THE RETURN OF GENEVIEVE ( When she Rises).

hrobs, a dull ache that pulses with every heartbeat. I try to move, but my body feels heavy, like it's not entirely

inst the harsh fluorescent lights

antiseptic fills

" a nurse calls from

voice cuts through the fog. "Stay c

a white coat. His dark eyes are c

hear me?"

my throat is dry. On

et me check a few things

de to side. I force my eyes to track it, e

more to himself than to me

y fingers ba

assures me. "You

to comfort me, but dr

emember a

t is the last thing I recall? Images flash in my mind-fire, screaming, pain.

age to whisper, my v

expression softeni

e mo

and unforgiving. That's when I notice the bandages-

doctor warns, placing a g

I ask, panic ri

" he says carefully. "Your s

rn

and cruel. I look down at my band

cracks as tears

ctor says softly. "But you su

tly. "You're safe now. Y

ass that's been dropped and smashed into a thousand tiny pieces. I

dy doesn't feel like mine anymor

my throat, r

y shoulder. "You're alive," h

ad, the tears

my sobs subside. When I finally regain some semblance of contro

to see you," he says. "He

e room-tall, commanding, with silver hair and eyes that hold both wa

rn. "Good to see you awake," he

I ask, my voi

he says. "Chairman of Takaha

ky

me?" I as

r car after the explosion. You were

los

with George, the dizziness, waking

't pretend to love you anymore. With you gon

neath the pain,

ice steadier now. "

. "Because I could. No one

ard, unsure

u recover," he says. "Ever

isper, though the

n the table. "Do you want to

ickly. "Please

ling the screen so I can see it. His fingers move

load, and my

e same thing: Heiress Die

cles. Pictures of the wreckage flash

furrowing. "The media was...

He taps on it, and Georg

reporters. His face is pale, his eyes red and swollen as if he's bee

is voice breaking. "Genevieve was my everythi

grieving fiancé when he's the one who caused this. The camera zooms in on his face, and I see it-the fa

twists in

i

s, pretending to cry. The audience eats it

side me, hot

uts through my

spit out, venom

surprise, but he doesn

en though I can't clench my fists. "He did t

ether. "You've been given a second chance,"

ice steady despite the

g to make