Ivan crushed his cigarette against the rim of the trash can.
"From this moment on, you are Olivia Swanson."
"Your illness — I'll assemble the best medical team money can buy."
"As long as Melody grows up safe, the Stephens family will take care of you for life."
I nodded. "Deal."
My phone screen lit up right then, Murray Delgado's name flashing across it.
I answered.
"Beatrice! Where the hell are you?! Get back here! Lavinia fainted!"
The screaming stabbed through my eardrums.
I looked at Ivan and replied, word by word:
"If she wants a kidney, she can go to hell and get one."
I hung up. The phone slipped through the gap in the staircase railing and dropped.
Crack. The sound of it shattering echoed up the stairwell.
Ivan raised an eyebrow and held out a brown paper bag.
"Clean up. Put these on."
Half an hour later.
I'd changed into Olivia's cream-colored dress, spritzed on her woody perfume, and returned to the hospital room.
Melody sat in her chair, tears streaming down her face.
At the sound of footsteps, she reached out in my exact direction.
"Mommy."
I walked over and lifted her into my arms.
"Good girl, Melody. I'm taking you home."