Ten months of sin

nder'

, her brown hair whipping behind her like a banner of defiance. Alexander's j

craps of his attention. But not Emily Santiago. She was stubborn, sharp-t

m. Instead, it ignited so

yes, his phone buzzed. One glance at the

d instantl

She's taken a turn. Her fever spiked, and her blood levels

care about the cost" A

her type is RH n

ay from the street, back into the shadow of the prison gate

t hours..." The doctor trailed off. "She wo

mped at his orders, there were still moments that reduced him to just a father. A helpless, d

el coating his voice even as dread sank

Señor. But

nless for a moment, the hum of the city s

his phone, something in the air felt twisted. Emily's face flickered in his mind-those eyes, lit with fury and pain. He pushed i

very back-alley doctor, every underground channel scoured. I don't care if the blood comes from

d. "And th

ite a smile. "Two million. Cash. Anyone who can save

but he didn't questi

ly's voice drifted back to him-her sharp words, her defiance. H

ook i

st. Busin

, fate was already weaving a

hey would

LY'

forehead against the glass, shutting her eyes against the ache in her chest. She told herself walking out on that arrogan

o breathe. To find some scrap

eady slipping thr

th the last crumpled bills in her wallet. Her shoes clicked against

she f

door was

her living room. One carried her and Michael's photograph, wrapped carelessly in a newspaper. Another was

r in her ears. "What the hell are you doing in my house? Put tha

toward her face without slowing. His tone was flat,

to pay. We take collateral." he s

et. Her eyes skimmed the bold numbers at the to

sn't right. This is a mistak

d. He signed you as guarantor. Which m

t went dr

led him. It rang once, twice, before his voice c

hat's

ripping it bare...and they're waving a paper with *my name* on a loan for one hundred and eighty

was going to handle it before you found out."

e wall. "Handle it? You put

curity. You've always been better with money. I thought...I thought I'd pay it back before it t

hell did you do with the money? It's bad enough that you keep secrets from me, now you have to drag me into it" Emily's voice

"Just give me a little time. I swear I'll fix it. D

lankly at the men carting away pieces of her li

low and cold. "Pay up, or you're on th

t answer. S

o suffocating silence. She sank onto the couch, her c

nife. It was slow poison. And tonig

. A silence that gnawed at the edges of her sanity. She cried her hear

life used to be. The bookshelf was half stripped, her sister's letters gone, her memo

e a carcass, picke

in her hands. Rage pressed against her ribs, but so did grief, exhaustion, betrayal.

er back. But her mind knew the truth already: Micheal wasn't going to fix anything. He never had. He n

he only sound. Tick. Tick. Tick. Ea

She flinched at the sound, half hoping it was Micheal, half dread

her face quickly bef

"We're short-staffed again. A patient in emergency just coded and we need e

had nothing left to give. But rent was looming, her sister's legal fees were un

there was no other answer. "I'

ariño. I'll m

ne wen

me,shoved the repossession notice into her bag, and

ve to wait. Su

blur of Madrid nightlife outside. Laughter drifted from tapas bars, music spille

ped hours ago, but

voices when the conversation from two men s

. "Moretti's desperate. They say his daughter's on her de

n for blood? Madre mía. I'd cut

ebt clean, pay Lilithe's lawyer, and still have something left t

ps together and st

uried the idea. But Carmen, her supervisor, caught her by

sly, her hair frizzing from th

t what?" Emily asked as she sorte

s the girl's blood type. I already tested, but I'm negative." She squeezed Emily's ar

mber ringing in her

. "But I'm just a cl

rd the corridor. "Blood doesn't care if you mop floo

y said smiling softly. " that's great... I'll take you once you are done

-

own the last of the bed rails. She was tired, worn thin, her mind still circling the disas

to finish her cleaning rounds first. It gave her something to focus on

She pushed the cart forward, the mop w

rk lashes fluttering against fragile cheeks. Her tiny frame seemed swallowed by the sheets. Emily's chest ached at the

b the child, but as she bent to wipe the

eart

of her shirt. Emily froze, then slowly turned her h

l whispered, voice

ghtened. "No, swe

ing she couldn't afford. Emily, moved by an instinct she didn't dare question, reached out with

or bur

ma

the slap came. A sharp sting exploded ac

ph

, flawless beauty, the kind of face that could sell lies and dreams-now t

your filthy hands on my daughter!" Sophia fumed,

burning cheek, s

rp and venomous. "Do you know who she is? Who I am? And you...standing here, disgusting, trying to pretend you bel

r supervisor and one of the doctors

to come into my daughters room... and more importantly the audacity to touch her?

shaky. Why wouldn't it be? Everyone knew that messing with Sophia or Amara was li

ight now and see to it that no one offers her a job in this city.... Otherwise I will see to it that whosoever it is that goes against my wo

evil can you be?" i said.knowing very well that my sharp tongue might be the reaso

ghter and no one is denying that fact. But Carmen didn't know I was coming in here to clean and I had no evil intentions towards your child. If you had calmed down like a responsible and sensible moth

the second time. "How dare you? How dare you refer to yourself as the mother of my ch

tering the room. My heart did a summersault; seeing the same irritatin

. I will handle it now" the head doctor

my life had come to an end. The same family this city fears the most is the same family I just had t

be. "We meet again sweet cheeks" he whispered and this time

rd sa