The adrenaline that had sustained Victoria through the interview and the acquisition strategy suddenly vanished, leaving behind a terrifying pressure in her skull.
As she stood up to put Leo’s book away, the room fractured. The library shelves blurred into a kaleidoscope of brown and gold. A sharp, high-pitched whine filled her ears.
“Victoria?” Leo’s voice sounded underwater.
She grabbed the edge of the table, swaying. “I… I can’t see.”
Ten minutes later, Dr. Maya Khan burst into the Master Suite. She wrapped a cuff around Victoria’s arm, her face grim as she listened to the pulse.
“170 over 110,” Maya announced, stripping off the cuff. “Victoria, you have spots in your vision?”
“Yes,” Victoria whispered, holding a cold compress to her forehead. “And a headache. Like a vice.”
“It’s pre-eclampsia,” Maya diagnosed, her voice brokering no argument. “The stress of the takeover is spiking your blood pressure. You are risking a stroke, and you are risking the baby.”
Maya turned to William. “She is done. No meetings. No screens. No stress. Absolute bed rest until the blood pressure stabilizes, or she will end up in the ICU.”