Raphael inhaled sharply. "Nadine, before the accident… I swear, I managed to swerve left to avoid the truck. But because of that, we hit the road divider. If I hadn’t turned in time, who knows what would've happened."
His words echoed in my ears, and the realization struck me like a bolt of lightning.
The truck never intended to hit Raphael.
If he had swerved right instead of left, the truck would have struck—ensuring my complete destruction.
But because he turned left… the truck deliberately avoided him.
It was never about us both dying. It was about me.
My breath hitched as the weight of the betrayal pressed against my chest.
"Raphael, I can't do this anymore," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. My hand reached for the IV in my arm, ready to rip it out.
His eyes widened in alarm. "No, no, clear your mind first, Nadine. Please." He grabbed my wrist, his touch desperate. "I had no idea at all. You have to believe me."
"Believe you?" I let out a bitter laugh. "Even if you didn't know, this is your family, Raphael. And I will never be safe with you."
His grip tightened. "Don’t do this, okay? If you pull that out, it’ll hurt. You can’t stand pain, right?"
I flinched.