Chapter 192
Chapter 192:
She couldn’t let that happen. She had to buy time — Ashley needed time to get them out.
She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She had to play the game. She had to bow down to the monster.
“Fine,” she said, her voice hollow. “I’ll apologize p>
They arrived at the hospital. Hilliard marched her past the waiting room and straight to the VIP wing where Charla had been taken.
The room was crowded. Victoria sat at Charla’s bedside, clutching her hand. Gregg English stood by the window, looking furious.
Charla lay in the bed, her leg in a cast and elevated, her nose bandaged. She looked pathetic. And triumphant.
“Get her out of here!” Victoria shrieked as Cailin walked in.
“She’s here to apologize,” Hilliard announced, pushing Cailin forward.
Cailin stood at the foot of the bed. She looked at Charla. She saw the smirk hidden beneath the performance of pain.
“I’m sorry,” Cailin said. The words tasted like ash. “I’m sorry you fell p>
“You pushed me,” Charla whimpered, squeezing out a tear. “But I forgive you, Cailin. I know you’re unstable. I know losing the baby made you — like this p>
𝘞e 𝗎𝗉𝗱𝗮𝘵𝖾 𝗲𝗏𝘦𝗋𝘺 wее𝗄 о𝗻
Cailin’s hands balled into fists inside her pockets. She wanted to scream. She wanted to tear the IV from Charla’s arm.
Instead she stood perfectly still.
For Aron. For Davy. For Elia.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
A series of short, sharp vibrations pulsed against her hip.
Cailin startled.
Her phone. It wasn’t restarting. It was a signal. Kegan. He was activating the emergency data transfer.
The vibrations were subtle, muffled by the fabric of her coat — but in the tense silence of the hospital room, Charla’s head snapped toward the sound.
Her eyes widened. She stopped crying instantly. Her gaze locked onto Cailin’s pocket.
She knew. She knew Cailin always recorded everything.
“What is that?” Victoria demanded, her eyes narrowing. “Is she recording us p>
“It’s just an alarm,” Cailin said quickly, her hand flying to her pocket to smother the vibrations.
“She has a recording!” Charla screamed, bolting upright. “It’s a remote upload — she’s sending it to her accomplice! Daddy, get her phone! She edited it! She’s going to frame me p>
Gregg English moved fast for an older man. He lunged at Cailin.
“Give me the phone!” he shouted.
“No!” Cailin stumbled backward, catching her heel on a chair.
Hilliard stepped between them. “Gregg, back off p>
“She’s manipulating evidence!” Victoria joined the fray. She grabbed Cailin’s arm — the injured one.
Cailin cried out. Her hand spasmed.
The phone slipped from her fingers.
It struck the linoleum with a clatter, spun across the floor, and disappeared under Charla’s hospital bed.
“Get it!” Charla shrieked.
Gregg dropped to his knees and reached under the bed.
Cailin lunged for it, but Hilliard held her back. “Stop it — both of you p>
“It’s my phone!” Cailin yelled. “It has the truth on it p>
Gregg’s hand swept blindly beneath the bed. His fingers touched something.
“Ew!” He recoiled, snatching his hand back. He had grazed the catheter bag hanging low off the bed rail.