A Woman Worth Billions Dated the Wrong Brother novel Chapter 402

Marked By Numbers

Amber POV

Eventually, the nurse appeared and took one look at the number of people surrounding her patient. “Out.”

Mrs. Sun immediately turned toward her. “My grandson—”

“Has a concussion.”

“I am his grandmother.”

“And I am his nurse.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Jason looked between the two women before apparently deciding which one represented the greater immediate threat.

“Grandma, I think she can have this one.”

Mrs. Sun looked genuinely betrayed, but the children laughed, and just like that, the argument was over. Grandpa began gathering everyone while Mrs. Sun extracted a promise from the nurse that she would be contacted if anything changed. Alice demanded one last hug, Alex sternly instructed Jason to sleep, and Rose waved from the doorway. Iris lingered for a few seconds longer, watching Jason as though she needed one final confirmation that he was really there, before following the others.

When the door closed behind them, silence returned so abruptly that it almost felt

strange.

Jason exhaled. “Your family is exhausting.”

I stared at him. “Your family.”

He considered that for a moment before saying, “Oh.”

“Head injury?”

“Using it as long as I can.”

“Of course you are.”

I adjusted his blanket, but when I started to move away, his fingers caught mine. “Stay.”

The teasing disappeared from me immediately. I turned my hand over and laced my fingers through his. “I’m not going anywhere.”

1/6

MA

+15 Bonus

That seemed to be all he needed. His eyes closed, and within minutes his breathing deepened. I remained beside him, listening to the steady monitor and watching the tension slowly leave his face.

For the first time since his disappearance, I didn’t watch him sleep because I was afraid he might stop breathing. I didn’t stare at a map wondering whether he was cold, injured or alone. I wasn’t waiting for a tracker to move, a phone to ring or someone to tell me another search team had found nothing.

He was right here.

His children had seen him. His grandparents had touched him. He had complained, flirted with me, argued with his doctor and irritated me within an hour of waking up. It was so painfully normal that I hadn’t realized how desperately I’d missed it until now.

For the first time in more than a week, I allowed myself to believe the worst part might actually be over.

Then I noticed Emory standing on the other side of the glass panel in the door.

He wasn’t trying to come in. He was simply standing there, waiting, and the relief I’d been holding onto disappeared before he ever touched the handle.

Emory knew Jason was awake. He could have come in with everyone else if he’d only wanted to see him. Instead, he’d waited until Grandpa had taken the children away and

Mr. and Mrs. Sun had left.

Whatever he’d come to tell me, he hadn’t wanted them to hear it.

I carefully slipped my hand from Jason’s and crossed the room. Emory opened the door before I reached it and stepped inside quietly.

“How long have you been standing out there?” I asked.

“A few minutes.”

“You waited for the children to leave.”

It wasn’t a question.

His eyes moved past me toward Jason. “He’s really awake?”

“Yes.”

For just a moment, something in Emory’s expression eased. “Good.”

2/6

+15 Bonus

Then his gaze returned to mine, and that brief relief disappeared.

I knew that look. I’d seen it too many times over the past few months, usually right before someone told me we’d uncovered another room, another victim or another piece of a nightmare that was always larger than we’d thought.

I glanced back at Jason. He was sleeping peacefully, and suddenly I didn’t want whatever Emory was carrying anywhere near that bed.

“Come outside.” 1

We stepped into the corridor, and I pulled the door almost closed behind me, leaving enough of a gap that I could still hear if Jason called for me.

“What happened?”

Emory didn’t try to soften it. “We got an update from the island.”

For a second, my mind refused to move away from Jason. Then it clicked.

The island.

Oliver’s warning.

He’d told us there were more places hidden underground. Search teams had continued working even while everything happening in Sum had consumed our attention.

“They found another section?” I asked.

“Yes. Underground. Sealed.”

Something about the way he said the last word made my stomach tighten. “Was anyone inside?”

Emory hesitated, and I knew before he answered.

“No.”