ped straight into the waiting Maybach. "

a tissue, pressed it against her mouth, and coughed violently. W

cafe. Her best friend, Alaia, was alr

staining Kaia's lips and gasped. "O

grip surprisingly strong. "Sit

round and hit play. It was a compilation of d

ing in a dark alley, handing a thick sta

s smile spread across her face. She plugg

phina right no

e at Manhattan Private Hospital to re

od up. "

heels clicking loudly against the tile. She

aphina was sitting up in bed, looking perfectl

smile vanished. She instantly widen

p to the side of the bed and shoved her ph

a negotiating the price with the fake s

s face. She lunged forward, trying to

on the front page of the New York Times tomorro

orner. A look of pure, malici

dow of the door, she saw Gerrit's tall figu

tea from the nightstand. Without hesitating, she

ling tea splashed across the back of her h

. Huge blisters bubbled up on the surface. Kaia

door open. He watched the last drops o

the horrific red burns blistering across Kai

was trying to blackmail me with a fake vid

loor. Kaia had dropped her phone. The screen was still g

it like a physical

izing burns and the cancer eating her insides. She

lunged forward and scooped Kai

aia tightly against his chest and sprinted out of the room