The Billionaire Playboy's Regret (Lark and Max)

"Ollie, Lark!" Bobbie's voice carried from the Villeneuve backyard to the Hoffman's.

Both women sat up at the urgency in Bobbie's voice.

"What's up, Mom?"

"Max was taken to hospital. We need to go."

"What?" they both rolled out of the hammock and landed on their knees.

"Johan called. Max collapsed in his condo. He called an ambulance and Max is en route to the hospital. They think he's having a heart attack."

"He's six weeks out from turning thirty!" Ollie protested as she yanked Lark to a standing position and then was pulling her through the back yards to where her mother stood. "What happened?"

"Don't know. Johan said they were talking in his condo, and he started complaining of being short of breath and chest pains."

"s**t," Ollie flinched. "He's been burning the candle at both ends, Mom. He's been working twenty-hour days for months." "We need to go."

"Go," Lark waved at them. "I can lock up the house for you. Go."

"You're coming too, young lady." Nana Prue appeared behind them. "This is family, and I don't care how much you two are bickering, you get your ass to the hospital to support him. Move."

"Nana. We're not -"

"Don't you dare finish your sentence, Lark or so help me God you and I will have words," Nana Prue pushed her through the house to the front door. "We are family. Sometimes family fall out and argue and fight but when push comes to shove, we have each other's back and right now, Max needs us. Let's go." She was bundled into the back of a car where Riggs was driving, and they were racing through the streets towards the local hospital. She was nestled between Ollie and Ollie's younger sister Margot who was crying.

"You okay, Margot?"

"If he dies from a heart attack, I don't know what I'll do. I've never met anyone who died before!" she wailed suddenly. She and Ollie exchanged glances and she wanted to kick her friend when Ollie's lips twisted as if she were struggling not to laugh. Ollie's go-to every time she was stressed or nervous was to laugh like a buffoon and the more absurd people behaved around them during high-emotion situations, the more Ollie giggled.

"He's not going to die." She patted Margot's leg reassuringly.

"He might. He's never had a girlfriend and he's going to die!"

This time Ollie snickered, and Lark looked out the window.

"Margot," Riggs called from the driver's seat, "Max is a healthy young man. I'm sure it's more likely anxiety or panic or something. He brokered a deal over a half billion dollars this week. He isn't sleeping well. He's drinking too much."

"He's drinking too much?" Lark asked seriously. "How can you say he's healthy if he's drinking too much?" "He works out every single day but the past month or so, he's been stressed, and he's been indulging a bit more than usual."

"Pfft," she looked out the window. "I know exactly how he's overindulging."

Riggs met her eyes in the rearview and then gave a one-shouldered shrug. "It might be the only outlet which isn't unhealthy."

"Spoken like a man," Ollie snorted.

The rest of the ride was quiet until they reached the hospital and then the occupants of the five-car convoy was spilling out in a rush. Johan was there waiting, and Lark hung to the back as he ushered them inside. Bobbie and Olivier rushed to the counter with Ollie at their side. She watched as Ollie and her four siblings paced nervously while they waited for a physician to come talk to them and let them know what was happening.

Johan approached her quietly, "how are you holding up?"

"I don't know why I'm here. I haven't spoken to Max in twelve years."

"Maybe not but the rest of his family need you. It's not about him but about them."

"True," she huffed, blowing a wisp of hair off her forehead. "I got your text earlier. Ollie and I had a good chuckle."

He made wide eyes and opened his mouth, "you laughed at my dinner invite?"

"It was a joke, right? Ollie thought maybe Max put you up to it."

"No. Nobody put me up to it." He nudged her with his hip. "Lark, there wasn't a guy in our high school who didn't have it bad for you."

"I can name one."

"Tell that to the heart attack victim down the hall," Johan snorted.

"What do you mean?"

"Only, we were talking about missed opportunities in high school and Max either experienced a heart attack or panic attack."

"Wait. What?" she was confused. "What are saying?"

"Figure it out, Lark but for the record, I wasn't kidding about the date thing but in the interest of not

upsetting my best friend of nearly twenty years, I'm going to have to rescind my offer."

She was flabbergasted as Johan walked away when a doctor came out to address the family.

"Mr. and Mrs. Villeneuve?"

"That's us," Olivier stepped forward holding Bobbie's hands in his. "What is wrong with our Max?" "Max is suffering from hypertension."

"What?" Ollie butted in.

"High blood pressure. It was quite elevated when he was admitted. We have it back under control right now and he'll need to be medicated."

"He works out and eats well. What could cause such a thing?"

"Stress can easily account for his symptomology. He gave me permission to share with you saying he'd probably tell you all anyway if one of you didn't hack my hospital's medical records for it." He made a face as he took in the group. "Max admitted for the last six months or so, he's running on about two hours of sleep a day, energy drinks when he's overtired which according to him," the doctor consulted his notes, "is at least two to three a day. He's in high stress situations frequently because, and I'm quoting, he is a control freak who can't delegate worth s**t. Overall, he's a walking stroke or cardiovascular event. The high blood pressure and subsequent tachycardia is a warning for Max he needs to make significant lifestyle changes."

"But he's, okay?" Bobbie asked seriously. "He will be alright?"

"I am confident with the lifestyle changes Max and I discussed and temporary medications he will make a

full recovery. The medications will help keep him controlled while he begins the necessary adjustments in his life. We will put him in touch with a cardiologist who will collaborate with him moving forward." "What kind of lifestyle changes?"

"Less alcohol, more sleep, better life work balance."

"No more Man-w***e Max," Ollie muttered under her breath shooting a smirk at Lark who twisted her lips nervously.

"What about s*x?" Ronnie, one of Max's nineteen-year-old brothers asked. "He's an addict."

The doctor's white eyebrows rose drastically at the question while the rest of the group groaned, and Mori smacked her brother in the back of the head.

"Hey, it's a valid question!"

"I have discussed Max's treatment with him. He asked me to explain why he's feeling how he's feeling because he felt I would be less likely to get yelled at than he would. You're a large overbearing group," the doctor called them all out. "He needs to rest. For now, you can go in no more than two at a time." He looked back to his notes, "he specifically said if Lark Hoffman is here, he wants to see her first and alone. Otherwise, I don't care how you go in so long as it's groups of no more than two."

Johan wriggled his eyebrows at Lark and mouthed "told you so."

"It might be best if his parents see him first," Lark protested.

Bobbie waved at her, "Lark, go. We know he's worried about you after the events of this afternoon. You can put his mind at ease."

"Yeah, but."

"Lark, go!" Ollie pushed her to follow the doctor. "What's the worst which can happen?"

"I kill him in his hospital bed."

"If you do, make it look like an accident," Ollie laughed at her comment and then shrugged at her father. "He's a pain in the ass. She's liable at least try to smother him with one of those thin pillows."

Riggs snorted, "Lark, don't put me in a position where I have to hide my best friend's son's body. You're

my favorite kid of the clan but I only have so much leeway."

"I'm the favorite?" she made wide eyes at Riggs when he looked around seriously.

"Lark, look around this room. Even Fallon causes me more grief than you do. Did you know she created a lethal chemical compound this week? You never once caused me trouble."

The chorus of "heys" made them both laugh.

"He's not wrong. You're the good girl," Ollie shrugged. "If he can't help you hide Max's body, I have a couple options. Though in the interest of my mother's tears and increasing amounts of grey hair, please try really hard not to strangle him. Please?"

"I'll do my best."

She followed the waiting physician through the quiet hallway towards a private room at the end of the hall. "He's through there. You can go in."