Chapter 2: Wedding Night
[Sarah]
The steady beeping of medical monitors filled the silence as I stared into Theodore Pierce's steel-gray eyes. They were sharp, alert – nothing like the vacant gaze you'd expect from someone emerging from a coma. A chill ran down my spine as those eyes focused directly on me.
Nathan's footsteps echoed through the penthouse as he fled, leaving me alone with my comatose – or perhaps not so comatose – husband. The monitors continued their rhythmic beeping, but Theodore's eyes had closed again, his face returning to its previous peaceful state.
My hands trembled as I pressed the call button. Within moments, Mrs. Thompson appeared, her practical shoes silent on the marble floors. One look at my face and she was by my side, her presence oddly comforting despite our brief acquaintance.
"He opened his eyes," I whispered. "He looked right at me."
Mrs. Thompson's expression remained calm, professional. "It's not uncommon for coma patients to have moments of apparent wakefulness, Mrs. Pierce. Their eyes may open, but it doesn't necessarily indicate consciousness."
I nodded, trying to steady my breathing. "Does it happen often? With him?"
"Occasionally." She adjusted Theodore's blanket with practiced efficiency. "The doctors say it's a good sign, but not necessarily indicative of recovery. Would you like me to show you to your room?"
The thought of sleeping in the same room as Theodore suddenly seemed overwhelming. "Yes, please."
The guest suite Mrs. Thompson led me to was larger than my entire MIT apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a stunning view of Manhattan's nightscape, but all I could think about was Theodore's penetrating gaze.
"Would it be possible to leave the lights on?" I asked, hating how young my voice sounded.
Mrs. Thompson's eyes softened. "Of course, Mrs. Pierce. There's a dimmer by the bed. Will you need anything else?"
I shook my head, already reaching for my MIT sweatpants and worn t-shirt. They were hardly appropriate sleepwear for a Pierce bride, but right now I needed the comfort of familiarity.
After Mrs. Thompson left, I found myself drawn back to the medical suite. The night nurse nodded respectfully as I entered, then discreetly stepped out to give me privacy. Theodore lay still, exactly as before, monitors steadily tracking his vital signs.
"Hi," I said softly, feeling slightly foolish. "I don't know if you can hear me, but..." I waved my hand experimentally in front of his face. No response. "I hope you wake up soon. Really wake up, I mean. Nathan can't be allowed to take control of Pierce Technologies. He'd run it into the ground."
"I know this isn't how either of us planned to get married. But I promise I'll protect your company until you wake up." I studied his face, noting how his features remained aristocratic even in repose. "And I'll make sure Nathan pays for what he did."
As if in response, Theodore's eyes closed tighter, the smallest movement that might have been coincidence. My heart jumped anyway.
The night passed fitfully. Despite my best efforts to stay in the guest room, I found myself drifting back to the medical suite, drawn by some mixture of curiosity and concern. During one such visit, I must have dozed off in the chair beside his bed, because I woke with a start to find my head resting against Theodore's shoulder.
I jerked away, cheeks burning, but he remained still, breathing steady. The sky outside was beginning to lighten, Manhattan's towers catching the first hints of dawn.
Mrs. Thompson found me there at eight, still in my MIT sweats. "Mrs. Pierce, the car is ready. Mrs. Elizabeth Pierce expects you for breakfast at the Greenwich estate."
Right. The formal post-wedding breakfast. I smoothed my hair back, grateful I'd thought to pack a suitable outfit. "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson. I'll change right away."
The drive to Greenwich was a study in old money elegance. Manicured lawns gave way to a sprawling estate that looked like it had been transplanted directly from England. Mrs. Thompson quietly coached me through the expected greetings and protocols as we approached.
Elizabeth Pierce was waiting in the formal dining room, every silver hair perfectly placed despite the early hour. "Sarah, dear. I trust you slept well?"
"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Pierce." I took my assigned seat, noting the elaborate place settings.
"Please, call me Elizabeth. We're family now." Her smile was practiced perfection. "How is Theodore this morning?"
I hesitated, uncertain how to describe last night's incident. "He... his vital signs are stable. There was a moment when..."
"When what, dear?"
"He opened his eyes." I watched her reaction carefully. "The nurse said it's normal for coma patients."
Something flickered in Elizabeth's expression before she smoothly changed the subject. "I have something to discuss with you, Sarah. Something of great importance to the Pierce legacy."
She gestured to the butler, who placed a leather portfolio before me. Inside were documents detailing the Pierce Family Trust – a collection of early-stage investments in promising tech startups that had helped build the family's fortune.
"Each Pierce heir has traditionally managed this portfolio," Elizabeth explained. "Theodore has done particularly well with it, having an eye for promising AI technologies. However, given his condition..."
"You want me to manage it?" I tried to keep the surprise from my voice.
"Among other responsibilities." Elizabeth's gaze grew intense. "Our medical team has taken certain... precautions, regarding Theodore's condition. Preserving his ability to father children, should the opportunity arise."
My fork clattered against fine china. "I'm sorry?"
"The Pierce legacy must continue, Sarah. Even if Theodore never wakes up, his child – his heir – could secure the future of Pierce Technologies."
Nathan chose that moment to enter, his timing too perfect to be coincidence. "You can't be serious, Granny. Theodore's in a coma. How could he possibly—"
"Modern medicine has made many things possible," Elizabeth cut him off smoothly. "And the Pierce family has always embraced innovation." Her eyes fixed on me. "What do you say, Sarah? Would you consider carrying Theodore's heir?"
The weight of her words pressed down on me like a physical force. Through the breakfast room's windows, I could see Manhattan's skyline in the distance, where Pierce Tower rose above its neighbors. Somewhere in that tower, Nathan had plotted with my sister to manipulate me. To take control of everything Theodore had built.
I lifted my chin, meeting Elizabeth's gaze. "Yes," I said firmly. "I'll do it."
Nathan's face darkened with barely concealed fury. Good. Let him worry. Let him wonder what else his perfect plan had failed to account for.
Elizabeth smiled, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. "Excellent, dear. We'll have the doctors begin the preparations immediately."