Chapter 3

Carter clutched his cheek, muttering the word "divorce" under his breath.

"Don't say things you'll regret when you're angry." He let out a disbelieving laugh. "Vanessa and I really aren't what you think."

Before I could respond, his phone rang.

"Mr. Reynolds? This is Metro General Hospital. Ms. Vanessa Miller has just been admitted to the emergency room..."

The moment he heard her name, Carter bolted for the front door.

I watched his retreating figure disappear down the hall, my expression cold and distant as the system interface flickered into view before my eyes.

[Extraction countdown: 48 hours remaining.]

...

Carter never came home that night.

Sometime around midnight, I was drifting in and out of sleep when a choking wave of smoke jolted me awake. I opened my eyes and found the bedroom engulfed in flames.

"Help!"

I scrambled to the door, but the knob wouldn't turn. I pounded frantically against the wood.

"Mom! Dad! Leo! Is everyone okay?"

Leo's voice came from the hallway.

"Why are you trying to take me away? Why did you make my mom sad? I'm going to burn you to death, you evil woman!"

I froze and peered through the narrow gap beside the door. Leo stood outside, his face twisted with a hatred far beyond his years.

"Did you start this fire?" I asked in disbelief.

"Nobody likes you anyway," he sneered, looking almost triumphant. "You deserve to burn to death!"

Smoke poured into my lungs. I dropped to my knees, coughing violently as my vision blurred.

The system interface flashed urgently before my eyes.

[Hang on! Carter has just returned home!]

A few seconds later, the bedroom door burst open. Carter rushed inside with a fire extinguisher in hand, dropping it beside him before pulling me into his arms.

His entire body was trembling as he carried me out of the burning room. When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was blinding white.

Carter sat beside my hospital bed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a look of exhaustion.

"You're awake. The doctor checked you over and said your condition isn't serious." He handed me a glass of water before adding, "Don't hold this against Leo. He was just scared you were going to take him away."

My throat was raw from the smoke, but I forced the words out anyway.

"Scared? He tried to burn me alive. Vanessa raised him to be this way. Doesn't she bear some responsibility?"

"That's enough! You always find a way to blame Vanessa for everything, even when this has nothing to do with her."

He shot to his feet, his voice rising. "If you hadn't asked Leo today whether he wanted to go with you, he never would have reacted this badly."

I stared at him, the last of my energy draining away. No matter what I said, he had already made up his mind, and there was no point wasting my strength trying to change it.

"Just leave. I'm tired."

I closed my eyes and turned my face away, hoping that would finally end the conversation, but Carter remained where he was. After a long silence, he reached down and grabbed my wrist.

"Vanessa has acute leukemia," he said at last, his voice rough and strained. He looked at me with pleading eyes. "While you were unconscious, I had the doctors run a bone marrow compatibility test between you and her. You're a near-perfect match."

His grip tightened around my wrist. "Please, Audrey. Save her."