Chapter 2 - The Silent Signal
Clara froze. The warmth of the pressure was faint, almost imperceptible against her skin, but unmistakable. She looked down at his closed lids, her breath caught in her throat.
""Did you hear me, girl?"" Richard snapped, thrusting a gold fountain pen into her hand. ""Sign. You get your five hundred dollars, and you vanish.""
Clara glanced back at Edward. His face was still, carved from marble. Had it been a neurological spasm? An involuntary reflex of a dying brain? Or was there a trapped consciousness screaming behind those shuttered eyes?
""I am his wife now,"" Clara said, her voice quiet but steady. The laughter in the chapel abruptly died.
Richard’s brow furrowed. ""Excuse me?""
""You had the priest perform the legal ceremony under common law. I signed the registry before entering the nave,"" Clara said, straightening her spine despite the patches on her sleeves. ""Under state law, medical power of attorney defaults to the spouse unless otherwise decreed by a probate court.""
Murmurs rippled through the pews. Richard’s face flushed an ugly crimson. ""You dare play games with me, gutter rat? He’s brain-dead! You’re trespassing on private medical transport!""
""Call the police, then,"" Clara answered, stepping directly in front of the yellow gurney. ""Let the public see you throw the Chairman's legal wife onto the street on her wedding day while his heart monitor still runs.""
Two burly paramedics hesitated, glancing between Richard and the defiant woman. Richard clenched his fists, knowing a media circus would tank Kane Enterprises stock before the board meeting tomorrow.
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""Fine,"" Richard hissed under his breath, leaning close enough that she smelled stale tobacco. ""Ride along to the family estate. Watch him rot. But remember, little tramp: accidents happen to uninvited guests in dark hallways.""
As the medics wheeled the gurney down the aisle, Clara stayed by Edward’s side. She held his hand again. This time, two deliberate taps struck her palm.
