로그인"Miss, what were you trying to do?" The man that pulled her back asked.
She quickly got off him, realizing he was a roofing contractor. "I'm sorry," She quickly mumbled. "This is private property. Don't come trying to commit sucide here next time," the man scolded. Aurora nodded as she quickly ran off. What was she thinking, trying to kill herself. She didn't even bother saying goodbye to George. What if a miracle happened and George didn't die ? All those thoughts ran through her mind when suddenly she remembered someone who could help. Her mother's sister, Rose. Aunt Rose was cold-hearted and didn't give a damn about her and George. But, she still wanted to try her luck. Firstly, she has to see George now that he is still breathing before anything else. She got a taxi that quickly drove her to the hospital. Immediately, she was done paying her cab fare. She took to her foot running into the hospital. She didn't stop till she got in front of George's ward. He looked really pale as he lay unconscious on the hospital's bed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pushed the door open and slowly made her way to the side of the bed. "George," she whispered, taking hold of his hand. "I'm sorry I can't currently help you," she cried. "Please hold on a little longer, I'm going to Aunt Rose's place, I'm sure she's going to help. Please stay strong," Laura said before reluctantly letting go of his hand. The door pushed open and the doctor walked in. "You can see he's not doing well yourself," Doctor Connor said. "Please, Doc, can you at least just go ahead with the transplant, I promise to bring the money soon, please," Aurora pleaded. "I'm sorry, Mrs Anderson, but that's not how we work here. Get the money quickly, or I'm afraid you'll lose George," Doctor Connor replied. Aurora sighed as she glanced at George, then back at Doctor Connor. "I'll go get the money," she said. And with that, she ran out of the ward with one place in mind. THE SMITH'S MANSION The mansion stood tall and grand, its white walls shining like a pearl in the sunlight. The roof was a deep, rich brown, with tiles that sparkled like diamonds. A wide, sweeping driveway led up to the mansion's front doors, which were made of solid oak and adorned with shiny brass handles. Inside, the mansion was just as impressive, with high ceilings, sparkling chandeliers, and walls lined with expensive artwork. The floors were made of polished marble, and the rooms were filled with plush, comfortable furniture. The mansion's backyard was just as beautiful, with a sparkling swimming pool, a tennis court, and a lush, green garden filled with colorful flowers and towering trees. Rose was amongst the powerful and influential people in NY (New York). Her husband owned the fourth largest production companies, but even with the wealth and power they lacked one thing, and that was children. Aurora arrived at the gates, but the securities were not letting her in. "Please, I need to see Aunt Rose, please," she pleaded with one of the security guards. "Mrs Smith isn't expecting a guest today. Therefore, I can't allow you in," the guard replied. "Aunt Rose !" Aurora shouted, banging on the gate. "Miss you're being noisy, we'll call the cops on you if you don't leave," the security guard threatened. Aurora paid deaf ears to his threat as she kept on banging on the gates. "Aunt Rose, please come out!" She shouted. The security guard had enough as he grabbed her and was about pulling her away when an elegant voice interrupted. "What's going on here," Rose asked from behind. Aurora quickly turned to see Rose, looking more gorgeous than ever. She exuded elegance and sophistication, with a refined beauty that commanded attention. Her blonde hair was styled in an impeccable updo, adorned with intricate details that framed her face. The hairstyle was reminiscent of classic British aristocracy, evoking a sense of timeless refinement. Her slender fingers were clad in sleek, white gloves that added to her air of sophistication. Around her neck, a luminous pearl necklace glimmered, complemented by matching pearl earrings that sparkled with understated luxury. Her features were finely chiseled, with high cheekbones, a slender nose, and a determined jawline that spoke to her formidable business acumen. Her eyes were bright and piercing, shining with intelligence and poise. "Ma'am, she demanded to see you, but, since you weren't expecting any guest, I didn't let her in," the security guard replied. Rose eyes narrowed as she zoomed in on Laura's face. It didn't take her long to realize who Laura was. "Let her in," she said before walking away. The security guard stared at Rose then at Laura before releasing his grip. Laura instantly took to her heels following Rose. Rose stopped walking when they got to the luxurious living room and turned to face Laura. "What do you want?" She asked, her voice cold and detached. "Please, Aunty, George..." "No," Rose held up a finger. "It's madam, point of correction," Rose said, taking a seat. Laura's clenched her fist, trying her best not to snap. "Madam, George health has gotten critical, and the hospital is asking for the sum of $7,000. They need it for a transplant. Please can you help me with the money. Consider us as your own just this once, please," Laura a said, falling on her knees. "Hmm..." Rose hummed, with her evil smirk playing on her lips. "You'll have to earn the money," she said. "Anything, please." Laura said, her voice laced with desperation. Rose was about to speak when Mr Smith came out with Scott Williams. Laura's gaze darted to them, and as soon as she made eye contact with Scott, she felt a chill run down her spine. Scott was extremely handsome. He had a strong face with sharp features that made him look very attractive. His piercing blue eyes were cold and serious. His thick brown hair was styled perfectly, showing off his sharp jawline. He was tall and lean, with broad shoulders that filled out his expensive-looking suit. He looked like a man who was used to getting what he wanted, and his confident air was intimidating. His eyes seemed to bore into her soul, and she could swear she sensed a sinister intent under those piercing gazes. She quickly looked away, returning her gaze to Rose. "And that's my wife Rose," Mr Smith introduced. Rose immediately ignored Laura as she stood up and approached Mr Smith and Scott. Laura couldn't hear what they were saying as they started walking away. She felt so devastated and hoped Rose wouldn't give her a complicated task. She stared at them, unable to read their lips as they discussed. All of a sudden, Scott said something, and they all turned to her. The look Rose gave her made her nervous. Mr Smith continued walking away with Scott while Rose returned to where Laura was. "The money," she started but paused. "Are you willing to do anything for it ?" She asked. "I told you before, I'll do anything," Laura replied. "Marry Mr. Williams," Rose blurted out. "Who ?" Laura raised a brow. "The young man I was talking to earlier," Rose clarified. "What?!" Her eyes widened.“What if I mess it up?” Lily asked, sounding scared now instead of angry. “What if I’m toodamaged to have a normal relationship with anyone?”“Then we’ll work through it,” I said. “Nobody’s perfect, Lily. We all have issues and baggagebut that doesn’t mean we can’t try.”Lily looked around her apartment, then back at me. “I don’t have anything to offer you. Nomoney, no home, no job. I’m a mess.”“I don’t care about any of that,” I said. “I just want to know you.”“Why?” Lily asked, voice breaking. “Why would you want to know someone like me?”“Because you’re my sister,” I said simply. “And I think if things had been different, we wouldhave been best friends.”That made Lily cry harder, and I sat down next to her on the mattress and put my armaround her. She didn’t pull away, which felt like progress.“I’ve been so angry at you,” Lily sobbed. “I’ve hated you for having everything I didn’t.”“I know,” I said. “And I don’t blame you for that.”“But it’s not your fault,
I couldn’t speak because seeing Lily standing there looking exactly like me was so overwhelming that my brain just stopped working, and all I could do was stare at her while she stared back with those eyes identical to mine but filled with so much anger.“Are you going to say something or just stand there gaping like a fish?” Lily asked, her tone harsh but with something underneath that sounded like pain.“I…” I started, but my voice came out shaky. I cleared my throat and tried again. “I wanted to meet you.”“Did you now?” Lily said and crossed her arms over her chest. “And what exactly did you want to say to me? ‘Sorry your life was terrible while mine was perfect’? ‘Sorry our parents chose you over me’?”“That’s not what happened,” I said, feeling Scott’s hand on my back, which was reassuring.“Can we come in and talk? I have something to show you.”Lily looked at all of us standing in the hallway then shrugged. “Why not? It’s not like I have anything better to
Two days after Lily sent that text message about meeting alone, Scott’s security team finally tracked down where she was staying because she made a mistake and used her phone near a cell tower that pinged her location. Scott came into my room looking serious and told me they found her.“Where is she?” I asked immediately because I’d been waiting for this moment even though Iwas terrified of it.“She’s staying in an apartment building on the east side of the city,” Scott said, holding his phone up showing me a map with a red dot on it. “It’s not a great neighborhood, and the building looks pretty run down from the street view.”“When are we going?” I asked and started getting up from the bed where I’d been reading.“We’re not going,” Scott said firmly. “I’m going with Marcus and James, and you’re stayinghere where it’s safe.”I felt anger flare up in my chest because of course Scott would try to cut me out of this. “No way. I’m coming with you.”“Absolutely not,”
The next morning, Laura woke up to find Scott already awake and on his phone, looking at something that made his jaw tighten.“What’s wrong?” Laura asked as she sat up in bed.“Detective Chen sent over more information about Lily’s background,” Scott said without looking away from his phone. “It’s not good.”Laura felt her stomach drop. “What did he find?”Scott finally looked at her, and his expression was serious. “Lily spent her entire childhood bouncing between foster homes. She was never adopted because of her heart condition and the medical expenses that came with it. She had three surgeries by the time she was ten years old and spent months at a time in hospitals.”“Oh God,” Laura whispered because that meant their parents’ attempt to save Lily’s life by giving her up for adoption had completely backfired.“It gets worse,” Scott continued. “According to the records, some of the foster homes she was placed in were investigated for abuse and neglect. She ran a
“Probably,” Scott said. “I learned early on that people leave or die or blame you for thingsthat aren’t your fault, so it’s better to not need anyone or let anyone get close.”“But you let me close,” Laura pointed out.“I know,” Scott said, pulling her tighter against him. “And that terrifies me because I don’tknow what I would do if something happened to you.”Laura pressed her face against his chest and listened to his heartbeat, thinking about howsimilar their situations were, even though the details were different.“We’re both survivors,” Laura said quietly. “We both lived while our twins didn’t get to havethe same life we had.”“But neither of us asked for that,” Scott said. “And neither of us deserves to feel guilty aboutit.”“Do you still feel guilty?” Laura asked. “About Matthew?”“Every day,” Scott admitted. “Even though I know logically it wasn’t my fault, I still wonderwhat he would have been like and what it would have been like to grow up with a brother
She continued reading.“Margaret told us that Lily had been placed into the foster care system and that she was being cared for by the state until a new adoptive family could be found,” Scott continued.“Your father and I immediately tried to get Lily back, but Margaret told us that we had signed away our parental rights and that there was nothing we could do. We hired a lawyer, but he said the adoption contract we signed was ironclad and that we had no legal way to get Lilyback.”Scott turned to the last page. “We spent years trying to find out where Lily was and how she was doing, but the adoption agency wouldn’t tell us anything. Eventually, Margaret Sullivan disappeared and the agency closed down. We never found out what happened to Lily or if she ever got the medical treatment she needed.”Laura was sobbing now because her parents hadn’t deliberately abandoned Lily, they had been tricked into giving her up, then blocked from getting her back.“Every day of my







