The CEO's Midnight Remedy novel Chapter 83

I watched Scarlett disappear around the corner, her hasly retreat confirming what I’d suspected all along. With a satisfied smile, I climbed the stairs to my room. After yesterday’s drama with Ethan and those “leaked photos with Ryan, I needed to focus on something genuinely important today–being there for Sofia while her mother underwent her second heart surgery at Mount Sinal Hospital.

I stood before my mirror, applying a light coat of masca to my lashes. I’d chosen a simple slate–blue dress that fell just below my knees–modest enough for a hospital visit but still put–together enough to maintain appearances. In my world, even compassion had a dress code.

My fingers worked methodically through my hair, twisting it into a low chignon at the nape of my neck. The routine was calming, giving me a few precious minutes of normalcy. I still couldn’t decide which was more satisfying–watching Ethan squirm with jealousy or catching Scarlett’s panicked expression when I hinted I knew what she’d done.

As I reached for my pearl earrings–small studs that had belonged to my mother–my eyes drifted to her photograph on the wall. Elizabeth Harper smiled back at me, her amber eyes so much like my own, her hand resting protectively on five–year–old me. The familiar ache bloomed in my chest.

“I miss you,” I whispered, touching the frame lightly. “And I promise, I’m getting closer to the truth.”

I grabbed my purse and the canvas tote containing the gifts I’d prepared for Mrs. Kim–a bouquet of cheerful yellow daisies and a carefully curated fruit basket from the organic market Sofia loved. As I headed for the door, I felt my mother’s eyes following me, silently urging me forward in my quest for

justice.

The taxi ride to Mount Sinai passed in a blur of Manhattan traffic and my own swirling thoughts. By the

time I arrived, clutching my offerings, I felt the weight of the hospital pressing down on me. I hated hospitals–had hated them ever since watching my mother fade away in one just like this, while Victoria

hovered nearby like a vulture waiting for her prey to exhale its final breath.

I pushed those dark thoughts aside as I spotted Sofia pacing outside the cardiac surgery wing, her normally

immaculate appearance showing signs of strain. Her silk blouse was slightly wrinkled, and dark circles

shadowed her eyes.

“Aria,” she breathed, rushing toward me. “You came.”

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Chapter 83

“Of course I did, I replied, setting down my gifts to embrace her. “How is she?”

Sofia’s eyes welled with tears. “She’s been in there for three hours already. The doctor said it could take up to five. I’m really worried, Aria. This is her second surgery in six months, and the last one was supposed to fix everything.”

I squeezed her hands. “Your mom is strong–just like he daughter. She’s going to pull through this.”

We sat in the waiting area, the antiseptic smell and fluorescent lighting creating that timeless limbo unique to hospitals. To distract Sofia, I pulled out my tablet and began showing her the preliminary concepts for Kane Technology’s blockchain campaign.

“I incorporated Devon’s feedback about focusing on relationship trust rather than technical specs,” I explained, swiping through the mockups. “We’re positioning blockchain as an emotional solution, not just a

technological one.”

Sofia leaned closer, momentarily engaged. “That’s brilliant, actually. “Trust, Verified‘ as the tagline works

perfectly with those visuals.”

“I was thinking we could approach that podcast host you mentioned–the one with the finance show that

makes complex topics accessible? He’d be perfect for explaining the psychological benefits.”

For nearly an hour, we lost ourselves in work talk, the creative process providing a welcome escape from

the sterile anxiety of the surgical waiting room. When the doors finally swung open and a tired–looking

surgeon emerged, Sofia jumped to her feet, her face a mask of hope and fear.

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