If earlier, pressed by her circumstances, Niamh had actually considered getting into Jonathan’s car, now, after hearing Marina’s words, all she wanted was for the two of them to disappear from her sight as quickly as possible.
“No, I’ll walk. I’m fine,” she said curtly.
Jonathan glanced down, his eyes flickering to the blood trickling down Niamh’s knee. His response was indifferent: “Suit yourself.”
She shivered, a frail figure blurred by the pelting rain.
“Jonathan, are you really just going to leave Niamh out here like this? She’s soaking wet!” Marina protested, seizing the opportunity to rest her manicured hand on Jonathan’s thigh.
“She’s the one who refused a ride,” Jonathan replied flatly. Then, to the driver, Prescott, he said, “Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep Marina waiting.”
A bolt of lightning tore the sky in two.
The black Maybach pulled away, vanishing from Niamh’s sight. An instant later, thunder exploded overhead.
Niamh crouched on the curb, hugging her knees, unable to tell whether battered body or her heart that hurt more.
vas her
She fumbled for her phone–thank God it was still there–and called the police.
Then she dialed Lana.
Of all the things she could be thankful for at that moment, having her phone was at the top of the list. Without it, she wouldn’t have had a clue what to do.
Niamh had expected Lana to arrive first, but instead, it was the ambulance that showed up.
Red and blue lights cut through the rain–soaked gloom.
“But I didn’t call an ambulance,” she muttered, bewildered. Maybe Lana had called for her?
The rain intensified. The Maybach’s wipers swished back and forth at full speed.
In the backseat, both Marina and Jonathan were busy scrolling through their phones.
Marina: How did you mess this up? She’s totally fine. Don’t tell me none of those
1/2
11:30
Chapter 27
guys even laid a finger on her?
joker: She knows martial arts, put up a fight, and managed to get away.
Marina clicked her tongue in annoyance, quickly deleting the chat. When she noticed Jonathan glancing her way, she immediately locked her phone screen.
“I wonder if I’ll find any fresh inspiration for my new collection at Bartholomew’s art show,” she lilted, leaning closer to Jonathan.
“With your talent, I’m sure you will,” Jonathan replied, his voice even and
unreadable. “But… didn’t you say you took this route because you wanted to visit
the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center?”
“Oh, right!” Marina’s smile faltered for a split second. “After all, that’s where our story began, isn’t it? But Bartholomew’s opening is about to start… Honestly, if we hadn’t run into Niamh, we wouldn’t be running so late.”
“Yeah, blame her,” Jonathan said, his tone as cold as ever when, Niamh’s name came up. Yet, as Marina looked at him, she couldn’t see any sign of annoyance on
his face.
Aldenville General Hospital.
After the ambulance dropped her off, Niamh was forced to cooperate as the doctors ran a full battery of tests.
She didn’t think she was seriously hurt–just a few scrapes and bruises, really. The emotional shock and stress far outweighed the physical injuries.
Still, she couldn’t figure out why the doctors seemed so worried about her, or why they insisted she rest and get an IV drip in a private room.
Lana arrived late, soaked and flustered–she’d gotten two speeding tickets on the way because the roads were a mess in the storm.
When she saw Niamh lying pale and frail in a hospital gown, hooked up to an IV and coughing weakly, Lana’s eyes welled with tears.
“Nia…”
Seeing Lana on the verge of tears, Niamh rushed to reassure her. “Really, I’m okay. It looks worse than it is.”
She gave
rage.
Lana a brief rundown of what had happened. Lana, predictably, flew into a
“It’s definitely that little homewrecker! She totally sent those thugs after you!”
Chapter 2I
“Shh!” Niamh hissed, forcing a weary smile. “How do you know that? You don’t have any proof.”
“I just know,” Lana insisted, thumping her chest. “It’s straight out of a novel, Nia. Art imitating life.”
Niamh didn’t bother disputing Lana’s theory. Dylan and his crew had a reputation for harassing female instructors, and she’d already fallen out with them because of Julian. Whether Marina had a hand in this or not, it was impossible to say for sure.
11:30
