The Heiress' Husband

Day three.

Raelynn still hadn't woken up.

Nessa was running on caffeine and frustration.

She sat slouched in the uncomfortable hospital chair, arms crossed, legs stretched out, staring at the ceiling. She had been in this position for hours, only moving when the nurses came in to check Raelynn's vitals. Every time, she asked the same question.

"Any change?"

Every time, she got the same answer.

"Not yet."

Nessa hated those words.

She shifted her gaze to the hospital bed, where Raelynn lay still. Her face was pale, her breathing steady but slow. The bruises along her arms and the bandage on her forehead stood out against the sterile white sheets.

She looked fragile. Too fragile.

Nessa clenched her jaw and exhaled sharply. "You better wake up soon, princess," she muttered. "I'm not babysitting your ass forever."

Silence.

Of course.

Raelynn didn't respond.

She never did.

Nessa ran a hand through her hair, leaning forward, elbows resting on her knees. Her mind was a mess.

The only reason she was keeping it together was because she couldn't afford to crash yet.

The soft shuffle of small feet broke her thoughts.

Nessa turned her head just in time to see Isabella enter the room, clutching a small stuffed bunny to her chest. The little girl hesitated at the doorway, her brown eyes scanning the room before landing on Raelynn.

"Miss Raelynn is still sleeping?" Isabella asked softly.

Nessa sighed, nodding. "Yeah, kid. She is."

Isabella's shoulders slumped. She walked slowly to the chair beside Raelynn's bed and climbed into it. Her little fingers reached for Raelynn's hand, curling around it gently.

"She needs to wake up soon," Isabella whispered. "Daddy says sleeping too much isn't good."

Nessa huffed a quiet laugh. "Your daddy sure says a lot of things."

Isabella giggled, then rested her chin on the stuffed bunny's head. "Miss Raelynn looks prettier when she smiles," she said after a moment.

Nessa glanced at Raelynn, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Yeah," she admitted. "She does."

A beat of silence stretched between them.

Then Isabella perked up. "Oh! I know what will help!"

Nessa arched a brow. "Is that so?"

Isabella nodded eagerly. "When Grandma was sick, I stayed with her a lot, and I told her funny stories. And she got better!"

Nessa smirked, despite herself. "And you think telling stories will wake Raelynn up?"

"Uh-huh!" Isabella grinned. "Daddy says I tell the best stories."

"That so?"

"Yup!" Isabella beamed. "One time, I told him a story about a princess who turned into a dragon, and he laughed so much!"

Nessa snorted. "I bet he did."

Isabella turned back to Raelynn, squeezing her hand gently. "Miss Raelynn," she said in a hushed voice, "do you want to hear a story?"

Silence.

Isabella didn't seem to mind. She straightened her shoulders and began.

"Once upon a time, there was a really pretty princess. But! She didn't know she was a princess. She thought she was just a normal girl." Isabella paused dramatically. "But one day, a big, mean king came and tried to take her away!"

Nessa tilted her head, watching the little girl.

"But!" Isabella continued, "a brave knight came and saved her! He was really strong, and he had a big, shiny sword. And he told the princess, 'You don't have to be afraid, I'll always protect you!'"

Nessa's chest tightened.

The way Isabella said it—so soft, so full of certainty—sent a sharp ache through her ribs. It was just a story, a child's imagination running wild. But the way Isabella told it, the way she spoke about knights and protection, it struck something too deep, things Nessa would rather they remain buried.

Isabella's voice softened. "And then… the princess realized that she was really special. That she wasn't just a normal girl—she was the strongest princess in the whole world!"

Silence followed the ending of her story. Isabella turned to Nessa expectantly.

"Well?" she asked. "Was it a good story?"

Nessa cleared her throat, looking away. "Yeah, kid," she murmured. "It was a good one."

Isabella grinned. "Do you think Miss Raelynn liked it?"

Nessa's gaze flickered to Raelynn's unmoving form.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I think she would."

Isabella seemed satisfied with that answer. She gave Raelynn's hand one last squeeze before shifting in her seat.

"Do you think Daddy will come see Miss Raelynn soon?" she asked suddenly.

Nessa stiffened.

She kept her expression neutral as she leaned back in her chair. "Why do you ask?"

Isabella kicked her legs, hugging the stuffed bunny. "Because Daddy cares about her," she said simply. "And he always comes when I need him. So I think he'll come for Miss Raelynn too."

Nessa swallowed. "That so?"

"Uh-huh!" Isabella beamed. "Daddy always protects the people he loves."

A slow exhale left Nessa's lips.

Before she could respond, the door creaked open.

Isabella's nanny stepped inside, her face composed but tired. "Isabella," she called gently, "it's time to go, sweetheart."

Isabella pouted. "But I want to stay!"

"You can come back tomorrow, kid," Nessa said, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "Raelynn's not going anywhere."

Isabella hesitated, then sighed. "Okay."

She slid off the chair and gave Raelynn's hand one last squeeze. "Goodnight, Miss Raelynn," she whispered.

Then she turned to Nessa and held out her pinky.

Nessa raised a brow. "What's this?"

"A promise," Isabella said seriously. "You have to smile tomorrow."

Nessa rolled her eyes but hooked her pinky around Isabella's anyway. "Fine. One smile."

Isabella giggled. "Make it a big one!"

"Don't push it, Isa."

Isabella giggled again, then let her nanny take her hand. She waved as she was led out of the room, her little voice floating back, "Bye, Auntie Nessa!"

The door shut behind them, and silence settled once more.

Nessa exhaled, rubbing her temples.

"Damn kid's too smart for her own good," she muttered.

But despite herself, she smiled, wondering how Isabella could be so innocent.

She didn't notice the way Raelynn's fingers twitched.

It was faint. Barely a movement at all. The slightest shift beneath Isabella's small hand, so subtle it could have been imagined.

But it wasn't.

For the briefest moment, Raelynn's fingers curled—just a little—before going still again.

Nessa leaned back in her chair, oblivious.

Stories waking someone? She scoffed under her breath. "Yeah, right."

The room fell into silence once more.

But Raelynn had moved.

And the world didn't know it yet.