When Joanna woke, the wounds on her back had already been treated, wrapped in thick layers of gauze.
The door opened. Percival walked in carrying a glass of water, and when he saw she was awake, he crossed quickly to the bedside.
"Don't move. You're hurt."
Joanna looked at him. The memory of that night flashed through her mind, and she instinctively edged away.
Percival was quiet for a moment. "The baby's gone. When did you find out you were pregnant?"
Joanna's hand trembled. She lowered her head and didn't look at him.
"A little over three months."
Percival's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression hard to read.
Three months. The timing didn't quite add up.
He was about to say something else when the door swung open.
Paddy stood in the doorway. The moment he saw Percival, his brow furrowed tight.
"What are you doing here?"
Percival's lips curved into a smile that held no warmth.
"If I hadn't come, she would've died in that cellar and nobody would've known."
Paddy's gaze shifted to the figure on the bed.
Joanna was propped against the pillows, her face white as paper, her lips completely drained of color.
Something slammed hard against the inside of Paddy's chest. "What happened?"
The next second, he watched Percival reach over and tuck the blanket more snugly around her. An inexplicable wave of irritation surged through him.
He strode forward and yanked Percival's hand away.
"Hands off." His voice dropped cold. "She's your sister-in-law. Show some respect."
Percival looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"She's your wife, Paddy. Mom had her whipped and locked in that cellar. Did it never occur to you to send someone to look after her?"
Paddy froze. "What? I only told them to bring her home and wait until I dealt with it. Who gave them permission to touch her?"
Percival let out a short, derisive laugh, gave Paddy a mocking pat on the shoulder, and walked out.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
Paddy stood beside the bed, looking at Joanna. Something he couldn't name churned inside him.
"Joanna, don't worry. I'll make sure this—"
"Is there something you need?" She cut him off. Her voice was soft, but there was nothing warm in it.
Paddy pressed his lips together.
"Lola's out of danger, but the backlash online hasn't died down."
"I need you to record an apology video. Admit the necklace was a fake, that you got greedy and tried to extort more money."
Something finally rippled behind Joanna's eyes. She repeated his words slowly.
"You want me to record an apology video?"
Paddy rubbed the bridge of his nose, visibly agitated.
"Lola had the necklace appraised afterward. The necklace and the certificate were both fakes."
"Asking you to apologize isn't exactly asking too much."
Joanna almost laughed at the absurdity.
"I'm not doing it."
Paddy's expression darkened.
"Fine. But the land the orphanage sits on? I'll have it seized immediately."
Joanna's eyes stung.
"Paddy, you've held those children in your arms. They all called you 'big brother.' Can you really do that to them?"
Paddy's jaw tightened. "Joanna, my patience has limits."
Joanna managed a smile that looked worse than crying. The last thread of feeling she'd held for him snapped and dissolved into nothing.
"Fine. I'll do it."
She eased herself upright, took the phone from him, and began recording.
"The necklace was fake. I just… wanted to squeeze out more money."
"I'm sorry, Lola. I'm sorry, everyone. I was wrong."
Before he left, Paddy delivered one final ultimatum.
"Joanna, if you'd just listened sooner, you wouldn't have had to suffer like this. You brought all of it on yourself."
After he was gone, Joanna dragged herself out of bed and rushed to the hospital to see Mrs. James.
But when she burst through the door of the hospital room, the answer she received rooted her to the floor.
"The patient didn't receive the transfusion in time. Prolonged oxygen deprivation to the brain. She's in a vegetative state."
A high-pitched ringing filled Joanna's skull.
She collapsed at the bedside and seized that ice-cold hand.
That hand had given her warmth more times than she could count.
Now it would never move again.
"Mrs. James… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
The tears finally broke free, unstoppable.
One by one, they fell onto that cold, still hand.
If it weren't for her, the orphanage would never have been targeted.
If it weren't for her, Mrs. James wouldn't be lying here.
All because she'd loved the wrong person and refused to bow her head.
She buried her face against the edge of the bed, her whole body shaking with sobs.
"I'll save you, Mrs. James… I'll find a way. I promise I'll find a way…"
The next second, her phone rang. Joanna answered, and Mandy's sobbing voice came through the speaker.
"Joanna, a bunch of people came and smashed up everything at the orphanage. I'm so scared…"
