CHAPTER 3

Elena walked into her sister's ward in the hospital, her heart was racing and she had been jumpy since. Ever since she took the money from that strange man she was on an all-time high. She paid her landlord all her outstanding rent that day and then paid in full for her sister's bills, she still had enough left over to fix her beat-up car and pay off some part of her remaining debts.

"Ellie?" Her sister perked up from the bed the moment she stepped in.

"Emily," Elena always got emotional when she was in that room. It was a different kind of pain seeing her sister strapped to several tubes to keep her organs working.

Emily was a shell of her former self, she was easily tired, her smile had weakened a long time ago, her full hair had now become a thing and short, her eyes were dull and she was a lot thinner; seeing her like that always made Elena tear up but she held it in till she was away from Emily.

"I was not expecting you, don't you get off work by seven?" Even her sick sister was aware of her bizarre work schedule.

"I did not take any extra shifts today, I came to spend the day with you." That made Emily smile for a moment but then her smile faded, "but the bills? I heard the doctors say they had to increase my medication, will we be able to afford it?" Elena walked up to her and sat on the bed.

"We will be just fine, Em. I have settled everything with the doctors so do not worry about that. Just focus on getting better for me." Elena took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I will get better, the doctors said they have not seen such an impressive growth in a matter of days. Do you think I will be out of here soon? I have gotten so used to the smell of antiseptics and cleaning agents that when I went outside for my weekly stroll I could not recognise the scent of fresh air." Emily meant it as a joke but the moment Elena's face changed she knew it did not sit well with her.

"Hey, I'm going to be better Ellie. It is just a matter of time," Emily sounded so hopeful it was hard not to believe her.

Emily had always been the strong one in the family, she was the goofy glue that held them together. When their parents died in a fatal accident that left Emily in the health condition she was now, Emily still tried her best to put a smile on both their faces.

"I know, I know."

"You're crying," Elena could not help it, any time she saw Emily she remembered their parents and she remembered the reason they got into that accident in the first place because she was being a brat.

"It is not your fault you know,"

"You did not have to come get me, I was an adult. I should have been responsible enough to not end up in that situation. And you have to pay for my decisions," Elena was bawling her eyes by now. She had tried her best not to cry in front of her sister but at that point, she could not help it, her emotions were taking a toll on her.

"I am not paying for your decisions, Elena. Everybody makes mistakes, I need you to forgive yourself for this one thing, please. Mom and Dad would want the same thing." They spent the next few minutes crying in each other's arms.

Their life had taken a serious toll since the accident, Elena had to drop out of college to take care of Emily. She had to work multiple jobs at a time just to be able to afford their rent and her medical bills, she never had enough time to go back to school. She had always pushed it off till they were both back on their feet, literally and figuratively.

Elena had made a promise to herself when she saw Emily being wheeled into the emergency room, she was always going to be there for her sister and she was going to provide for her, do whatever it takes to make it up to her was the mantra she chanted in her head every day.

Elena and Emily spent the rest of the day cuddled in each other's arms, talking about their parents and their childhood, and memories they still held in their hearts. It felt nice being there with her sister, it made the entire world fade away to just the two of them.

When it past visiting hours, Elena had to leave. She still had a lot of things to figure out, Emily's medical bills had been settled for now but she knew it would still pile up and she needed a new financial plan. But her problem was how to get a steady income to finance that plan.

As she pondered in her head on her walk home she noticed a black car parked in front of her apartment building. She knew exactly who the car belonged to, she could not forget watching it drive off that evening.

The owner of the car stepped out, dressed in a designer suit, the same type he had on the last time she saw him. He closed the car door and leaned on it, looking as effortlessly cool as ever.

"Are you busy?" He asked.

"What are you doing here?" She countered, ignoring his question. Elena slowly made her way towards him, like he would devour her if she walked too fast. To her, Marcus was too intimidating, and it was hard to know what he was thinking. She remembered her mother telling her that those were the most dangerous men to deal with. In her head, she nicknamed him Poker Face, but that would be a nickname only her and her brain would be aware of.

Marcus sighed, he ran his hands through his messy hair. "You said I was a stranger. I wanted us to change that."