CHAPTER 37: SECRET CONVERSATION

My eyes fluttered open to the harsh fluorescent lights of a hospital room. The smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils as I tried to focus on my surroundings.

"Oh, thank goodness you’re awake!" Cassandra’s voice broke through the confusion in my mind. She was right by my bedside, her expression showing genuine concern like a caring sister. "I was so worried about you."

A nurse was checking my vitals, and I had to blink several times, in order to clear my vision.

"Are you feeling alright, dear?" Cassandra continued, her voice dripping with fake concern. "I tried everything to get that door open, but it was completely jammed. I had to run around looking for a handyman, and by the time I found someone and came back, you’d already been taken away."

I stared at her, barely able to hide my disgust. I knew exactly what she was doing, trying to keep me from our mother while covering her own tracks. The lies rolled off her tongue so easily.

I turned away from her and faced the nurse instead. "Who brought me here?"

That’s when Axel walked through the door. The nurse glanced between us and quietly excused herself.

"Cassandra Watson," Axel called in a cold and commanding voice. "Get out."

Cassandra stood up slowly, smoothing down her dress. "I was just making sure my sister was okay."

"I said get out."

She turned to me with a cruel smile. "You should stay away from the family, Layla. You’re no longer a member anyway."

The moment she left, Axel rushed to my side. "Are you okay? What happened in there?"

I took a shaky breath. "Cassandra locked me in that room and I’ve never liked the sight of rats." I shuddered at the memory.

"Layla..."

"Uhmm," I interrupted, gripping his arm. "Don’t do anything to her yet. Just let it be. She would get what she deserves soon enough."

Axel’s jaw tightened. "I wasn’t planning to for now, but what she did tonight crossed a line. She messed with you, which means she crossed me. I’ll be watching her now, and when I have enough evidence to lock her away for good, I will."

I just stared at him, still feeling weak and disoriented. There was something about the way he spoke, and the protective edge in his voice that made those warm feelings I’d been pushing away surge back stronger than ever.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I was starting to develop real feelings for him.

Axel suddenly stopped talking and started looking at me intently. The moment grew tense, and I found my eyes kept falling to his lips. He leaned in closer, his hand reaching up to gently brush my hair away from my eyes.

My heart fluttered wildly, and I realised that I really had started having feelings for him. But then the thought of our impossible situation gripped me like a vice.

He hated my father; this was all a contract marriage. How could we ever...?

I flinched away from his touch and cleared my throat. "Thank you for finding me and saving me. Again."

The nurse entered at that moment, breaking whatever remained of that moment. "You’re free to leave anytime you’d like. Your vitals are normal, and you seem to have recovered well."

"Actually," I said, sitting up straighter, "I want to stay a little longer. I’m hoping I might still get a chance to see my mother."

The nurse nodded and left us alone again.

"I’m uneasy about all this, Axel. Something is clearly going on here. Were you able to find out anything about her condition?"

Axel pulled up a chair next to my bed. "Your mother doesn’t have an official medical report on file, but according to Dr. Martinez, she was brought in for a heart attack. He also mentioned something interesting... that there’s a strict watch routine. Someone is always stationed close by, even though they hardly ever go into her room to actually see her."

I didn’t miss the suspicion in his voice. We were thinking the same thing.

"They’re trying to lure me in," I said slowly. "Or maybe just torment me. But why? What are they really up to? And is my mother even okay?"

"I’ll keep investigating," Axel assured me. "Don’t worry yourself too much about it."

He stood up and moved toward the door. "I’m leaving security at your door for as long as you decide to stay here. I don’t want Cassandra or anyone else bothering you tonight."

"You don’t have to..."

"Yes, I do." His tone left no room for argument. "Get some rest."

After he left, I tried to sleep, but my mind kept racing. Every noise in the hallway made me jump, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was happening just beyond my reach.

Later that night, I decided I needed to use the restroom. My head still felt foggy from the ordeal earlier, but I managed to get up slowly. After using the restroom, I thought I might try to get something from the vending machine down the hall.

As I walked, I realised I was approaching the area where I believed my mother’s room was located. I was about to turn the corner when I froze, immediately ducking behind the wall.

Cassandra was standing just outside what I assumed was my mother’s room, and she wasn’t alone. Daniel was there too, and they were talking in hushed, urgent tones.

"Are you sure about this?" Daniel was asking, glancing around nervously.

"Just do what I told you," Cassandra replied, pulling something small from her purse. "We can’t afford any complications now."

I pressed myself closer to the wall, straining to hear more.

"What if someone sees me going in?" Daniel whispered.

"No one will. The night shift is minimal, and I’ve already checked. Just go in, do it quickly, and come straight back out."

Cassandra handed him whatever she’d taken from her purse. Even from my hiding spot, I could see Daniel’s hands shaking as he took it from her.

"Remember," she continued, "if anyone asks, you were never here. We never had this conversation."

Daniel nodded reluctantly, looked around one more time to make sure the coast was clear, then slipped into the room.