Brianna stared blankly at her screen.
Your. Husband. Is. Requesting. Your. Presence.
Since when?
Since he remembers?
She was finished.
Her whole body weakened and vibrated the same time. So this was it? This was how she was going to end her life. If she had known, she wouldn't had reacted at all, she should have signed the divorce papers peaceful.
Wouldn't things had been different now?
But what if he's not actually alive? Everyone had been too scared, no one had gone to confirm it.
What if it was the police at the hospital using his phone to lure her in?
All these theories made her head spin. 'Did Lucian plan this? Did he survive on purpose just to watch me suffer?'
Brianna breathe out. Her airway closing in on her. She was going to suffocate if she didn't get out of this car.
Clack. Clack.
The knock on the glass made her scream. She clutched her chest, looking at the source.
Fucking Keenan.
It looked like he was talking, but Brianna didn't have time to deal with him so she drove off. On arriving at the villa, she stumbled out of the car, rubbing her neck slightly.
She was having neck pain again. Since it came when she was stressed, she concluded it was that and nothing more.
She fumbled with a bottle of pills she always carried in her bag, throwing one into her mouth as the bitter chemical taste coated her tongue.
Brianna didn't have the strength to make it to the bedroom, so she collapsed onto the velvet sofa.
Ignoring the way her head spun, she yelled. "Rosa! Rosa, get me a glass of water."
The house was so silent, Brianna could hear her own heartbeat. She cocked a brow.
Calling again, "Rosa?"
When there was no answer, she forced herself up and moved toward the kitchen.
There was no sign of a living soul in the kitchen, dinner prep or whatsoever. The place looked empty making Brianna walk further in.
Lying on the counter under a glass of lukewarm water was a white sheet of paper.
Brianna picked up the paper; her finger's curled at the edges of it as she raised it towards the light. She couldn't see without her contacts.
The note began:
"Ma'am, I cannot stay. My things are gone. I have locked the back entrance. Please do not call or contact me. I wish you the best, but I cannot be part of what is coming."
— Rosa
Brianna scoffed, squeezing the paper in her palm. "You too?"
She ran a hand through her hair, pacing the empty space.
'He hasn't even left the hospital,' she thought, biting her bottom lip. 'He hasn't said a word to me, and he's already dismantled my life.'
'They can all go; Rosa, my in-laws. It's not like I'm completely alone... I have Alexander Blythe.'
Brianna reached into her pockets, dialing the number and raising her phone to her ear.
The caller answered immediately, and Brianna was immediately hit by a wall of high-frequency jazz and feminine giggles. Her father was at a party.
Alexander Blythe's voice was full of surprise. "Brianna? To what do I owe the pleasure? Did you finally decide to join me in the south?"
The silence on her end must have been heavy, because his tone dropped low.
"Brianna? You're making me nervous. Is everything alright?"
"Lucian is going to kill me."
The music on the other end didn't stop, but she heard him move. A door creaked open as he stepped inside, the noise suddenly became muffled, and his voice was clear. "What? What are you talking about? Did he hit you? If that boy has forgotten who your father is, I'll—"
"I pushed him."
Checking the empty corners of the house, Brianna's voice dropped to a whisper.
"H-he wouldn't stop when I told him to stop. I did tell him, but he didn't listen. So I—So I pushed him off the balcony. Yes. I thought... I thought I was free. But he's awake. The hospital called. They said he's asking for me. And I... And I don't know what to do."
The silence on the line was so long she thought the call had dropped. Then, she heard him breathe...
"You. Did. What?" His voice wasn't protective anymore. "Brianna, tell me this is some psychological role you're playing."
"I'm not playing."
"God," he whispered. She heard a glass clink, then the sound of him sitting down heavily. "Do you have any idea what you've done? I'm in the middle of a retirement ten thousand miles away. I've liquidated my assets; I have no guards, no influence, and certainly no desire to face a vengeful Colburn."
Alexander clicked his tongue irritably..How could you be so stupid? Not only did you defy me in your college days, but you married a Colburn. Then you stupidly planned his death as if you didn't know they are another breed of humanity."
Brianna swallowed the lump in her throat. She wouldn't have even been in Lucian's orbit if her father hadn't disowned her for refusing a business degree.
"I'm not asking for a lecture. I'm asking for a way out."
"There is no way out that involves me. I have spent forty years fixing everyone's messes. I finally have a streak of peace where the phone doesn't ring with a crisis. I am not ending that streak for a daughter who chose her own path years ago."
"So you're leaving me to him?"
"I am an old man on a retirement journey. I have no pull left. If you want a miracle, call Brian. Negotiate with your brother."
Then the line went dead.
Brianna held the phone to her ear for another minute. Her palm curled around the edges of the counter as she tried to hold off the rage bubbling like a storm.
Call Brian? He was the man who taught Brianna not to ask for help.
She wanted to laugh, but her desperation had her dialing his number already.
The phone rang twice with no pickup. Brianna sighed, relaxing a bit. It was never Brian to pick up her call after those rough times in college when she'd called cause she was stranded. But he stood her up and never picked her call again.
There had been no reason for his actions, none she was aware of. Why did he just... hate her? They were close when they were younger. But after Alexander Blythe disowned her, they just grew apart.
Brianna sighed, she didn't even know why she was calling now. She was about to cut the call when it went through. Shocked, she spoke first;
"Hello? Brian, I—"
"This is not Brian. It's Michelle, his wife. May I ask who this is?"
Brianna gave a small smile. He hadn't even saved her number.
"Oh, I'm his... I'm Brianna. Doctor Brianna Col—"
"Are you his doctor?"
"No, I... We're family. I was hoping you put him on the call."
"Oh, that's too bad. He just left for the company a few minutes ago. But he forgot his phone at home."
Brianna smiled. 'This woman doesn't even know how to lie.'
"Is there a message you'd like me to pass?"
Brianna's lip thinned. The word family felt like ash in her mouth. "Just tell him his younger sister, Brianna, called."
"I'll tell him just that," Michelle rolled her eyes, looking bored as she disconnected the call. She looked at the screen one last time before tossing the phone onto the bed.
Just then, Brian walked into the room, steam rolling off his shoulders as he rubbed a towel through his wet hair.
Michelle looked at him, crossing her arms. "Why haven't you blocked Brianna's number yet?"
Brian gave her a short stare before walking over to the mirror to check his reflection. "So I can see her name pop up and choose to ignore it. It's more satisfying that way."
He caught her eye in the glass. "Was that her on the phone just now?"
Michelle sighed. "I picked up by accident. I didn't recognize the number for a second."
"And?" Brian picked up his Rolex from the dresser, strapping it on without a hint of urgency. "What did the 'Doctor' want this time?"
"She said you should call her back."
He let out a short scoff. No need to hear her voice to know why she was calling; he wasn't a charity case, and he certainly wasn't her bank.
Adjusting his collar, he said. "She should have listened to Father instead of being so stubborn. She wanted to choose her own path, and now she's stuck with a useless man she's feeding. At least, that's what Bobbie and Reyna say. She made her bed."
He turned away from the mirror, dismissive. "I have no intention of lying in it with her."