Chapter 9 

Eliana headed to the airport with her suitcase. 

the plane broke through the clouds, she felt completely reborn. 

When she landed in LA, Eliana was no longer the invisible wife trailing behind Milo Blake. She was a co founder of a promising design startup. 

Three hours earlier, back at Mount Sinai Hospital, Milo had been sitting by Harper’s bedside where a sudden, violent pain shot through his chest. He clutched at his heart, the agony so intense it felt like something essential was being torn from his body. 

“Eliana,” he whispered without thinking, panic flooding his system for reasons he couldn’t explain. 

His voice was barely audible, but Harper caught it. Her eyes immediately welled up. “Milo, if Eliana matters more, then just go. It’s not like anyone would miss me if I died.” 

Hearing her words, Milo quickly pulled her into his arms. “Iley, don’t talk like that. I’m right here–nothing’s gonna happen to you.” 

“Then stay with me tonight.” 

Harper’s voice was soft and needy, her hands sliding under his shirt, fingers trailing across his skin. Within moments, she had him completely distracted, though that weird sense of urgency kept nagging at him to leave. 

As he hesitated, Harper leaned in and pressed kisses along his neck. His last defenses crumbled, and soon they tumbled from the hospital bed to the 

floor. 

Milo slept terribly that night, jolting awake from nightmares over and over. Before dawn, he was already getting dressed. 

Harper stirred at the rustling sounds. Seeing him about to leave, she whined, “Milo, where are you going? Do you have to be somewhere?” 

“My leg’s killing me. Can you rub it for me?” 

She clung to him desperately. 

But this time, no matter how much she begged, Milo gently pushed her away. “Harper, the nurses are here. I’ve got some stuff to handle at work. I’ll be back later, okay?” 

Before she could protest, he was gone, ignoring her calls behind him. 

Driving home from the hospital, Milo found himself frantically searching every room of their house. But no matter how thoroughly he looked, he couldn’t find the person he desperately needed to see. 

Her clothes were gone from the walk–in closet. Her design sketches had vanished from the desk. Even that little stuffed bear she always kept on her nightstand was missing. 

A terrifying thought began to take shape. 

Had Eliana actually left him? 

His chest tightened with something that felt dangerously close to panic. No. No way. She wouldn’t just… leave. Not really. 

In three years of marriage, Eliana had threatened to leave plenty of times–first for her design career, then because of Harper’s return. They’d fought, sure, but she always came back when he paid her a little attention. 

This time would be exactly the same. It had to be. 

Milo tried desperately to convince himself, but the house felt wrong–too empty, too quiet. Like something vital had been ripped away. 

Fighting down his growing panic, he called for their housekeeper, trying to sound casual. “Hey Mary, I lost a cufflink. Can you text Eliana and ask her to grab me a new one?” 

Mary shifted uncomfortably. “Mr. Blake, Mrs. Blake already left yesterday…” 

Before she could finish, Milo’s phone exploded with sound. Crying and chaos came through the speaker–urgent male voices mixed with sobbing. 

15:19 

Sorry Captain Milo, Our Love Score Has Hit Zero 

5.0% 

Chapter 9 

From the chaos, Mary quickly pieced together what was happening. 

Harper was claiming that Eliana had shown up at the hospital with security guards, causing a massive scene and disrupting the entire ward 

The lie was obviously bullshit. Eliana was the gentlest person alive–she’d never pull something that crazy. Plus, she’d left New York yesterday. We could she suddenly be at Harper’s hospital? 

Milo wasn’t completely stupid. He could see the holes in Harper’s story. But thinking of her pale, fragile face in that hospital bed, his protective instincts kicked into overdrive. 

After hanging up, he barely managed a few words before rushing out again. 

“Harper’s in trouble. Gotta go.” 

“Tell Eliana when she gets back to go to the hospital and apologize to Harper right away.” 

Terrified that Harper might have another breakdown, Milo had his driver, James, blow through several red lights. They were going so fast they nearly rear–ended a taxi. 

James nervously eased off the gas. “Sir, maybe we should-” 

“Don’t slow down, James. If we crash, I’ll handle it.” 

The therapist’s warnings echoed in his head as Milo’s heart hammered against his ribs. But the further he got from home, the more his thoughts kept drifting to Eliana. 

His pulse was going crazy, and he couldn’t tell if his heart was racing because of Harper’s supposed crisis or because Eliana had been in every single nightmare that had woken him up last night. 

Ten minutes later, his Tesla pulled up to Mount Sinai’s entrance. 

Milo didn’t bother fixing his rumpled clothes before sprinting toward the VIP wing. But when he burst through Harper’s door, he found her surrounded by Jake, Ryan, and his other friends, laughing and looking perfectly fine.