Page 276 of Vexatious Queen

“I’m going to try Paul again,” I said, but my phone rang in my hand. Speak of the devil. “Paul, I was just about to call you.”

“Ed, there has been an incident. Ren is on her way to the hospital,” he said, and I stumbled back.

The room tilted. Not spun—tilted. Like gravity had been adjusted just enough to break me. Ana jumped off the desk and grabbed my arms. I held her hand and looked into her eyes that were suddenly filled with worry.

“How bad?”

“It could’ve been a lot worse, but the on-site doctor says she is going to be fine. He is with her in the ambulance, and so is Blake O’Brien.”

“What happened?” I growled and put him on speaker.

The line was quiet.

“Paul, don’t fuck with me right now. We’ve been friends far too long. Fuck the Curator’s code of silence. Tell me what happened to my daughter.”

My fist clenched tight, muscles shaking with rage. The only thing grounding me was Ana’s hand on my arm.

“One of the teachers, Mark Sharpe, attacked her.”

“I don’t understand. Why would a teacher attack my daughter?”

“I can’t get into specifics with you, but I will say that there is suspicion that he has…ties to Christov, and…shit.”

“Who?” I barked but was already picturing Vadin’s smug face.

“Vadin, and possibly Patricia,” Paul finally said, and I stood there shocked.

I shouldn’t have been. They all hated us for one reason or another. But I never thought Patricia would go after Lilya.

“How the hell did Christov and Patricia get connected?”

“I’ll be in touch when I know more, but I need to go. Go see your daughter and let us worry about Sharpe.”

I hung up on him and snarled.

“Not a fucking chance.”

“Agreed, but we need to be there for Ren first. Then, we’ll take care of Christov, Patricia, and Vadin. I made the mistake of putting my vengeance first, and it could’ve cost me you and her. I won’t do it again.”

I nodded.

“Let’s go,” I said, already texting Marcus as Ana did the same with her men.

Grabbing the keys to the SUV, we marched outside.

“Sir, where are you going?”

The guard stationed at my office was on high-alert as we stormed past, leaving the door open.

“The hospital.”

“Give me a minute. I’ll get the guards assembled,” he said, scrambling.

Reaching the first SUV, I stopped and looked at him.

“Marcus will follow shortly, I just⁠—”

A red dot appeared on Ana’s sweater—right over her heart. For half a second, my mind refused to understand what I was seeing.