The minutes felt like hours as Anna sat curled up on the cold marble floor of the hallway, her heart shattering with every beat. Emily’s message repeated in her mind like a broken record: "I don’t know if she’s going to make it."
She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there, her phone lying forgotten beside her, tears streaming endlessly down her face. A storm of emotions battered her—fear, helplessness, and a burning rage toward Jaden.
How could he be so cruel? How could he keep her locked away while her sister lay on the brink of death?
The silence in the mansion was oppressive, broken only by the faint tick of a distant clock. Each second felt like a lifetime. She clenched her knees to her chest, rocking slightly as she whispered Lilly’s name over and over like a prayer.
“Ple
