Page 46 of Theirs to Ruin

I shook my head, worried I’d see doubt in my sister’s eyes, but there was none.

“She drowned in the river. You nearly did too. Why were you even there, Camille?”

I thought back, the memories slowly swimming to the surface. “My gold bar was missing from my safe. I thought maybe she took it. I went to find her. To ask her if she—” I coughed, and Bianca brought over a plastic pitcher of water. I took a sip, then cleared my throat.

“Did she?”

“I don’t know. I never got to ask…the river…” I coughed again, a deep, ragged sound.

“That’s enough. Don’t try to talk. Just rest,” Bianca said firmly.

I shook my head. “Kage,” I whispered, but she either didn’t hear me or ignored me.

“Bianca?” a familiar male voice called.

Bianca walked away from me. “Dad! She’s awake!”

My dad was here.

When his face appeared above me and he took my hand and kissed it, I started crying. My dad and I didn’t always get along, but I loved him, and I knew he loved me.

“Oh, my baby,” he said, his throat clogged with emotion. “Thank God. I’ve been so worried. I was in a meeting with aprime minister of one of our allies when Bianca called me. I got here as fast as I could.”

He obviously hadn’t gotten any sleep since. I could see that in the dark hollows under his eyes and in his disheveled hair and rumpled shirt. An unusual sight given that my dad always looked immaculate. “I’m okay, Daddy,” I said, soaking in his concern and love even knowing what was coming next. It wouldn’t be long before he asked questions. Maybe even blamed me for landing in the hospital. But for now he just held my hand and started barking questions at the doctor who’d stepped back inside the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Dad got a text and excused himself. Apparently some big political deal was in negotiations and required his attention. I couldn’t help feeling disappointed that I wasn’t his sole focus.

“He’s going to use this as his excuse to make me quit school,” I murmured to Bianca, who was once more by my side. “He’ll pull out his lists and make me pick a husband.”

Bianca took my hand in hers, her fingers cool and reassuring. "None of this was your fault. I'll talk to him, okay?”

I nodded then closed my eyes.

“You just need to focus on getting better, Cami. Don’t worry about…”

Bianca was still talking when sleep claimed me.

I kept drifting off, with no true sense of how much time was passing. The doctor and nurses poked and prodded me then finally left me alone. Bianca was always there, by my side when I woke, and then I would sleep again.

When I next opened my eyes, my room was empty. At least, I thought it was until I heard voices. Bianca was barring the door, talking in a low voice to someone. I could barely make out the other voice—deep, masculine, and tinged with frustration.

“I’m awake,” I called out softly.

Bianca turned around. When she did, I caught sight of Dante. The heavy weight that had been in my chest since I’d first woken up lifted slightly. I was happy to see him, both because he was the one who’d found me, but also because he cared enough to visit.

Then it hit me.

Dantehadn’tbeen the first to find me. Ty had.

Holy shit.Ty.

I’d seen him. Talked to him. Watched him try to pump life back into Ava’s body.

At least I think I did.

Had that been real? Or had it been another case of me thinking I saw him when I really didn’t? Maybe Bianca’s talk about the scarred boy who’d just come to CU made me add scars to a near-death hallucination.

I was still reeling with confusion when Bianca and Dante approached my bed. He carried a silver gift bag I assumed was for me. I tried to sit up only to fail spectacularly. I winced as pain rifled through me.

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