Chapter 3

Piper grabbed me by the throat and slammed me into the cold wall.

My vision went black.

I couldn't breathe.

But her words hit even harder.

"Talk! What did you send Grandpa? What lie were you gonna feed him this time?"

She screamed in my face, veins standing out on her forehead.

"Marco! I told you to behave. Why do you keep pushing me?"

My face burned from the lack of air. Tears and blood streaked down my cheeks as I forced out a few broken words.

"I... didn't... I didn't..."

She hurled my phone to the floor.

The screen shattered, then lit up with an unsent draft.

[Recipient: Walter Carlson]

I'd only typed it.

I never sent it.

So how did she know?

The second Piper saw the message, her face twisted.

"Elliot was right. You were gonna use Grandpa to threaten me and steal his credit!"

"Marco, this has gone too far!" Elliot rushed over, looking all innocent. "Grandpa Carlson's health is already fragile. What if you upset him and something happens?"

Every word pushed Piper further against me.

"You bastard!"

Her grip tightened, hatred blazing in her eyes like she really meant to choke me to death.

"Why can't you be more like Elliot? Why can't you just listen to me like you used to? Why?"

She suddenly let go and tossed me to the floor.

Air flooded my lungs, and I doubled over coughing.

"Looks like you've had way too much free time in here if you're still pulling crap like this."

She adjusted her cuffs, staring at me like I was already dead.

Alarm bells went off in my head.

Then she said it.

"Since your kidney is failing, you should focus on 'recovering.'"

She pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Dr. Ramsey, Marco Mercer in the VIP room needs complete bed rest. No visitors without my permission. No phone. No outside contact. Keep him under watch."

She was locking me up.

No way.

"Piper, you can't do this!" I shouted. "That receipt—the date matches your surgery. It was my—"

I wanted to tell her.

'It was the deposit for your surgery. I sold my house to pay it.'

I'd never planned to explain.

But this changed everything.

If I wanted out, I couldn't let her trap me here.

Elliot suddenly gasped.

"Oh no..."

He picked up a tiny recorder from the corner. The red light was still blinking.

He stared at it like he was shocked.

"Marco... y-you recorded us? You were trying to get evidence on Piper? How could you?"

Piper's eyes snapped to the recorder.

Whatever patience she had left disappeared.

She ripped it from his hand, smashed it on the floor, and crushed it under her heel.

"Wow. Just wow, Marco. You really never learn."

"Piper!" I finally snapped. "Are you Elliot's freaking dog? Do you believe every word he says?"

Of course, she didn't believe me.

All she saw was another scheme.

She bent down, grabbed my chin, and forced me to meet her cold stare.

"You won't shut up about your kidney, right? Fine. Here's your chance to prove it."

She nodded at the bodyguards by the door.

One of them brought in a bowl of dark, foul-smelling medicine.

"Dr. Cole prescribed this. Supposedly, it's good for your 'kidney.'"

Her voice was pure mockery.

"Drink it. Prove your kidney is really failing."

Panic burned through me as I stared at the bowl.

"Piper, I'm not drinking that! I saved your life, you ungrateful psycho! What gives you the right to torture me? I just want out. Get the hell away from me!"

Her face went cold.

"That's not your choice."

She grabbed my jaw and shoved the bowl toward my mouth.

"Piper, don't!" Elliot cried, pretending to stop her while pinning my arms behind my back.

The bitter liquid flooded my mouth.

This wasn't medicine.

I thrashed my head as tears blurred my vision.

Even after getting a second chance...

Was I still going to die because of them?

But right before it was too late—

"Stop!"

An old, commanding voice boomed from the doorway.

Piper froze.

We all turned.

Walter stood there, pale with rage.

"What the hell are you doing?"

He slammed his polished cane against the floor.

His horrified gaze swept over me as they forced the medicine down my throat, then snapped to Piper.

Finally, it landed on the filthy receipt lying on the floor.

His pupils shrank.