Chapter Four

Sasha sat quietly beside her brother, Chris, in the dimly lit hospital room. Her eyes were fixed on his pale face, which looked peaceful yet distant. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor punctuated the heavy silence, a reminder of the thin thread of life that still connected Chris to the world.

The room was filled with the typical paraphernalia of a hospital setting for a comatose patient. An IV stand stood next to Chris's bed, tubes snaking down to his arm, delivering essential fluids and medications. A vase with fresh flowers on the bedside table added a touch of color and hope to the sterile environment. A get-well-soon card, filled with heartfelt messages from friends and family, rested against it.

Medical equipment surrounded the bed: a ventilator to assist Chris's breathing, a feeding tube ensuring he received necessary nutrients, and various machines monitoring his vital signs. The air was cool and clean, with a faint antiseptic scent. A small window allowed a sliver of sunlight to filter in, casting a gentle glow over the scene.

Sasha reached out and gently held Chris's hand, her fingers intertwining with his. "I am so sorry that I am useless, brother," she whispered. "I promise to buy you your favorite video games only if you wake up."

She smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. "Do you remember that night I was sick at midnight? You went from one place to another trying to get me a doctor. Please, I need you here, wake up." She continued to speak softly, sharing stories from their past and dreams for the future, hoping that somehow, through the haze of his coma, Chris could hear her.

"Don't worry too much about him," came a voice behind her. Startled, Sasha turned to see Jack standing in the doorway.

"Oh my God! You scared me," she said, clutching her chest.

"Sorry," Jack said, laughing. Seeing his mocking grin, Sasha pinched him, making him yelp and beg for mercy.

"Why won't you take my help? I can pay for Chris's treatment," Jack said, still chuckling.

"You've already done enough. I don't want you to spend the money you need for your student loans on his treatment."

"I already paid that off. I have money now, Sasha."

"Where is the money from? You just started working as a doctor last year. You owe the loan shark at Tempa a lot of money. How did you manage to pay it back?"

"You've caught me. I just want to help you with Chris's bills. I haven't paid off any of the loans I owe," Jack replied nervously.

Sasha sensed his unease and wondered what he was hiding. Was the loan shark at Tempa harassing him? Tempa was the ghetto of their city, filled with gangsters, drug dealers, and pimps. There were rumors of a drug ring mafia led by a fearless and wicked leader nicknamed "Hades," believed to be from one of the elite families.

She often visited Tempa to see some of her father's relatives. Her father wanted nothing to do with them, considering them too ghetto, despite her grandfather's wishes to keep in touch. Her mother, although white, honored her grandfather's wish after his death and took Sasha and Chris to visit often. They loved her mother because she would usually help them if they needed it, and they refused to speak to her father after her death, believing he had a hand in it.

Sasha had met Jack and Rico during those visits to Tempa when she was ten. They had been best friends ever since. Jack became a doctor last year. Rico finished the police academy with flying colors before being called by the city's Secret Service to train as a government spy. She hadn't heard from him since then but knew he would come to her once he was out. She was proud of her friends for not being a product of their environment. She also had a good thing going until her world came crashing down after her mother's death. She was the president of the Miller Empire. Still, after her mother died, her father replaced her with her half-sister Amanda. Her mother had willed the empire to her. Still, she could only get it from her father if she married a man worth over 10 billion dollars—a clause her mother included to ensure she married Hue, her fiancé, whose family was worth more than that.

Hue supported her throughout, especially when he got her an apartment after she angrily left her father's house. The only reason she was working these low jobs was that her father had blacklisted her. No corporate company would hire her, and she didn't want to work in Hue's company or take his money. He had done enough already by providing her with an apartment.

The sound of a message beep brought her back to reality. Jack nervously pulled out a black Nokia torch phone.

"Wow, are you living in the 1980s? What is that?" Sasha asked, pointing at the small phone.

"It's nothing," Jack laughed nervously. "I need to go." He quickly left before she could say a proper goodbye.

That was strange. What in the world was going on with him? Before she could even assess the situation, her phone rang.

"Where are you? You needed to be here 30 minutes before work time. This is 6:45 PM," Eve's voice rang through the other end of the phone.

"Oh shit," Sasha muttered, running towards the exit door.