He stepped closer until I could feel his breath. “You said your stepsister is my mistress, right?” he said quietly, a dangerous smirk curling on his lips. “Well, you’re right.”
Before I could react, the door opened—and Amber walked in. Nathan turned toward her, his eyes softening in a way they never did for me. Then, right in front of me, he pulled her close and kissed her.
It wasn’t a moment of guilt or hesitation—it was deliberate, cruel, a declaration.
Amber smiled against his lips, then turned to me with triumph flashing in her eyes. “You’re such a loser, Emerald,” she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “A pathetic little bitch who thought she could win.”
They both laughed, the sound slicing through me like a blade.
When I opened my eyes, the world was white. The steady beep of the monitor beside me echoed faintly in my ears. My whole body ached, as though I’d been crushed and stitched back together. The ceiling light blurred, the smell of antiseptic sharp in the air.
“Emerald.”
My mother’s voice broke softly through the fog. She was sitting beside me, her eyes swollen and tired. “Don’t move yet. Just rest for now.”
I tried to speak, but my throat burned. “Mom… what happened?”