Chapter 11
Edward said someone was going to die.
I groggily beamed at him, oddly gleeful. “Ooh, when’s Maddison’s funeral?”
“How could you be so inhuman?!” Edward growled, his face dark with rage.
I had never seen him like this before.
I frowned and shoved him toward the door. I was ready to slam it shut when he suddenly kicked it open and grabbed my arm.
I was furious.
Struggling, I slapped him across the face. “I can call the cops on you for home invasion. Piss off!”
Edward ignored me, his grip firm, and forced me into his car.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Edward?! Let me out of here!”
“Her life hangs in the balance, Taylor! You’re coming with me to the hospital!”
He stomped on the gas pedal, and the car surged forward into the early morning light.
I was confused. “What does this have to do with me, anyway? I’m not a doctor!”
Edward’s lips pressed into a grim line. He looked like a man on the edge, and as the car picked up speed, a knot of fear tightened in my chest.
What if he’d completely lost it? What if I died because of this?
I gripped the car door handle tightly, my knuckles white.
When we arrived at the hospital, the truth hit me like a punch.
Maddison had suddenly vomited blood and been rushed to the ER.
Her blood type and Rh factor were the rarest combination imaginable, and the hospital blood bank didn’t have enough supply.
And once again, I was being roped in as their blood supplier. It was ridiculous and infuriating.
“What makes you think I’ll donate mine for her? Why is her life so damn important while mine’s treated like it doesn’t matter?”
“She could die from blood loss!” Edward snapped. “All you’ll need is a bit of rest afterward!”
Then, meeting my eyes, he added cruelly, “You’ve been giving me blood for years, and you seem just fine!”
Cameron rushed toward me, her face frantic. “What are you waiting for?! Maddie’s waiting in the ER!”
I shot her a cold glare. “Aww, did I say yes yet?”
Her tone turned shrill. “You’re the one who caused this! You ruined her wedding and shocked her into this health crisis! This is all your fault!”
“That wedding was mine!” I retorted, my voice cold as steel “Your daughter was the one who stole everything from me! She even had the audacity to make me her witness. All I did was tell the truth!”
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Chapter 11
Edward, ever the opportunist, jumped in to try gaslighting me again. “We’re a family! Familles don’t keep score or hold grudges!
“I wouldn’t have come to you if her blood type weren’t so rare. But now you’re refusing to help when you’re the only one who can. It’s heartless!”
I couldn’t stop myself from tearing his argument apart. “I’m not the only one with this oh–so–rare blood type, Ed. There are at least two other people here who match. Why don’t you ask them?”
Edward froze. He knew I was right. He himself shared the same blood type, a fact that had forced me to donate my blood to him countless times over the years.
My deadbeat father was another match, as we’d both inherited it from him. Maddison’s twin brother, Miles, wasn’t an option–he had inherited their mother’s blood type instead.
This so–called “coincidence” had always felt like a curse to me. It meant that any health issue I faced could turn life–threatening in an instant.
Cameron wasn’t having it. “Your dad has high blood pressure and a heart condition! How could you ask him? And Edward’s barely recovered from his last health scare!”
I glared at her, my patience gone. “So it falls on me again? 1
11
“Of course! She’s your blood–related sister! There’s a special place in hell for people who don’t help their own kin!
Edward’s expression changed, his eyes narrowing as though a puzzle piece had clicked into place.
“Blood–related sister?” he asked, his voice low.
Cameron went pale, her bravado evaporating. She realized, too late, that she’d just let a damning secret slip.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
