I shoved past the guard and ran like a madwoman to the hospital. But by the time I reached the ward, Aaron had already stopped breathing.
His eyes were still open, as if waiting for me.
The doctor said that in his final moments, he kept whispering, “Sis, don’t let them wrong you.”
“Aaron…” I collapsed over his body, tears streaming onto his cold face.
While handling his paperwork, a sharp pain ripped through my abdomen. My vision blacked, and I tumbled down the stairs.
When I woke again, I was back in the hospital.
The doctor stood by my bed, his voice heavy. “Ms. Lane, you were pregnant. But from the fall, the child didn’t survive. I’m sorry… it may be difficult for you to conceive again.”
Pregnant? My hand trembled over my flat stomach, tears pouring once more.
My brother was gone. My child was gone. The last ties I had in this world—gone.
I pulled the recorder from under my pillow, replaying Sophia’s venomous laughter. Ryan’s cold face still burned in my memory.
Slowly, I sat up. The last trace of warmth in my eyes was gone.
“Ryan, Sophia,” I whispered, voice flat and cold. “Everything you owe me—I’ll take back, piece by piece.”