Divorced: The Hidden King Rises

Ch.6 - Three Days of Silence

Nicholas remained silent for a moment, his mind racing.

Regarding Ryan's true identity, he decided to keep his mouth shut for now.

He needed to touch base with the Old Master in the Capital and confirm the situation before making a move.

He adjusted his expression, putting on a look of sincere gratitude.

"It's nothing, really. I'm just incredibly thankful you saved my life. If you hadn't charged in there, I'd be a dead man."

Ryan lay on the bed, his face calm. He gave a faint, detached response.

"It was just my job."

Nicholas smiled and didn't push further.

But the respect in his eyes deepened.

Ryan wasn't even the firefighter assigned to that sector. He could have ignored it. He could have walked away.

But he didn't.

He had charged into the inferno without a word, completely disregarding his own safety.

That was true character.

Nicholas turned and pushed open the door, beckoning the hospital director who was waiting outside.

"Director Strauss," Nicholas's tone was absolute. "I want him to receive the highest level of medical care. I will personally cover all expenses."

The director nodded and bowed repeatedly. "Rest assured, Mr. Wells. I will oversee everything myself. I guarantee Mr. Sinclair will receive the best care possible."

Nicholas nodded, satisfied. He pulled a business card from his suit pocket and handed it to Ryan. "This is my private number. If you need anything, call me anytime."

Ryan took the card and muttered his thanks.

After a few more instructions, Nicholas turned and left the room.

The ward fell silent again.

Ryan lay alone, staring through the floor-to-ceiling window at the view outside.

Below the inpatient wing was a small garden square. The sun was out, and patients and their families were scattered across the plaza.

There was an elderly man in a wheelchair, his children carefully peeling an apple for him. A young mother walked with an IV stand, her husband supporting her with every step. Children chased each other on the grass while their parents watched from benches with smiles on their faces...

The warmth of the scenes made something stir in Ryan's chest. A feeling he couldn't quite name.

What about them?

And what about me?

He was alone.

Aside from the occasional beep of the heart monitor, the room was silent.

No one came to visit. No one brought food. Not even a single check-in call.

The door was pushed open gently. A middle-aged doctor walked in—the city's most authoritative orthopedic expert.

"Mr. Sinclair, here is your medication for today." He carried the tray himself, his manner exceptionally respectful.

Ryan took the medicine, hesitated, and then spoke.

"Doctor... I wanted to ask. Did my wife, Elise... did she call?"

The doctor's movement faltered. A flash of hesitation crossed his face.

"Well..." He weighed his words carefully. "Mr. Wells did call your wife last night to inform her of your injuries and the surgery. He asked her to come over."

"But..." The doctor's voice dropped. "Your wife said... she didn't believe it."

She didn't believe it.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Ryan's mouth.

Right. She didn't believe it.

Or rather, she didn't care.

In Elise's eyes, Ryan was just a firefighter making a few thousand dollars a month. What kind of "emergency" could he possibly have? Even if he was injured, it had to be something minor.

She was so busy. How could she find time to visit a "useless" husband?

Ryan fell silent. He stopped asking.

What was I thinking?

He was the one who brought up the divorce, yet he was still hoping she would show up?

How pathetic.

Still... Elise was truly cold-blooded.

Even if they were practically strangers now, had the situation been reversed, he would have at least stopped by to check on her.

After all, they had slept in the same bed for years.

But this was Elise. This was what she was capable of.

Ryan took a deep breath, crushing the last remnants of hope in his heart.

"Doctor, how long until I'm recovered?"

The doctor looked relieved that the subject had changed.

"Mr. Sinclair, you are currently under the city's highest level of medical care. Mr. Wells was very specific. Your injuries aren't actually that severe. Given your recovery rate, you should be out in two weeks to a month."

His tone was incredibly humble—a complete 180 from how he treated ordinary patients.

Ryan nodded. "Thanks."

After giving a few more instructions, the doctor bowed and retreated.

A moment later, the door opened again.

Two young, beautiful nurses walked in. One held a tray of warm towels; the other carried massage oils.

"Mr. Sinclair, we're here for your rehabilitation care," one of them said with a sweet smile.

Ryan blinked. "Rehab care?"

"Yes. Mr. Wells specifically ordered that you receive the best care," the other nurse explained. "Since your movement is limited, we will be performing regular muscle relaxation massages for you."

Before Ryan could even process it, the two nurses were already at work.

Warm towels were pressed against his aching muscles. Slender fingers moved with perfect pressure across his shoulders and back...

Ryan: "..."

He had to admit, it felt incredible.

Is this what top-tier medical treatment feels like?

It's... nice.

In the hallway outside, a middle-aged patient on crutches happened to pass by. He caught a glimpse of the scene through the window and froze in confusion.

"Wait... aren't those the Director's secretaries?" He scratched his head. "Why aren't they working for the boss? Why are they serving a patient? Who the hell is that guy?"

About an hour later, the massage ended, and the nurses packed up and left.

Ryan was about to close his eyes for a nap when his phone on the nightstand suddenly buzzed.

He picked it up. It was Blake Harper.

Blake was his best friend in the fire department and his former college roommate. They had known each other since university; their bond was rock solid.

Ryan hit answer. "Hey, Blake."

Blake's loud, boisterous voice boomed through the speaker. "Ryan! You brat! Why didn't you show up for work today?"

Before leaving, Nicholas had made sure to lock down the news.

The outside world had no idea Ryan was injured. Blake was still in the dark.

Ryan hesitated for a second before telling him the truth. "I'm injured. I'm in the hospital."

"What?!" Blake's voice jumped an entire octave. "Injured? How? Is it serious? Which hospital? I'm coming over right now!"

Ryan couldn't help but chuckle at the barrage of questions. "Calm down. Just a fracture, nothing life-threatening. I got hit by something while firefighting yesterday..."

"Holy shit! Why didn't you say so earlier!" Blake was practically pacing on the other end. "Stay put. I'm coming to see you!"

"Don't," Ryan stopped him quickly. "Don't you have a shift? I have people looking after me here. Don't worry."

Blake went silent for a few seconds. His tone turned sharp. "People looking after you? Is Elise there?"

Ryan said nothing.

Blake understood instantly. His voice flared with anger. "She didn't come? You're in the hospital and she didn't show up?!"

"..."

"I knew that woman was a piece of work!" Blake grew more furious as he spoke.

"You know what? I just saw her on the news! Having dinner with some corporate executives, smiling like a damn flower! She was even with some guy... looking way too cozy!"

Blake's voice was full of indignation. "What is wrong with her? She's your wife! You're in the hospital and she's out eating with other men? Laughing like nothing's wrong? Does she even have a conscience?!"

Ryan leaned back against his pillow. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Blake, I'm divorcing Elise."

The other end of the line went dead for a few seconds.

Then, a roar of approval erupted. "Good! Hell yes! You should've done it a long time ago!"

Blake sounded genuinely relieved. "Ryan, I'm telling you, I've hated that woman for years! You deserve better!"

He got more excited as he went on.

 "And without her, you can finally go out and actually do something big! You're a PhD in Economics, for god's sake! Remember back in college? All those economic simulations? You won every single time! The professors said you were a once-in-a-century genius!"

"And what happened?" Blake's tone turned into one of pure regret.

"Just because that woman said 'being too busy would ruin the family,' she forced you to be a firefighter just so you'd have more time to take care of her! Isn't that a complete waste of talent?!"

Listening to Blake's rant, Ryan's lips quirked upward.

This guy. After all these years, he still had that short fuse.

They chatted for a bit longer until Ryan felt the fatigue setting in. He made an excuse and hung up.

He closed his eyes again.

A moment later, the two beautiful nurses returned to start a new round of massage therapy.

Ryan decided to empty his mind and just enjoy the rare peace.

Just like that, three days passed quietly.

………

Nexora Company. Headquarters Building.

In the CEO's office on the top floor, a woman in a black professional suit stood silently by the massive windows.

She stared out at the sprawling skyline, her gaze lost in thought.

Elise, CEO of Nexora.

Right now, her delicate brows were knit together. She muttered to herself.

"Three days..."

"Ryan, you've really got some nerve."

She gritted her teeth, a flash of humiliation and annoyance crossing her beautiful face.

Three days. Not a single phone call.

She had assumed Ryan had only said "divorce" in the heat of the moment and would come crawling back to apologize soon enough.

After all, hadn't that been the pattern for years?

But three days had passed, and he actually hadn't called.

Not even a text.

Elise felt a surge of irritation she had never experienced before.

She pulled her phone from her pocket, her finger swiping across the screen to pull up Ryan's contact.