The morning sun had barely crept through the blinds when the clack of high heels echoed down the hospital corridor.
Corrina walked in without knocking. She wore a tailored dress and a fake smile, carrying a plastic shopping bag. She tossed the bag onto the foot of Christina's bed with a flick of her wrist.
"Burke told me to bring these over first," Corrina said, her tone dripping with condescension. "He said he's still looking for that trashy pendant of yours."
Christina ignored the jab. She reached for the bag and pulled out a few old paperbacks and a worn sweater. No pendant. No jewelry box.
Christina looked up, her eyes like flint. "He promised to return it to me."
Corrina rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Please. It's a piece of junk from a dollar store. You don't actually think Burke kept it safe, do you? He probably threw it in the trash months ago."
Christina moved fast. She swung her legs off the bed and stood up, closing the distance between them. Corrina took a step back, startled by the sudden aggression.
Christina's enhanced perception zeroed in on Corrina's neck. Her pulse was hammering. A vein throbbed visibly under her skin. She was lying.
"He didn't throw it away," Christina said, her voice low and dangerous. "You just don't want to give it back."
Corrina's face flushed red. "You're crazy! Who would want your garbage?"
"Tell Burke," Christina said, her voice unwavering, "that without the pendant, I won't sign the papers. And if he forces me, I'll take it to a court-martial. I have nothing to lose."
Corrina spun around and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
The moment the door clicked, Christina grabbed her phone. She remembered Burke, in a rare moment of trying to be reassuring, setting up a family location-sharing app on their phones. 'So you always know I'm safe,' he'd said. He had clearly forgotten about it. She also recalled seeing that his phone automatically backed up call recordings to a shared cloud drive-a detail she'd ignored at the time but now proved invaluable.
She opened the app. The blinking blue dot wasn't at the military base. It was stationary at the Clark Estate.
The scene shifted in Christina's mind, pieced together from her intimate knowledge of the estate's layout and the audio she had accessed from the cloud backup of Burke's phone calls.
At the Clark Estate, Burke was tearing apart his study. Drawers hung open; papers were scattered across the mahogany desk. He couldn't find the pendant anywhere.
"Burke, what are you looking for?"
Brielle Clark stood at the doorway, wearing a silk robe. Her blonde hair was messy, and she looked annoyed at being woken up.
Burke ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "A pendant. That crazy woman is demanding it back."
Brielle's hand flew to her neck. Her fingers touched the cool silver chain she wore-the unique, industrial-looking pendant she had found in Burke's jewelry box weeks ago. She loved its retro-futuristic vibe.
She dropped her hand immediately, her expression turning defensive. "I haven't seen it. Maybe you left it at the base?"
Burke wasn't stupid. He read his sister's micro-expressions instantly. He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Brielle, if you took it, give it to me now. I need to get that woman out of my life."
Brielle crossed her arms, her chin jutting out defiantly. "I saw it first! And I've already worn it. Why should I give it back to her?"
Burke's voice dropped to a furious whisper. "It's hers! And if I don't give it back, she's going to make a scene."
Brielle scoffed. "Make a scene? Burke, you gave it to me. It's mine now. I'm not giving it back."
Burke lunged forward, but Brielle was faster. She turned and ran up the grand staircase, slamming her bedroom door and locking it from the inside.
Burke stood in the hall, his chest heaving with anger. He looked up at the portrait of General Harrison Clark hanging above the fireplace. The old man's painted eyes seemed to judge him.
Burke checked his watch. He was running out of time. He pulled out his phone and typed a message to Christina.
"Pendant is at the dry cleaner. I'll get it tomorrow."
Miles away in the hospital, Christina stared at the text. She switched back to the tracking app. Burke's dot was still firmly planted at the estate.
She typed back, her thumbs striking the screen with force.
"By noon tomorrow. Or I'm calling the General."
