Spots swam in front of her. Her knees buckled, but she caught herself against a filing cabinet. They’d just kissed each other good bye only a few hours ago. She couldn’t believe it might have been their last one.
Zoe jumped to her feet and grabbed Vanessa. “Are you all right? Vanessa?”
She blinked, trying to clear her vision. “Did anyone…were there any survivors?”
“So far only one seriously injured, and two with minor injuries. They didn’t say anything else.”
“Nobody…died?”
“I guess not. I don’t know.” Zoe’s face was filling her vision, looking concerned. “Here.” She handed Vanessa a tissue. “Wipe your tears.”
“Oh.” Vanessa hadn’t realized she’d been crying.
“Do you know Justin?”
Vanessa nodded.
Zoe’s face tightened. “I hope he’s all right.”
“Thanks.”
Vanessa managed to drag herself to her office, locking her door. She was shaking so violently that she finally collapsed on the carpeted floor, feeling like she was going to throw up. Was it Justin who was seriously injured?
Hands over her belly, she rolled onto her side. This was all her fault. She’d been so resentful of his high-handed act in Chicago that she’d insisted on keep their marriage secret, claiming she didn’t want her in-laws to affect her career. Now that she thought about it, she could’ve just told her partners she wouldn’t be used to bring in her in-laws’ business either. If her refusal to persuade her family to bring its business to the firm hadn’t hurt her, a refusal to get the Sterlings for Highsmith, Dickson and Associates wouldn
’t have either.
Her fault, her fault.
She pressed a fist against her mouth, trying to muffle a sob.
My god…Justin…
She should google for updates on the accident. But every time she tried to sit up, nausea hit her. She lay back on the floor and prayed harder than she’d ever prayed before.
* * *
Justin paced in the hospital. His pilot was seriously injured, while he and the cabin attendant had some bruises. There would be an investigation into what had actually caused the accident, but he was certain it was due to the poor visibility at the airport with thick and heavy fog.
He wanted to call Vanessa, but he’d forgotten to charge his phone the night before, and there was no juice. And now they were keeping him at this damn hospital.
“I’m fine,” he told the doctor again.
“We have to make sure,” the man said. A pair of rimless glasses sat on his long, pale face. “You may feel okay at the moment, but you might have other injuries you may not be aware of.”
“People are going to worry.”
“We notified your brother, Mr. Sterling. And I’m sure your family will be just as relieved to hear you were a model patient.”
The doctor was smiling, but Justin wasn’t in the mood for levity. Nate didn’t know about Vanessa, and she would undoubtedly hear about the accident. Hopefully she wouldn’t worry too much. “Fine. Make it quick.”
The doctor scheduled an MRI and CAT scan among other things. Justin wanted to bang his head against the wall, but he couldn’t blame the man for being thorough. He knew who Justin was. If anything happened to Justin because of medical negligence, Barron Sterling would descend upon the hospital with a horde of lawyers. Everyone knew what a vindictive asshole Barron could be.
It wasn’t until noon that the doc finally told him what he already knew. “It’s a miracle.” Still the doctor prescribed some painkillers, just in case Justin felt sore, and discharged him.
“To your office, sir?” his chauffeur asked.
“No. To the airport.”