The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 779

Left alone in his new kingdom, Fitch stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the sprawling city below, his fingers drumming a ruthless rhythm against the polished desk.

...

Meanwhile.

Having missed her father's desperate call two days ago, Tamara had just received a frantic phone call from her mother, Zadie, at the Sherwood estate.

Zadie told her that Hackett had been hospitalized, claiming Fitch had caused his heart attack.

Tamara sat frozen on the sofa, her mind completely short-circuiting.

Her mother had been crying so hysterically on the phone that the details were a jumbled mess. All Tamara grasped was that her dad was in the hospital and Fitch was somehow responsible.

She was just about to dial back for clarity when the front door clicked open.

Fitch walked into the foyer, handing his suit jacket to the housekeeper. When his eyes landed on Tamara, he paused.

Remembering the shadow backer's explicit warning, a calculated, warm smile spread across his face.

"Tamara, how are you feeling today? Any discomfort? Is the baby behaving?"

Seeing him, Tamara jumped to her feet. With her mother's panic echoing in her ears, she bypassed the pleasantries completely.

"Dad... I mean, Mr. Sherwood, my mom just called. She said my dad is in the hospital! What happened?"

Fitch’s smile stiffened for a fraction of a second before he let out a heavy, dramatic sigh. He walked over to the sofa, gesturing for her to sit back down.

Rubbing his temples, he adopted a tone of deep regret and exhaustion.

Could a standard business debate really cause a heart attack?

The way Zadie had phrased it, it sounded like an absolute catastrophe.

Meeting her doubt, Fitch waved a hand dismissively, completely unoffended. His tone grew even softer.

"Your mother was terrified, and when people panic, they tend to catastrophize. You know how boardroom politics work. Debates get heated."

"Honestly, your dad has been carrying this crushing weight for months. It all just boiled over. In a way, getting it out of his system might be a blessing in disguise."

"Think about it, Tamara. Your father and I go way back. Why on earth would I intentionally try to hurt him? Every time your family hit a wall recently, Sherwood Group stepped in to bail you out. If I wanted to ruin him, I would have done it a long time ago."

It was a flawless, logical defense.