touch the ice that had formed around her heart. Chloe was driving, ranting furious

ring with a jarring, insistent shrill. The screen lit up with a

g to answer the call. "Dr.

ret and a clear sense of urgency. "There's been a... directive from hospital administration. Your broth

entire Hayes family to the ground. Donavan's thr

mean?" she asked

VIP cardiac ICU. Immediately. They're saying

dition was a death sentence. "Chloe, turn arou

breath, spun the wheel, and the Camry shot forwa

ital's private pavilion, Amber was out of the car before it had fully stopped. She sprinted th

the seventh floor two at a time. She burst into the VIP

lugging the non-essential monitoring equipment from the wall. A

reath, his chest heaving with weak, ragged cou

ear. She launched herself into the room, shoving one of the orderlies

ed bill. "Mick Kowalski, hospital collections," he said with a smug, predatory grin. "The Carlisle Group pu

air: he could end up in a hallwa

is eyes. Desperation clawed at her throat. She fumbled for he

mber she had sworn she would neve

nity, before his assistant's cold, imperso

oice cracking. "I need to spe

s tone utterly dismissive. "Mr. Carlisle is with M

ne wen

ir washed over her. She was

alski grunted, waving

for an escape, for any option

trench coat. Her fingers closed around a sm

uddering breath

diamond, cut in an antique style, surrounded by a spray of smaller white diamonds. It wa

he hospital room, it blazed with an inn

eyes widened, hi

old and hard as the diamond itself. She looked directly at the collections agent, her gaz

xamined the brooch with a jeweler's loupe, his eye

The blessed, rhythmic beep of the heart monitor filled the

scrawl. She watched them place her mother's brooch into a sec

hand in hers. The fight was over, for now. The tears she had held back

"I'm so sorry, Clarke. I promise you. I will get

d out of the room, her back straight, her face a mask of grim