Chapter 22

Damian

I send a plate scattering across the kitchen bench at The Secretary. It lands heavily on the floor and shatters.

Gabby steps back in fear, and the kitchen shudders to a stop.

"Clean that up," I yell at Kelly before stalking out of the kitchen towards the office.

Gabby follows. "Uh… is everything okay, boss?"

I ignore her and shut the door to the office in her face. All Amelia did was remind me that she always has the upper hand. I would say she had simply shown her cards, but something tells me that there are many, many more things she's kept from me in some way or another, ready for use when she deems necessary.

"Fuck," I yell, sending something else flying. I drop my head into my hands and rub them roughly through my hair before cursing loudly again.

It was the perfect plan. Douglas would have bought the land; we'd use the proceeds to cover some of the legal costs we've incurred, and then we'd be on our way to saving MVM's future.

There's a timid knock on the door, and Gabby opens it a crack. "Your mother is here to see you. I've told her it's not a good—"

"Let her in," I growl. She's part of the reason I'm in this mess. She might as well hear my piece.

Gabby doesn't seem to think that's a very good idea, but she swings the door wider and lets Mom through.

"You," I snap. "Couldn't just keep your nose out of my business, could you?"

Mom folds her arms and shuts the door behind her, keeping Gabby's gossip-hungry ears out of it. "What are you talking about? You're so dramat—"

I slam my hand on the desk, making the end of her sentence die on her lips. She swallows and sits up straighter.

"What happened?" she says coldly.

"Are you working with Douglas Bright?" I say as calmly as I know how.

"Who?" But there's a recognition behind her eyes that she's deliberately not broadcasting.

"Amelia Garrett just fired me from MVM, dumped me, and has just handed over enough minor assets to cover my half of the inheritance without actually giving me anything, finishing off with banning me—and you, coincidentally—from ever stepping foot on a MVM property ever again. So thanks. Thank you so much for stepping in." I throw my hands up. "What the fuck did you do it all for? What benefit did you get for—"

I suddenly trail off as it hits me. "You started the work on the property, didn't you? You're the mastermind behind all that. You wanted to get me fired."

Mom sets her lips in a thin line. "I don't know what you think you're accusing me of, Damian, but you are clearly angry at something, and you're taking it out on me."

"Oh shit. The unfair firing lawsuit. That's all coming from Bright money, but your influence. That lawyer you hired for me is the one running against me in the case."

I lean back in my chair and put my hands on my head. What the fuck have I done?

It's all my fault. We assumed Mom didn't have influence in the lower ranks of MVM, but she does. We thought it was a bunch of old men being misogynistic with Amelia in the president's seat, but it was my mother.

"Get out," I spit. "I have to try and undo what you've caused."

"Damian." She glowers at me before pinning me with one of her disapproving gazes that I saw many times growing up. Well, when she was there at all, which wasn't often. Brooke and I were left with nannies more often than not, while Clarice was sent away to boarding schools.

"You're being dramatic. This is what we wanted. We needed Amelia to take the fall so that you could—"

"Enough. This wasn't about Amelia at all. It's about your own sense of entitlement."

Mom goes red in the face.

"I love Amelia. She's spent her entire life being looked down on and being forced to appear stronger than she is. She's twenty-six years old, for fuck's sake, and she acts double your age, let alone hers. You could have chosen to be sympathetic towards her, but you didn't. You chose to beat her down until she snapped."

I fold my hands to avoid throwing something again. "I'm going to work my way back to her. I'm going to beg on my fucking knees for her to take me back because I know a good, strong, fierce woman like her is hard to find. I will do everything in my power to keep her, and I will worship her. Every single thing she does is power."

"She's got you right where she wants you," Mom snarls. "Beaten down and pathetic." She practically spits the word.

"Yes," I agree. "But I'm not pathetic. It's an honor." I point to the door. "It's time you left. You are banned from any MVM property, and the second I can manage to get back in Amelia's good books, that will include all of my restaurants."

Mom looks horrified. "You're not being serious, are you?"

"Yes. Blake Restaurant Group is being bought out."

Mom is almost shaking with rage. "You've ruined yourself, Damian," she snarls. "I can barely call you my son—"

"I'm a Garrett. Isn't that what you've always said? I'm just doing what Garretts do best."

Before she can respond, Gabby flings open the door, a look of pure horror on her face. "It's Amelia," she says, her voice breaking. "H-Her baby. She's at the hospital."

She shoves the restaurant's cell into my hand, but I'm already moving too fast to see what's on the screen. Before I can leave, Mom grabs my wrist and pulls me to a stop.

"You won't get me helping you now, Damian. That woman is only—"

"I'll never ask for it." My hand moves easily from her grip, and I disappear out the door. Before I leave, I turn to Gabby. "Make sure she leaves the restaurant. She's not allowed back in again. Call security if you need to."

"On it, boss. Go have someone else's baby."

My heart pounds as I think about how I'd left Amelia. The tiniest hint of resistance and her faith in me disappeared.

Edgar is standing at the front of The Secretary, and I stop in surprise. "Didn't want you driving, Mr. Garrett," he says calmly. "Everyone's already at the hospital."

As it turns out, Edgar is an extremely fast driver when he decides to be.

I slam my way through the hospital doors to find her about to be wheeled to surgery. She's barely conscious, and Eleanor, Olivia, and Robyn are all standing in the room, fearful and teary at the same time.

"Mila," I breathe, clutching for her, anxious for her close by. "No, Mila, hey… you're okay, right?"

I glance up at the doctor. "Right? She's going to be…" I trail off as I look at the doctor's grave face.

"She needs to go to surgery now. I assume you're Mr. Garrett?"

I can't really focus on what the question is. "Yes, uh, well…"

"Yes," Eleanor says firmly on the other side of the room. "He's the father."

I glance over at her, and she gives me a watery smile.

Everything is moving fast. Amelia gets wheeled down the hallway quickly, while I try to keep up, listening to their instructions the whole time. I get a mask and a surgical gown, and, somehow, I have gloves on, and I'm sitting by Amelia's head, stroking her hair as her eyes flutter behind her closed eyelids.

The doctors are talking to each other behind a curtain that blocks what they're doing to Amelia, but I tune them out, focusing only on her.

"Mila," I breathe. "It's okay." I lean forward and press the front of my mask to her forehead. "I know I fucked up. I should have been here. This is all my fault."

She breathes a little heavier, but her eyes don't open.

I gently rub her cheek with my thumb. "I love you so much," I breathe. "You're so beautiful. So strong."

I struggle to contain the tears as they fall down my cheeks. "You had every right to do what you did earlier, and I imagine you don't even want me—"

"Do you ever shut up?" she mutters breathlessly, her lips barely forming the words.

I exhale in relief to hear her voice, and I take her hand, pressing it to the outside of my mask. "Mila, I—"

"Shh," she hums. She squeezes my hand, but it feels weak and feeble. "I'm glad you're here."

I try to swallow the lump in my throat. "Me too."

I'm still holding onto her hand when we hear the sharp, piercing squeal of a newborn baby. Amelia's eyes open, and she gazes into mine as I'm suddenly overwhelmed with tears.

"She's here," I breathe.

"She's here." Amelia's face crumples with tears, but I keep a strong grip on her hand while trying to work out why Amelia hasn't been shown her baby yet.

I crane my neck to look for a doctor looking in my direction, but they're all studiously working while a team of nurses huddle in a corner over an incubator.

One of the nurses finally looks over, and her eyes crinkle with a smile over her mask. "She's here!"

Amelia holds my hand tight before croaking out a ‘go', until I move on autopilot, making it to the tiny—tiny—body in the corner of the room.

"She's here six weeks early, so she needs to stay in here for a while until we can reassess," the nurse says gently. The baby already has an oxygen mask on her small face, but she's there wriggling her feet and legs as if trying to get used to her new surroundings.

"Oh my God," I breathe, cautious not to get in the nurses' way. "Oh, Amelia."

I turn to find Amelia, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Soon," I whisper, heading back to her side and taking her hand. "Soon. You'll have your baby, and everything will be okay. For what I can do, I promise. I promise."

She nods through the tears, and I pull the mask down to kiss her slowly, unable to take it anymore.

I promise.

I'm sent to give an update to the others in the waiting room.

Everyone holds their breath as I walk in.

"They're both okay," I whisper. "Baby's here. She's here! She's, fuck, I…" I rub my hands under my eyes yet again. "She's in an incubator, and will be for a while, but the nurses say she looks healthy for a premature baby, so we're… you know."

Eleanor reaches me first, and she throws her arms around my shoulders as I sob like a baby.