Seven Years a Fool One Day a Queen (Kristine and Colton) novel Chapter 13

Seven Years a Fool One Day & QuCOR

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Chapter 13

Chapter 13

When the chaos finally subsided, a crowd rushed over to pull the two of them out.

Eliza was shoved aside by the surge of bodies.

Her balance faltered; she only managed to steady herself when she hit the wall.

Heads and shoulders filled her vision, yet she saw clearly: Calvin was shielding Medea tight beneath him.

A sharp sting came from her arm where she’d been cut.

Eliza looked at the wound and let out a bitter little laugh.

The panic and dread that had knotted inside her a moment ago drained away, leaving her oddly clear–headed.

Habit is a terrifying thing.

At the most dangerous instant, her first instinct had still been to protect Calvin.

Just like three years ago, when she’d accompanied him out of town to inspect a real estate project.

The project owner had clashed with local residents; someone hurled something at Calvin.

Eliza had instinctively stepped in front of him, and when the assailant raised a second rotten egg, she’d lifted her hand and slapped him hard.

That single fierce slap sent Everest’s stock price soaring against the market.

Only now, the man she’d once shielded with her life was holding someone else in his arms without a second thought.

Cedric, having confirmed that Calvin’s injuries weren’t serious, let out a long breath.

Medea had been terrified. Her eyes were red, her voice on the verge of tears.

“Calv, does it hurt?”

“Just a scratch. I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

His voice gentled to soothe her.

“You’re bleeding. How can it not hurt?”

Choking up, Medea blew lightly on his back. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“No need,” he said, unconcerned.

But she insisted. “You have to go. Please, Calv, listen to me.”

Pushed and coaxed, Calvin finally nodded.

Since the accident had happened at Hellos Group, Cedric naturally had to accompany them.

He quickly arranged a car and personally helped Calvin inside.

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Chapter 13

Only when everyone was seated did Cedric remember Eliza.

“Where’s Secretary Grant? Why isn’t she here? Things were a mess just now–did she get hurt?”

“She was pretty far away,” Medea said. “She should be fine. She’s not a child–if she were hurt, she’d say so.”

It had all been too chaotic; Cedric hadn’t kept track of her.

“Don’t worry about her,” Calvin said.

So Cedric told the driver to head for the hospital.

Eliza was actually not far away, close enough to hear him clearly.

Don’t worry about her.

Four simple words. No warmth, no feeling.

Cold as San Francisco’s rain–down to the bone.

She looked at her injured arm and let out a self–mocking smile.

Seven years of love, and in the end it meant nothing at all.

She was the first piece of luggage he chose to leave behind.

Eliza flew back to Washington that very night.

Before boarding, she sent a message to Calvin on his work Facebook, informing him of her return.

As expected, there was no reply.

Perhaps he hadn’t seen it. Perhaps he was busy.

That’s what she told herself on the plane.

After landing and turning her phone back on–still nothing.

But then Moments notified her: Calvin had just posted an update.

Unexpected.

He was someone who never posted in Moments.

Curious, she tapped to see what the man of a thousand years of silence had shared.

[Being looked after–feeling so warm.]

Below it was a photo.

Just an ordinary food picture, so ordinary it couldn’t be more ordinary.

But it was a moving photo. Tap to play, and you could hear voices.

Medea, coy and sweet:

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Chapter 13

“Calv, you’re hurt and you need to eat more to recover faster. I got you black fish soup especially; it helps wounds heal.”

The clip cut off quickly, so she couldn’t hear his reply.

But his answer was obvious.

He’d posted it to Moments, after all.

And yet Eliza clearly remembered: Calvin didn’t eat fish.

He even despised it.

But for Medea, he could eat a food he hated.

For her, he could also risk an alcohol allergy to take the glass in her place.

So this was what they called true love.

Before exiting Facebook, two comments popped up beneath the post-

from a mutual friend, Gideon.

She had only added him because of Calvin.

Their circle often gathered; one time, late at night, Gideon had called her to say Calvin was unwell after drinking and told her to bring his allergy meds.

Calvin’s phone had died; to get the location, she’d added Gideon on Facebook.

They’d kept each other since. Whenever Calvin went out with that crowd, she would message Gideon: pleading with him to watch over Calvin

and keep him from drinking.

Gideon had never replied.

She knew–he couldn’t be bothered.

Like the rest of that circle, he looked down on her.

She hadn’t cared then. Love was between two people; outsiders didn’t matter.

But now, beneath Calvin’s post, Gideon’s comments were gleeful:

[In this lifetime I actually get to see Calvin show off his love on Moments! Truly, true love!]

The second seemed to reply to someone else:

[Isn’t that what true love is for–showing it off? If you don’t show it off, it isn’t love.]

Yes. If you don’t show it, it isn’t love.

Eliza realized she understood that truth a little too late.

In seven long years, she had never once appeared in Calvin’s Moments.

Hardly anyone even knew about their relationship.

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And she–she had loved him, nameless and unacknowledged, for seven years.

When sincerity is spent, the last lesson it teaches is letting go.

Over the weekend, she boxed up everything of Calvin’s and had movers take it to Everest’s storage.

The room that had once been stuffed full finally breathed again.

It looked much more comfortable.

Her gaze fell on the brocade box holding the matching rings.

She still hadn’t decided what to do with them.

On Monday, the moment Calvin arrived at the office, he hit the intercom and told Secretary Grant to prep the weekly meeting.

But Sadie picked up instead.

Calvin frowned. “Where’s Eliza?”

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“She called in sick,” Sadie replied.

“She’s ill?” Calvin sounded puzzled.

Sadie was more puzzled than he was. “President Young, you don’t know? Secretary Grant went on the business trip with you. She was hit by falling materials at Helios Group’s plant. That’s why she requested sick leave.”

After a pause, Calvin said, “I know.”

The weekly meeting had barely ended when Calvin’s friend Baxter Wade called.

“Calv, did Eliza resign from Everest?”

Calvin’s brow knit. “Why do you say that?”

“I was playing golf today,” Baxter said, “and Vincent Quinn from Quinn Group told me Derek managed to book Eliza. I was surprised and figured it couldn’t be, that she’d never leave Everest or you, and Derek was just bluffing. But Vincent sounded so sure I started to wonder. So I’m calling

to ask what’s going on.”

“Fake,” Calvin said flatly.

Baxter chuckled. “I knew it.”

Everyone was certain Eliza wouldn’t leave Everest, wouldn’t leave Calvin.

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Seven Years a Fool, One Day a Queen