THE TWINS SUBSTITUTE CONTRACT

sit by five o'clock, we have to t

her fingers gripping the worn leather of her handba

e quickly cleared her throat. "Just forty eight hours. I have tw

care about your shifts, sweetie. The intensive care unit costs

cleared their th

it on

id across the counter

le, his gray hair neatly combed back. Beside him, the woman wore a cream silk blouse with a coat hanging over her

stepped back, her han

ice was soft, but her eyes stayed on Pearl's face, s

as she looked back at her. The woman's

is vest. He simply ran his thumb over the metal. "The doctors say your grandm

ther?" Pearl's voice dropped, ful

ch Pearl's cheek, but stopped before she could. Her fingers shook a little before she pulled her hand back. "Eight

in it. "A mix-up? You're in the wrong place. I've live

ne low and serious. "She took you the night you were born and disappeare

her chest, so loudly she cou

ng back toward the clerk. "I don't kn

id quietly. She pulled a small leather frame

elf to keep her eyes on the clerk, but she

mile that made her look like she owned everything around her. The narrow chin, high cheekbones, and sl

grabbed the edge of the cou

he woman whispered. "Because

e dropping to a whisper as she faced them ag

resent. Your grandmother is dying, Pearl. The equipment here is old, and the doctors are overworked. But I have a medical t

ude? That's... nobody gets in

Every test, every surgery, every top specialist in the country. She'll have a

of hope. "You'd really

old hands in her own warm, scented palms. "You a

ck, feeling the cold air against

nd lowered his voice. "V

ssi

ing into a thin line. "She was supposed to finish

Cross family? As i

contracts depend on this marriage. If the Cross family finds out Vivian ran away,

ck until her shoulders touched the cold tiled

take her place,"

disinfectant turned her stomach. "Take her place? At a

calm expression slipping for a moment. "You have he

g through the empty corridor. A passing nurse looked at them, b

kly, her eyes pleading. "It's Raphael Cross. It's

her pockets. "Pay for my grandmother's care because it's the right t

t sigh. He turned toward

card," he to

?" Pearl lu

erk asked, lo

rl. "If she doesn't want to be part of this family, then her problems are not our

earl yelled, gra

e just looked down at he

esources? You pay with your cooperation. You have five mi

ors behind them, pulling off his latex gloves with a s

s again. Her blood pressure is dropping fast. We need to get her on a ventilator, but th

st. "Doctor, please, just start

h a heavy sigh. "The system locks us out automat

walked back th

her head spinning. The clock on th

lowly toward

g his messages. The mother stood beside him, watch

d," Pearl whispered, he

of hair behind Pearl's ear. "You don't have to love them, Pearl. You don't have to make speeches or

rs, carried trays, and held her grandmother's shaking hands through man

l her jaw hurts, "she goes to Saint Jude tonight. Ri

pped his phone screen once. "The transpo

felt safer than the world in front of her. Whe

you?" she asked,

r eyes. She pulled a black silk scarf from her bag and wrapped it around Pearl's

outside. We have twelve days to teach you how to walk

ed windows dark as pitch. The driver opened the r

f the car door handle, her reflection star

sive silk over her faded cotton shir

"And remember, if anyone hears you use your

l fr