The pieces started falling into place. Leah’s sudden illness, the timing of her cancer diagnosis, right after she’d left the Harrison company, Matthew’s insistence on being involved in her medical care. Oh, God, I whispered. They’ve been monitoring her all this time, haven’t they? Using her illness to control me. Kate squeezed my hand.
We’re going to end this, Rebecca. But first, we need to get to Leah. As we rushed out of the police station, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. The message contained only four words, but they made my blood run cold. You should have paid. What waited for us at the hospital would test everything I thought I knew about love, loyalty, and the true price of freedom.
But this time, I wasn’t facing it alone. The hospital corridor seemed endless as Kate and I ran toward Leah’s room. Officer Taylor close behind us. The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows, making everything feel surreal. My wine stained blouse drew curious glances from hospital staff, but I barely noticed. All I could think about was my sister.
Leah had always been the strong one. Even through her cancer treatments, she’d maintained her quiet dignity, her gentle humor. Now I understood why she’d given me those odd searching looks whenever Matthew visited her in the hospital. She’d known. She’d known all along. We rounded the corner to her floor and found two security guards outside her room.
My heart lurched when I saw the disarray in the hallway, a knocked over cart, scattered medical supplies. But it was the sound coming from Leah’s room that made me break into a run. My sister’s voice clear and angry. I told you to get out. I burst into the room and froze. Leah was sitting up in her hospital bed, thin but alert, her headscarf slightly a skew.
