All Chapters of Betrayed, Broken, Back for Revenge: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

(Maya)“Where is my daughter?!” I march out and demand at the nurse’s station.My voice is sharp enough to turn heads.A nurse moves quickly toward me, both hands lifted like she’s approaching something fragile and volatile at the same time.“Oh… Maya, sorry, I thought someone told you.”She gives me a smile. “Cole took her to the hospital gardens for some fresh air about half an hour ago.”“What? How can he? She’s not well enough.”“It’s okay. The doctor told him she was fine for some fresh air.”&ld

(Maya)I’m feeding Lucy some yoghurt when Cole walks in.“Get out,” I tell him.“They said Lucy is improving. That’s good news.”“How can you stand there and act so innocent after what you did?” I glare at him. I don’t raise my voice because I don’t want a full-blown argument in front of Lucy. “You didn’t have to message Rhett from my phone.”He shrugs. “All’s fair in love and war.”“You got what you wanted,” I say. “Rhett’s gone. I’m vulnerable. Congratulations, you are such an amazing human.”

(Maya)I reach Tessa’s room. I push the door open and there’s no change. She’s still just lying there.I stop just inside the doorway because my whole body is shaking on the inside.Seeing her like this… unconscious, pale… hits me harder than I’m prepared for.I’d so hoped that she’d be sitting up, smiling, telling me to trust the universe.Trust the universe… that’s a laugh.I can’t trust anyone right now, except for my best friend who I can’t talk to. I cannot shake the feeling that there is someone Jade has in her pocket inside these hospital walls.There has to be. How did she do what she did to me in the last life? She is not working alone.I walk to the bed and sit down in the chair, and for a moment I can’t speak at all. I stare at Tessa’s face and wish harder than I’ve ever wished for anything that she’d open her eyes and look at me.But she doesn’t move.“I don’t know where to start,” I say, and my voice sounds thin. “I need to talk to you. I know you can’t answer me, but I n

(Maya)“You have to want to,” he says. “Not just in this moment while you’re hurting. You have to want it tomorrow, and next week, and the week after that.”“I do, I will.” “You will think that, but when you’re tired, stressed, emotionally vulnerable, or just needing the high that comes from it… everything in your body remembers the old rules.”“How do I break the pattern?”“One decision at a time,” he says. “But I’ll warn you… the hardest part of any addiction is keeping the resolve. Making the choice even when it’s hard. I’m an addict. I know. You can trust me.”I breathe shakily. “I want to trust you.”He waits a long second. “Good. Then do it.”A lump forms in my throat. “How do I know you’re not just saying all the right things because I’m paying you a fortune right now? You could walk away as soon as the money stops.”“I’m not your employee,” he says, voice firm and steady. “Yes, you hired me. Yes, you pay me. That money allows my team to do what’s needed to get the information

(Maya)The transplant coordinator stands, “let’s all stay calm. It’s a very emotional time but I will ask you all to stay focused on the here and now. There is no way of knowing what put Owen in intensive care. It could simply be him being worn out.”“Exactly, and while Dr. Farrow, with all due respect, says it’s grasping at straws it can’t be denied that having Lucy next to him did improve his condition overnight,” I press the point.“It certainly did but that doesn’t mean long-term survival,” Dr. Farrow says.“No, but it means he will have the strength to undergo the procedure. We have to try for him,” I say.Dr. Ruben nods. “Yes, but for a donor just turning two, we take the most conservative approach. Lucy must be fully stable. Owen must be stable enough to receive. We need optimal timing.”I speak before anyone else. My voice is steady, factual. “Lucy is very young, yes. She’s recovering well from injuries. She is a very strong little girl. I believe we need to focus on Owen’s ou