Bianca lay on the cold hardwood floor. Her knees were pulled tight to her chest. Her stomach muscles contracted in violent, agonizing spasms. Every breath she took felt like inhaling broken glass. Cold sweat plastered her hair to her forehead.
"Madam!"
Mrs. Gable rushed into the living room, her slippers slapping frantically against the floor. She dropped to her knees beside Bianca, her hands hovering, terrified to touch her. "Madam, let me help you to your room. I'll call the doctor..."
Bianca squeezed her eyes shut. She shook her head, a weak, jerky movement. "No doctor," she gasped, her voice barely a raspy whisper. "Just help me up." She refused to let Kahlil see her broken on the floor. She refused to give him that satisfaction.
Before Mrs. Gable could slide her arms under Bianca's shoulders, the soft, rhythmic squeak of rubber wheels echoed from the hallway.
Cassandra rolled into the living room. Her face was a mask of exaggerated horror.
"Oh my! What happened? Sister Bianca?" Cassandra's voice pitched high with fake concern. Her eyes, however, darted over Bianca's trembling, curled-up body, gleaming with a sick, triumphant satisfaction.
Bianca forced her heavy eyelids open. The sight of Cassandra sitting comfortably in that wheelchair made the bile rise in her throat. She tried to speak, but another cramp hit her, forcing a sharp hiss through her teeth.
Cassandra rolled closer. She looked down at Bianca's pale, sweaty face. "You look terrible. Did you... drink too much? I heard voices..."
Cassandra paused. She touched her collarbone, feigning hesitation. "Oh. Was it about... Mr. Lee? I saw the photos..."
Bianca's breath stopped. Photos?
Cassandra pulled her phone from her lap. She tapped the screen and held it down so Bianca could see.
It was a picture of Aydin helping Bianca out of the car. The angle was perfectly manipulative. The shadows hid Aydin's hands unbuckling the seatbelt, making it look like Bianca was passionately throwing herself into his arms, their faces inches apart.
"I was so worried when I saw this," Cassandra whispered, her voice trembling. "I thought... I thought maybe you and Kahlil..."
Bianca stared at the glowing screen. Her vision blurred, but the image burned into her brain. Cassandra took this? Or Preston? It didn't matter. The trap was perfectly laid.
The physical pain in her stomach was suddenly eclipsed by a blinding, white-hot rage. She pushed Mrs. Gable away and forced herself up onto her knees, her hands shaking violently.
"You..." Bianca choked out, her eyes locking onto Cassandra's. "You took this? You sent it to Kahlil?"
Cassandra's eyes widened in mock panic. She pulled the phone back to her chest. "What? No! I... I just saw it on social media. Someone must have... I was trying to warn you!"
"You're lying." Bianca grabbed the edge of the coffee table, pulling herself up until she was standing, though she swayed dangerously. "You and your little schemes. You think I don't know what you're doing?"
Cassandra's lower lip quivered. Tears instantly pooled in her eyes and spilled over her cheeks. "Why would you say that? I'm only trying to help! You're my sister!"
Her voice was loud. Too loud.
Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. Kahlil appeared, his face a mask of dark thunder. He marched down the steps, his eyes sweeping over Bianca's disheveled state and landing on Cassandra's weeping face.
He crossed the room in three strides. He stepped directly in front of Cassandra's wheelchair, shielding her with his body.
"Bianca, enough," Kahlil barked. "Cassandra is worried about you. Don't take your anger out on her."
The words hit Bianca like a physical strike. Her lungs seized. She stared at Kahlil's broad back, protecting the woman who was actively destroying her life. The coldness spread from her stomach to her fingertips.
She pushed away from the table. "Worried?" Bianca let out a broken, hysterical laugh. "She's worried about me? With her little camera and her poisoned words? She's the reason you think I'm a cheater!"
Kahlil's brow furrowed heavily. "What are you talking about?"
Bianca pointed a shaking finger at Cassandra. "Ask her! Ask her who took that photo and who sent it to you! Or are you too blind to see the viper in your own home?"
Cassandra let out a loud sob. She grabbed the fabric of Kahlil's trousers. "Kahlil, she's scaring me..."
Something snapped in Kahlil. He reached out and shoved her shoulder, pushing her back with a harsh, unyielding force. The force of his push was harder than he intended. Bianca's legs were already weak. The shove sent her stumbling backward. Her hip slammed violently into the sharp corner of the heavy glass coffee table.
A sickening thud echoed in the room.
Bianca gasped. The pain that ripped through her abdomen was so intense her vision went completely black for a second. She clutched her stomach, folding in half. Her face drained of all color, turning a terrifying, ashen gray. But as she looked up at Kahlil, a twisted, desperate smile broke across her lips.
Madwoman. That's all he saw. That's all he would ever see.
