The engine of the car outside roared to life, a low purr vibrating through the silence of the driveway. I glanced down at the message lighting up my screen.
[Serena Lambert, the lab team is en route to extract you. We look forward to our collaboration.]
I fired off a quick confirmation just as the doorbell rang. I didn't hesitate. I cast one final, cold look at the house that had been my prison for over a decade—the place I had once yearned for during my lost years, only to find a den of vipers.
Without a backward glance, I walked out the door.
Meanwhile, at Capital City's premier luxury mall, Marcus, his wife, and Joshua were parading Nina around like a trophy.
Their arms were already laden with designer shopping bags. If Nina so much as glanced at a ten-thousand-dollar gown or a diamond bracelet, Marcus—usually a man of strict frugality—swiped his card without blinking.
Watching Nina skip ahead, vibrant and laughing, Mrs. Lambert beamed. She clung to Marcus's arm with a contented sigh. "Oh, Marcus. Look at her. Our precious girl can finally live like a normal person. Seeing her this happy... I could die right now with no regrets."
"Don't talk nonsense," Marcus scolded gently, though his eyes crinkled with affection. "We have a lifetime to watch her grow. We'll see her marry, have children, and we'll be there to spoil our grandchildren, too."
Joshua walked beside them, his gaze fixed on Nina with an intensity that bordered on obsession. Beneath the facade of a doting brother-in-law, a darker longing simmered. He couldn't claim her publicly, but seeing her alive—fueled by the sacrifice of another—gave him a twisted sense of euphoria.
They greedily drank in the moment, having completely erased me—their convenient spare parts—from their minds.
Ahead, a display of elaborate wedding gowns caught Nina's eye.
"Joshua, look!" She spun around and darted toward the bridal shop with a bright smile.
She was so focused on the dress that she didn't see the courier sprinting through the crowd. The collision was instant. He slammed into her, sending her sprawling onto the hard marble floor.
The color drained from Nina's face. She clutched her chest, gasping for air like a fish out of water, before collapsing completely.
"Nina!"
The three of them scrambled toward her in blind panic.
"Joshua! Call Serena immediately!" Marcus barked, dropping to his knees to check Nina's pulse. "Tell her Nina's critical. We need her blood now!"
Joshua fumbled for his phone, fingers trembling. He dialed my number, but the line was dead.
"Dad... the call won't go through!"
Marcus, usually the picture of professional composure, roared with sudden rage. "Then call the hospital! Have them drag her here if they have to!"
Joshua dialed while Marcus began emergency measures. Mrs. Lambert collapsed to the floor, hands clasped in frantic prayer.
Moments later, Marcus's phone buzzed. He snatched it up. "Speak!"
The nurse on the other end was sobbing. "Professor Lambert... Serena isn't here! She's gone. She left a note saying she's going somewhere you'll never find her..."
Before he could process the words, a familiar voice boomed over the mall's PA system, cutting through the noise and freezing the crowd.
"Nina, my dearest sister... tell me, is my heart working well for you?"
The voice was calm, haunting, echoing from every speaker.
"I'm leaving now. In the days to come, I hope you stay healthy. I hope you live a very, very long life..."
