And if Noah’s loving gaze from across the room was any indication, then he was having the same thoughts.Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. Noah jumped up from his chair and strode over to answer it, checking his watch. The pizza wasn’t supposed to be here yet.When he returned, he had a
Hannah“Hannah… Hannah, wake up…”As if trudging my entire body through a layer of mud, I slowly returned to consciousness. And the first thing I became aware of as I returned to that consciousness was the overwhelming urge to vomit, quickly followed by the sensation of a headache that was pounding
HannahThe doctor looked like he was about to be sick when he turned to face us. His skin had gone pale, his eyes wide as saucers, his face drawn as if he’d just seen a ghost.“Kill us?” I sat up a little more with some effort, my arms trembling beneath my weight. Viona moved to support me, but I wa
“Was he really so keen on keeping me from getting pregnant because of a… defect in my bloodline?” I asked, glancing at Noah. “Why not just talk to me about it? Talk to my family?”Doctor Patel shrugged. “I wish I knew. He was very private about his motivations. All I knew was that it was important e
Hannah“Tell me everything, Alvin.”My cousin sat in the chair across from me, manacled hands clasped together on his lap. Aside from a cold metal table and an orange jumpsuit, there was nothing between us. Nothing to keep me from lashing out at him in the way that I’d been dreaming of for months no
Hannah“I just can’t believe it… So they were working together all along, with your father at the helm, no less.”I paced the living room as I spoke, running my hands nervously through my hair. Each stroke seemed to pull out more tiny hairs, but if I went bald, then I didn’t care right now. All I ca
“Your father is smart,” I mused, leaning my head back against the plush couch cushions. “He kept all of his accomplices in the dark.”“And promised them all the things they wanted most,” Noah replied.I nodded, shutting my eyes for a moment.Doctor Patel had been greedy for money and gifts, and was
HannahThe diamond on my finger caught the light, sending a dozen tiny fractals glimmering across my skin. I tilted my hand this way and that, admiring the ring that I hadn’t worn or even seen in ages.Wearing my old engagement ring like this felt… surreal. I couldn’t seem to decide whether it made