Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Elena: POV

Miss Vance. Not Mrs. Sterling.

“What complications?” I asked.

“I think you know.” His voice was flat. “Miss Astor explained what happened. The argument. The stress you caused.”

My heart stopped. “She told you I-

*Caused Mrs. Sterling’s heart attack?” The doctor’s jaw tightened.

“That’s not ” I looked at Victoria. She stood there, face the picture of concern and sorrow. “That’s a fucking lie!”

“Please watch your language,’ the doctor said sharply. “This is a hospital.”

“I saved her life!” My voice cracked. “I did CPR for three minutes straight while she- I pointed at Victoria, -just stood there!”

“But Miss Astor insisted she did that.” The doctor’s tone was ice.

Oh my god. She’s taking credit for saving Evelyn while also blaming me for the heart attack. Even though… okay, maybe I did have something to do with it.

I turned to Victoria. “You can’t be serious.”

She met my eyes, her expression perfectly sympathetic. Then she leaned in close, her lips nearly brushing my ear.

“If I claim I saved her,” she whispered, “who do you think they’ll believe?”

She pulled back, loud enough for the doctor to hear. “Elena, I know you’re upset. But maybe you should go home. Get some rest. Julian will be here soon to deal with… everything.”

The doctor nodded. “That might be best. Family should handle this.”

Family.

I wasn’t family. Even after three years of marriage, I was still just the housekeeper’s daughter. The charity case. The mistake.

“I’m staying,” I said quietly.

Victoria’s smile tightened. “Elena-

“I said I’m staying.” I looked at the doctor. “I don’t care what she told you. I’m not leaving until I know Mrs. Sterling is alright.”

Because despite everything-despite the slap, the insults, the years of cold dismissal-Evelyn was Julian’s mother, And I couldn’t leave her.

Even if she’d leave me in a heartbeat.

The doctor’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Suit yourself. But you’ll have to wait here. Only immediate family can see her when she wakes up

He walked away, leaving us alone in the corridor.

Victoria pulled out her phone again, typing with one hand while the other played with the diamond pendant at her throat.

“Who are you texting?” I asked, though I already knew.

“Julian.” She didn’t look up. “Giving him updates. Making sure he knows exactly what happened.”

“You mean lying to him.”

Even if no one ever knew it.

An hour passed. Then two.

Victoria slayed on her phone the entire time-texting, calling, whispering urgently into the receiver. Sometimes she’d glance at me, her expression triumphant.

*Elena.”

I looked up. Julian stood at the end of the corridor, his face pale, his hair disheveled like he’d been running his hands through it.

Victoria rushed to him immediately. “Julian, thank god-”

He barely glanced at her. His eyes locked on me.

“Elena.” He said my name again, his voice rough. “What the fuck happened?”

I stood slowly, my legs unsteady. “Your mother had a heart attack-

“I know that.” He strode toward me, his expression thunderous. “Victoria told me everything. How you were screaming at her. How you upset her so much she collapsed.”

My stomach dropped. “That’s not-”

“How could you?” His voice cracked. “How could you be that cruel? That selfish?”

“Julian, I didn’t-

“She’s in the hospital!” He was shouting now, his hands clenched into fists. “My mother is in the fucking hospital because of you!”

“I saved her life! The words burst out of me. “I did CPR! I kept her alive until the ambulance came!”