The air in the Serenity Peaks private clinic was a sterile blend of antiseptic and expensive, cloying floral diffusers.
Chloe was "escorted" here by one of Damien's impassive bodyguards. Her new job, she was informed, was to provide 24-hour care for her sister, Stella Sharp, until she "recovered."
It was a punishment disguised as a duty.
Two young nurses at the station whispered as she passed, their eyes gleaming with gossip and disdain.
One of them, a male orderly named Gary, spoke just loudly enough for her to hear. "I can't believe Mr. Beaumont is letting her take care of Miss Stella. She's the one who put her in that bed for two years."
Chloe's fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms. There was nothing she could do. Nothing but endure the malice that followed her like a shadow.
She pushed open the door to Stella's room. It looked more like a five-star hotel suite than a hospital room. Top-of-the-line life support machines hummed quietly.
On the bed lay a blonde beauty, her skin flawless, her face peaceful. As if she were merely sleeping. This was Stella Sharp, Damien’s adopted sister and the "white moonlight" of his heart.
Chloe sat in the chair beside the bed, a storm of emotions churning inside her. This was her half-sister, the one the Beaumonts had raised as their own. The person who had systematically destroyed her life.
She began her "duties," wiping Stella's arm with a damp cloth, her movements mechanical, numb.
The hours ticked by. The clinic fell silent, the only sound the rhythmic beep of the monitors.
Exhaustion finally claimed Chloe. She dozed off in the chair, only to be jolated awake by the sharp sensation of being watched.
She snapped her head up.
And met a pair of cold, mocking blue eyes.
Stella, the "sleeping beauty" who was supposed to be in a deep coma, was propped up on her elbows, watching her with a malicious smile playing on her lips.
Chloe's mind went blank. Ice water seemed to pour down her spine. She tried to stand, but her legs felt like jelly.
"My dear sister." Stella's voice was as sweet as ever, but each word was a poisoned needle. "Two years, and you've become a mute? How tragic."
Chloe's eyes widened in horror. She pointed at Stella, then at the door, trying to call for help, but no sound would come.
Stella let out a soft laugh, a sound that was jarringly loud in the quiet room. "Don't waste your energy. The doctors, the nurses... they're all about to believe I've made a miraculous recovery under your 'devoted' care."
She stretched out a perfectly manicured hand, admiring her nails. "And you, my dear Chloe, will be the sole 'witness' to this miracle."
It clicked. A trap. A monstrous, two-year-long conspiracy.
Chloe forced herself to calm down, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She gripped the chair to steady herself and quickly signed, "Does Damien know?"
Stella's smile deepened. "Damien? Of course not. In his mind, I'm still his fragile, innocent little sister who needs his protection."
She mimicked Damien's tone, her voice dripping with triumphant pride. "He'll only believe that you, the evil sister, shocked me into this coma in the first place."
"Now that I'm awake"—Stella's eyes turned venomous—"he'll only cherish me more and despise you further. Especially now that you're carrying a 'bastard'."
The words hit Chloe like a physical blow. Stella knew about the pregnancy. She hadn't just woken up. She had been watching, listening, all along.
Satisfied with Chloe's ashen face, Stella calmly reached for the call button on her bedside table.
"Two years of acting is exhausting," she said, lying back down, her expression instantly shifting to one of fragile, doe-eyed vulnerability.
"Sister," she mouthed silently, just before the door burst open, "the show is just getting started."
Dr. Wallace and a pair of nurses rushed in, their faces a mask of shock and elation at the sight of the "awakened" Stella and the stunned Chloe standing beside her.
"A miracle! This is a medical miracle!" Dr. Wallace exclaimed, rushing to check Stella's vitals.
Stella's eyes fluttered open weakly. Her first words were a faint whisper. "Damien... I want to see Damien..."
Every person in the room turned to look at Chloe with expressions of awe and gratitude, believing her care had brought Stella back.
Only Chloe knew the truth. She hadn't witnessed a miracle. She had just fallen into a deeper, more terrifying level of hell.
