"She’s really going to be okay?" she whispered.

The doctor gave a small, reassuring smile. "We’re hopeful, yes. Right now, she’s responding well."

Cassidy turned to Zeke, and for the first time that day, she allowed herself to breathe.

She nodded slowly, eyes glistening.

"Thank you," she told the doctor, voice shaking. "Thank you so much."

He gave a nod and left them there, standing in the quiet hallway.

Zeke didn’t speak. He just reached for her hand and held it. Cassidy didn’t pull away.

Not long after, the doors opened again.

Cassidy saw the gurney first. Claire was lying on it, small and still under a thin blanket. Her face looked pale, and she was surrounded by a few men in scrubs who were pushing her out of the OR.

Cassidy didn’t wait.

"Claire!" she cried out, already moving.

Zeke was right behind her as they hurried toward the gurney. Neither of them spoke. They simply followed, walking as close as they could, eyes locked on the little girl lying unconscious, pale and quiet, but safe for now as she was wheeled toward the recovery unit.

Inside the recovery room, nurses moved swiftly, hooking Claire to monitors and checking her vitals. Cassidy stood nearby, frozen in place, her arms crossed over her chest like she was trying to hold herself together. Zeke stood beside her, equally quiet, watching every movement with laser focus.

After a while, once everything had settled and Claire was finally resting, Zeke turned to Cassidy.

"I’ll be back in a few minutes," he said quietly.

Cassidy looked at him, confused. "Where are you going?"

"Just to the front desk," he replied. "I won’t be long."

He left the room, walking with purpose down the quiet hallway toward the administrative wing. When he reached the administration desk, a woman in her fifties greeted him with a polite smile.

"Good evening, sir. How can I help you?"

Zeke leaned slightly forward. "Claire Calista. She was just moved to recovery. I want her transferred to a private room, a VIP suite, if available."

The woman blinked in recognition. "Yes, of course. That can be arranged."

Zeke gave a small nod. "Please do it. As soon as possible."

She smiled again, warmly this time. "Absolutely, sir. We’ll take care of everything."

"Thank you," Zeke said quietly.

He turned and walked back down the corridor, toward the room where his daughter was resting, and the woman who had kept her alive all these years.

About thirty minutes later, after coordinating with the nurses and doctors about Claire’s transfer, confirming a room was available and that her condition was stable enough, they began preparing to move her.

Cassidy and Zeke walked quietly behind the nurses as they wheeled Claire toward the VIP floor. The hallway was quiet, the only sound came from the soft roll of the gurney wheels across the smooth floor.

Then, unexpectedly, a familiar voice broke through the silence.

"Miss Cassidy?"

Cassidy stopped mid-step.

Martha.

She was approaching from the opposite direction. Her expression shifted from polite curiosity to instant concern the moment she saw Cassidy’s face.

"Are you here to visit Madam?" Martha asked gently, referring to Cassidy’s mother who was still being treated in the same hospital.

Cassidy shook her head. "No. I’m here for Claire."

Martha blinked, confused. "Claire?"

"She was shot," Cassidy said softly, almost too quiet. "She’s stable now, but... they need to monitor her closely."

Shock flickered across Martha’s face. "Oh, dear God. Is she... will she be alright?"

"She’s hanging on," Cassidy replied. "They say she’s stable now."

Martha stepped forward and gently took Cassidy’s hand in hers. "Claire will get through this. She’s a strong, wonderful little girl. She’ll be okay."

Cassidy nodded, her throat tight. "Thank you."

Martha gave her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

Zeke had already turned the corner with the nurses. He hadn’t waited not because he didn’t care, but because he was giving Cassidy space.

Cassidy looked down the hallway, then gave Martha a small nod before continuing on her way.

Inside Teresa’s room, Martha had just walked in carrying a bowl of warm water. She glanced at Georgia, hesitating.

She wanted to tell her what had happened to Claire but she wasn’t sure if it was her place. What if Cassidy didn’t want her to say anything? What if it made things worse?

But seeing how close the two sisters were, Martha finally decided to speak up.

"Miss Georgia," she said gently. "I just saw Miss Cassidy in the hallway."

Georgia turned to her, confused. "Cassidy? I thought you said she already came by earlier this afternoon to visit Mom."

"She did," Martha nodded. "But she came back again. Not to visit."

Georgia stood up, concern already rising in her chest. "Then... why is she here? Why wasn’t she with you?"

Martha hesitated only a second. "Miss Claire... was shot."

"What?!" Georgia’s voice rose in shock. Her face went pale as she stepped closer to Martha. "What happened to Claire?"

"I don’t know all the details," Martha replied honestly. "Miss Cassidy only said that Miss Claire was shot. But she also said Miss Claire’s stable now."

Georgia didn’t wait to hear more. She turned and rushed out of the room, pulling her phone from her pocket with trembling hands, trying to call Cassidy as she hurried down the hall.

All she could think about was Claire.

**

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