Kian Silver's POV
The fluorescent lights of Raya Hospital buzzed with a low, irritating hum that made my headache intensify with every passing minute.
I hurried down the hallway, my chest tightening with a suffocating mix of panic and exhaustion.
The call from the hospital had come out of nowhere. Your grandmother had a sudden relapse. Please come immediately.
I hadn't even changed out of my clothes from my shift at the IT firm. I had just run.
"Excuse me!" I called out to the nurse at the front desk, my voice breathless and raw. "Mrs. Silver—the elderly woman with leukemia. Where is she? Is she okay?"
The nurse looked up from her computer, her expression surprisingly calm, almost deferential. "Name?"
"Kian. Kian Silver. I'm her grandson."
The nurse's eyes widened slightly, and she immediately stood up. "Ah, Mr. Silver. Please follow me. Your grandmother has already been moved."
"Moved?" My heart plummeted into my stomach. "Moved where? Is she in the ICU? Is it that bad?"
"No, sir," the nurse said, her tone incredibly polite as she led me toward the VIP elevators. "She was transferred to the presidential suite on the top floor."
I froze in my tracks, staring at her like she was speaking a foreign language. "The... what?"
"The presidential suite," she repeated smoothly. "All her medical expenses, top-tier treatments, and private nursing care have been fully covered."
"Covered by who?" I demanded, a cold sweat breaking out across the back of my neck. I didn't have this kind of money. My grandmother didn't have this kind of money.
"A gentleman named Evan Leigh," the nurse replied, pressing the elevator button. "He said he was your employer."
The name hit me like a physical blow.
Evan Leigh.
My hands began to shake. Why was he here? How did he even know my grandmother was sick?
The elevator doors opened, and the ride up to the top floor felt like a descent into a beautifully gilded trap. When the doors opened, the hallway looked more like a five-star hotel than a hospital.
I pushed past the staff and hurried into the suite.
My grandmother was resting comfortably in a massive, private room, hooked up to state-of-the-art monitors. She looked better already, her breathing steady.
When she saw me, her face lit up. "Kian, dear... look at this place. Your boss... Mr. Leigh... he is such a kind man."
"Grandma," I whispered, walking over to her bedside, my throat tight. "Did he... did he say anything else to you?"
"Just that he wanted to make sure I was taken care of," she said softly, patting my hand. "You must work very hard for him, Kian. He cares about you a great deal."
I forced a smile, nodding numbly as I leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Yeah. He... he really does."
Inside, my blood was running ice-cold.
This wasn't a benefit. This was a leash.
My phone vibrated violently in my pocket, cutting through my spiraling thoughts. I pulled it out.
It was a text message from my boss at the IT service company—the part-time job that was keeping my head above water, the one that paid under the table.
Kian, don't come in tomorrow. Or ever again. Your resignation has been processed. I can't risk my business for you. Don't contact me again.
I stared at the screen, the breath completely leaving my lungs.
Resignation? I never resigned.
Before I could even process the message, another notification popped up. An email.
It was an official document from the corporate office of Leigh Enterprises. A revised employment contract, detailing my new, exclusive, full-time position under the direct supervision of the CEO.
At the bottom of the email, there was a brief, typed note.
I hope your grandmother likes the room. See you in my office tomorrow morning, Kian. Don't be late.
I dropped my hands to my sides, the phone nearly slipping from my fingers.
He had cut off my escape routes. He had taken my livelihood. He had placed his hands directly over the most fragile part of my life—my family.
Evan Leigh hadn't just cornered me.
He owned me.