The CEO's Midnight Remedy novel Chapter 267

Chapter 267

Aria’s POV

Walking up the grand staircase of the Harper mansion, I barely registered my father’s shouts echoing from below. The sound faded into

white noise, just another layer of today’s chaos. Right now, I needed to change this bloodstained blouse before my meeting with Calvin

Reed.

In my closet, I discarded the ruined silk top and examined the bandage on my arm. The doctor had done a neat job, but the white gauze was stark against my skin–impossible to miss. I selected a deep navy long–sleeved dress, my fingers trembling slightly as I pulled it from the hanger. The silk felt cool against my skin, a small comfort amid the morning’s turmoil.

As I pulled the dress over my body, I caught my reflection in the mirror. For a moment, I didn’t recognize the woman staring back- composed on the surface, yes, but with eyes that held too much. Too much pain, too much anger, too much determination. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I opened my jewelry box and hesitated over my mother’s pearl earrings, a wave of longing washing over me. Not today. Today I needed armor, not sentiment. I chose a simple diamond collarbone chain instead.

I traced the small dark mark on my collarbone with my fingertip. This beauty mark had been with me through everything–through heartbreak, betrayal, and now bloodshed. My hand lingered there, drawing strength from this small part of myself that remained unchanged while everything around me crumbled.

“Mr. Reed isn’t accepting visitors,” the security guard stated flatly, blocking my path to the hospital room. His stance widened slightly, a clear message that he wouldn’t be easily moved.

I felt Anna shift nervously beside me. My assistant had been jittery since we arrived, her usual efficiency dampened by the intimidating

hospital security.

“That’s fine,” I replied, deliberately raising my voice. My heart raced, but I kept my tone measured. “I just wanted to make sure he’s okay after last night’s… incident. I promise I won’t tell anyone what really happened in that garden.”

The guard’s eyes widened slightly. His jaw tensed as he touched his earpiece, murmuring something I couldn’t catch. A moment later, a cold, hard voice came through his radio.

“Let her in. Just Harper. The assistant stays outside.”

The guard stepped aside, looking slightly bewildered. I gave Anna a reassuring nod before following him down the corridor, my pulse quickening with each step toward Reed’s room.

Calvin Reed was propped up against pillows, a bandage around his head, flipping through Forbes magazine. A tablet beside him displayed stock fluctuations. He didn’t look up as I entered, a power play I recognized immediately. My skin prickled with awareness.

‘Come to negotiate your silence, Ms. Harper?” he asked, his voice as cold as his gray eyes when they finally met mine. The challenge in

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