LOGINDANIELLEIt was over, and my head spun as I lowered myself onto the mattress before trying to convince myself that maybe I was wrong and it wasn't over. Perhaps they hadn't looked through my records, and Reva was simply guessing that I was hiding more.I clung to that thought desperately, repeating it in my mind. But something deep inside was not persuaded, no matter how loud the thought became, and the door to the room opened just then.Dr. Brooks walked in, concern washing over her face as she looked at me and took in the state I was in. She asked what was wrong, and the words rushed out of my mouth before she finished the question. I asked her the same question I asked the nurses: whether my records from New York would be visible here.Pushing myself off the bed, I grabbed her by her jacket, frustrated that she wasn't responding fast enough. She told me to calm down, taken aback by the action. But I couldn't. I needed to know, and I asked her again whether Levi was looking into my
REVALevi turned to me as soon as I walked into the room, and I realized I was right: he was angry again.He spoke before I could, asking if I could believe Hunter had dug up Danielle's information with the help of the police and used it to blackmail her.I asked what information he was referring to, and my question came out sharper than I had intended. I also realized my reaction lacked the concern it should have. But I couldn't help but think about everything I'd just discovered, drowning out everything else.I could no longer see Danielle as a victim, only as a manipulative, sick bitch who nearly destroyed Levi's life—our lives. She responded before Levi could, her voice trembling as she explained that she had been homeless in New York.She began crying as she explained that she had told Levi her ex-husband had taken everything, but she had never told him she didn't even have a place to live. She claimed she was ashamed, and Hunter discovered the truth and threatened to expose her
REVAI whispered a quiet thank you as James handed me a small tray containing disinfectant, gauze, and ointment for Levi's hands before walking away and leaving us alone.I stood there for a moment, trying to calm myself before approaching him. We were now alone, with the other doctors having left, and Levi sat on the edge of the chair, shoulders tense, face in his hands.Moving closer, I stepped between his legs and gently reached for his hands, prompting him to look at me. His eyes were red, and I softly asked to see his knuckles.But instead of handing them to me, he took my hands instead and apologized. He said he did not want me to see him that way, adding that he hadn't meant to lose control. And I immediately shook my head, stopping him.I admitted that seeing him like that scared me. But I also told him I understood. Without saying anything else, I wrapped my arms around him, and he held on just as tightly, pressing his face into my stomach while I felt slight tremors running
LEVIEverything inside me stopped when I saw the blood, and I ran down the hallway, Reva right behind me, calling Danielle's name as my heart slammed against my ribs.Dread tightened around my chest with each step as we spread and called out, checking each bedroom but finding nothing. I called her phone, but it rang in one of the bedrooms, sitting abandoned on the bed.It soon became clear that Danielle wasn't in the apartment. Reva immediately took out her phone and said she would start calling hospitals, and I thanked her distractedly while simultaneously activating the security system.Every property I owned had cameras installed, and I could access all of the footage from my phone in case of an emergency.The blood on the floor still seemed fresh, which meant whatever happened here was recent. Pulling up the footage, I adjusted the time, and a sick feeling ran through me before Danielle appeared onscreen, moving toward the front door.I didn’t have cameras inside the bed and bathr
DANIELLEMy legs gave out beneath me before I could even take another step. And I crashed to the floor, crying out as another cramp tore through my abdomen. The pain became unbearable, and my entire body shook as the blood continued down my legs.“No," I sobbed helplessly. “Please, no..."The phone lay a few feet away, where Hunter had knocked it from my grasp earlier. And I dragged myself toward it, my palms slipping against the floor as tears blurred my vision to the point where I could barely see. The room continued to spin around me, and the panic made it impossible to breathe properly.Finally reaching the phone, my hands were trembling as I dialed 911. The moment the operator answered, I completely broke down, barely able to speak through my sobbing. I told them I was pregnant and bleeding.She tried to calm me down while asking for my address, but I was already hysterical. I kept begging them to hurry while also pleading with God not to take my baby.The minutes waiting for the
DANIELLE I stared at my phone for what seemed like the hundredth time before putting it back beside me on the bed. There were no messages from Levi, and disappointment crept back into my chest. I had specifically asked Michelle not to tell him about what had happened to me, but a selfish part of me hoped she would ignore my request. I wanted him to know, so he would be concerned enough to show up at my door and remind me that I was still important to him in some way. However, it was becoming painfully obvious that Michelle had not told him anything, or worse, she told him, but he chose not to come. The thought quickly turned bitter, and I swallowed hard as resentment crept back in. Michelle clearly preferred Reva for Levi. It didn't matter that I was carrying the Price family heir or that she had known me since I was a child. She had still chosen that bitch just as Levi had. I reached for my bowl and shoveled another spoonful of polenta into my mouth, forcing myself to eat despi
LEVII turned to my mother as Reva and my father disappeared into the house. “I hope you don't mind that I brought her," I said, and Mother quickly waved her hand dismissively. “Of course, I don't mind," she said before I could finish, but her eyes said something else, and I was about to ask when s
REVA“Mrs. Belkov?" Dr. Jacobs' voice echoed over the phone. “Are you still there?" That brought me out of the confused haze. “Yes," I quickly replied, forcing air back into my lungs. “I am here."I opened my mouth, prepared to say I had no idea why Nikolai had asked for me. I wanted to tell him th
THIRD-PARTY VIEWPOINTNikolai stumbled out of the penthouse and froze, realizing his car was not in the driveway. Only Hunter's car was present, so he rushed back inside, tearing through the place until he grabbed Hunter's keys from the counter. He didn't slow down and drove away in Hunter's car li
NIKOLAIThe music cut out. “Security department, this is Mark speaking," a guy's voice came through from the other side of the line, and I straightened instinctively. “My name is Hunter Starling. I was transferred from reception to discuss security footage from Christmas Eve."“Yes, Mr. Starling,"







