Chapter 1

I dragged my heavy legs forward, inching toward the elevator with one hand against the wall for support.

The elevator doors happened to open just then, and my mother, Winifred Baldwin, stepped out with a cashmere shawl in her hand.

When she saw me, she froze for a moment before draping the shawl over my shoulders.

"It's windy today. Put this on."

I glanced down at the shawl.

The shawl reeked of rose perfume, the exclusive custom-made fragrance that belonged to Valerie Hickman.

Just half an hour ago, Valerie had been wrapped in this very shawl during a sudden angina attack. She had curled up in Mom's arms, crying in pain.

It had only ended up in Mom's hands after the nurses changed Valerie into a hospital gown and wheeled her away.

A powerful wave of nausea churned in my stomach. I yanked the shawl off and tossed it straight into the medical waste bin beside me. My movements were swift and decisive.

Mom froze, her expression darkening.

Before she could say anything, my older brother Reese Norton, and my father Elijah Norton—who had just finished a phone call—came around the corner of the hallway.

Reese's expression immediately darkened.

"Charlotte Norton, what is wrong with you?" He strode over and glared down at me. "Valerie just had surgery, and Mom came down to check on you out of the goodness of her heart. Don't give her that sour look."

Dad frowned, his voice full of reproach. "When are you going to get over that jealous streak of yours? Valerie's condition took a sudden turn. Her father, Joel Hickman, died saving Reese, and she was left with lasting complications in her leg from that car accident as well. She can't afford to lose her life too!

"You're different—you only have heart failure. I've already contacted the best medical team overseas. We'll spend whatever it takes to treat you. All you have to do is wait for the next donor heart. Do you really have to fight a poor girl for the chance to keep breathing?"

He spoke as though he were perfectly justified.

Every word was spoken in Valerie's defense, as if I were the irredeemable villain stealing something that belonged to her.

I stopped walking and turned to face them.

In the past, hearing those words would have made me argue until my throat was raw. I would have sobbed and begged them to look at me, their own daughter.

But now, looking at the three familiar faces before me, all I could see was a pile of rotting flesh.

I calmly interrupted them, "Dad, Reese, have you forgotten that Dr. Jamie Hall issued a critical condition notice just yesterday? Without a donor heart, I won't survive another three days."

They were visibly taken aback, but a trace of mockery quickly flashed through Dad's eyes.

"Charlotte, are you seriously resorting to threatening us with your own death just to force us to give in? How many times over the past three years haven't you complained about being in pain or claimed you were dying? But you're still alive and well, aren't you?"

Mom sighed and said with resignation, "Charlotte, be good and listen to us. Go back and take your medication. Stop embarrassing yourself in the hospital."

They didn't even spare me another glance before turning to head back up to the seventh floor to keep Valerie company.

Watching them walk away, I gave a faint, bitter smile. "System, start the countdown."

The hospital's soaring central atrium was right beside me.

I stepped over the safety barrier and climbed straight onto the waist-high glass railing.