As Sarah returned from speaking with the doctor, she spotted Oliver stepping out of John's hospital room. His face was as composed as ever, but there was something about the glint in his eyes that unsettled her. Still, she forced a polite smile as she approached him. Oliver had, after all, gotten John into the hospital and was covering the medical expenses. She had no choice but to be grateful, no matter how uneasy she felt.
"Thank you, Oliver," she said softly, trying to suppress the discomfort in her voice. "For everything. I don't know how we would've managed without your help."
Oliver smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "It's nothing, Sarah. I'm happy to help."
Sarah hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "I… I'll try my best to repay your kindness," she added, though the words felt heavy on her tongue. She knew they were at his mercy now, but what choice did they have?
Oliver's smile widened slightly, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. As he turned to leave, he whispered under his breath, "You definitely will." His voice was so low that Sarah barely heard it, but the dark undertone sent a chill down her spine.
Before she could dwell on it, Oliver walked away, leaving her standing in the hallway. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling, and hurried back into John's room.
The moment she stepped inside and saw him awake, her heart leapt. His eyes were open, tired but alert, and despite the bandages and bruises, he was alive. Relief washed over her.
"John!" she gasped, rushing to his side. She leaned down to hug him, but as her arms wrapped around him, John winced in pain, his body too battered to handle even her gentle embrace.
"Careful," he muttered, his voice strained, though he gave her a weak smile. "I'm still in one piece… just barely."
Sarah pulled back, concern flooding her expression. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, brushing his hair back softly. "I'm just… so relieved you're awake."
John nodded, his gaze shifting around the sterile room, his mind still reeling from Oliver's earlier visit. He wanted to tell her everything, to warn her about the hold Oliver now had over them, but the words seemed to stick in his throat. He didn't want to burden her more than she already was.
"Oliver… gave me a job," John said after a moment, his voice soft but steady. He tried to make it sound like good news, though he could feel the weight of the consequences pressing down on him. "At one of his companies."
Sarah's eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face. "A job? Really?" She sounded hopeful, almost relieved, though there was a hint of hesitation. "That's… that's good, right?"
John nodded, forcing a small smile. "Yeah… I guess it is. It'll be something. We'll be able to get by."
But the truth gnawed at him. He didn't tell her what Oliver had said , that they now belonged to him, that their lives were in his hands. How could he? Sarah had already been through so much. She didn't need to know just how deep Oliver's grip on them went. Not yet, anyway.
Sarah sat down beside him, her hand gently resting on his. "I can't believe he did all this. I know we shouldn't trust him, but without his help…" Her voice trailed off, and she looked down, her face conflicted. "I just don't know what to think."
John squeezed her hand weakly, his voice soft but reassuring. "I'll take care of it. We'll figure it out. Just… let's get through this for now."
Sarah nodded, her heart heavy with unspoken worries. She knew something wasn't right, that there was more to Oliver's generosity than met the eye, but for now, all she could do was focus on John's recovery. She pushed her fears aside and leaned closer to him, her voice barely a whisper. "We'll get through this together, John. No matter what."
John closed his eyes, trying to find comfort in her words, but the shadow of Oliver's threat loomed large in his mind. He wanted to believe they could make it out of this mess, that they could escape the web Oliver had spun around them, but deep down, he knew that their fight was far from over.
As they sat together in the quiet of the hospital room, John's thoughts drifted back to Oliver's chilling words: You and your so-called wife belong to me. He could still hear the venom in Oliver's voice, the cold certainty that he had control over their lives now. And as much as he wanted to deny it, John knew that Oliver wasn't the type to let go easily.
They were trapped , for now.