The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) - forgot how to communicate 42

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Chapter 26: Aftermath-2

Damien snapped, voice sharp and cold.

“Watch yourself, Ashcroft.”

Ashcroft threw up his hands in mock surrender.

“Alright, alright! I’m a man. I see beauty when it’s there. Don’t blame me for noticing.”

Damien’s glare was ice.

“Keep your filthy thoughts locked up.”

Ashcroft laughed, then his tone shifted, harder, serious.

“But tell me-are you really sure about this? About her?”

Damien’s eyes darkened, silence stretching before he finally said, “I don’t know. All I know is she matters. More than anyone’s mattered in a long time.”

Ashcroft’s gaze hardened.

“Look, D… It broke me too. Lost someone close, I get it. The pain. The rage. The hole it leaves.

He took a breath, voice rough with something like regret.

“But grieving doesn’t mean we get stuck. We move on. Doesn’t mean we forget. But we gotta let go of the past or it’ll kill us. It’s a cruel truth-sometimes surviving means losing a part of yourself. But it doesn’t mean we have to die in the process.”

Ashcroft’s eyes locked on Damien’s.

“If Maya’s the one who can crack through your walls without even trying, make your heart beat again… then hell, I’ll take that as a sign that she’s the one.”

His voice dropped, fierce.

“I got your back, D. Don’t let the ghosts drag you under.”

The words hung heavy in the tight space between them – two warriors scarred by loss, learning to fight for something new.

Ashcroft Family Medical Pavilion

The SUV’s tires screeched gently as it pulled into the private emergency intake bay-tucked

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behind the grand west wing of Ashcroft Family Medical Pavilion, the city’s most elite medical

institution.

Owned and operated by the Ashcroft family for over three generations, the Pavilion wasn’t just a hospital-it was a fortress of confidentiality. A place where NDAs were signed at reception, and silence was more sacred than steel. Heads of state, billionaires, tech giants, and stars had passed through its halls without a single photo leaking.

And tonight, every hallway between the ER wing and intensive trauma had been pre-cleared.

Because Ashcroft had made the call.

A full trauma team in navy scrubs was already waiting as Monroe stepped out of the SUV and opened the rear passenger door.

James climbed out from the other side, face hard, suit wrinkled, hands steady. Then he

turned and leaned into the vehicle.

Wrapped in Damien’s jacket, Maya lay unconscious, pale and still.

“Now,” James ordered quietly.

The trauma team didn’t waste a second.

They took her from him gently but quickly, moving her onto a gurney and wheeling her toward the ER entrance. IV drips were prepped mid-stride. One nurse was already calling vitals into a headset.

“Female, 25. Suspected head trauma. Potential chemical sedatives in system-confirmed injection site in upper left arm. Unresponsive to external stimulus minimal. No verbal output.”

Monroe closed the vehicle door and turned to James. “I’ll go check on Jamie and Ms. Janice.

”

James nodded tightly, watching Maya disappear into the bright hallway.

James pulled out his phone and hit a number he didn’t have to look up.

The moment the line connected, all James could hear was the sound of Damien’s breathing- steady, clipped-and the low hum of the engine in the background. No greeting. No need.

The silence was sharp, cold, and brimming with tension.

“Sir,” James began, tone low but precise. “We got her in. Ashcroft Pavilion, as you instructed. Trauma team was waiting. They’ve taken her into the private ER. Still unconscious.”

A long exhale came through the line-controlled, but heavy.

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< Chapter 26: Aftermath-2

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“Monroe left to check on Jamie and the neighbor. He’s on standby. I’ll call him when it’s safe to bring them in. I’m staying here to coordinate.”

Damien’s voice came like ice across steel. “Good. You know what to do. No delays. No discretion. I want everything-every update, big or small.”

“Understood.”

James hung up, jaw tight, eyes flicking toward the hallway where Maya had vanished.

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Cedella

Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.