Chapter 6 - The Anatomy of Power|
By midnight, the initial terror had transformed into an uncomfortable, vibrating tension inside the private hospital room.
Raphael sat in the small armchair beside Elena’s bed, staring at his phone as it buzzed relentlessly on silent mode.
"You should answer that," Elena said softly from the bed.
"No," Raphael replied without looking up.
"Raphael. Marco is at the hotel, and Catherine is waiting on the line. Staring at me isn't going to clear your head."
"I'm making sure you're breathing."
"I am breathing fine." Elena reached out, her cool fingers wrapping around his wrist. She felt the tight tremor running through his muscles. "You're shaking."
Raphael closed his eyes briefly, leaning his forehead against her hand.
"Do you know what I wanted to do back at the Vanderbilt?" he confessed, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "I wanted to lock the heavy oak doors. I wanted to hold every single guest in that room until my people searched their phones."
Elena stared at him. "That's illegal, Raphael."
"I don't care about legal when it comes to you," he snapped softly. "I hate this. I hate not knowing who touched that glass. I hate not controlling what happens next."
"Control and safety aren't the same thing," Elena reminded him firmly. "You can't trap me in a cage just because someone tried to hurt me."
"Tonight, a cage would have kept you safe!"
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"No," Elena countered, her eyes flashing with quiet strength. "It would have just made me your prisoner."
Before Raphael could respond, his phone buzzed again. This time, the screen lit up with the name Catherine Mills—his outside legal counsel.
