With her hands clasped and eyes shut, she sat dazed in the lobby, silently praying. "Please, God, don't let him slip away from me. I won't be able to bear losing him." Her voice trembled, a fragile thread of hope in a sea of despair.
She remembered how hard he had struggled to care for her after her mother's death, even starving himself so she could eat. She would swear on his life that he was a man who avoided conflict at all costs.
As time dragged on, the operation stretched into what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, the sharp, rhythmic clicking of heels against the tiled floor snapped her attention to the entrance. Her blood ran cold.
It was her stepmother, Leah. And behind her was Clarissa, her half-sister and contemporary.
"Why is this jinxed child here after hurting my husband?!" Leah's voice thundered across the lobby as she advanced.
Selina frowned, reeling from the accusation. "What are you saying, Madam Leah? Why would I hurt him?"
Leah marched up to her, grasping Selina's arm with manicured nails that dug deep into her skin. "You've finally succeeded in manipulating Hudson into giving you half of his assets, haven't you? Where did you hide them?!"
Selina widened her eyes in utter disbelief. She winced at the biting pain in her arm. "I don't know anything about assets, Madam Leah." She glanced toward Clarissa, expecting a shred of support given their once-close bond.
But her sister only looked at her with a flicker of feigned pity.
"You're just an ungrateful child full of lies," Leah spat, her frustration masking a deep-seated fear. "If I hadn't checked Hudson's legal records, you and your accomplices would have stolen everything!"
Selina frowned. Who took it? Could it be… Zane?
"I don't know how the assets disappeared. If I were guilty, I wouldn't be standing here," Selina said, praying they would see reason.
Clarissa crossed her arms, glaring with newfound bitterness. "You're just playing the victim because you know you can't escape us. Return the money, Selina. Tell us where it is before you regret it."
"Are you serious, Clarissa? He's our father! I would never harm him for money or properties. He would have given me anything if I asked," Selina shot back.
That truth stung Leah more than she could accept. In a fit of fury, she lunged forward, her palm swinging across Selina's face with a force that snapped her head to the side.
Slap!
The sound thundered through the lobby, drawing the eyes of every onlooker in the hallway.
"How dare you boast about what you stole?!" Leah hissed. "You're just a good-for-nothing, illegitimate child who ruins people's life!"
Selina clenched her jaw, the harsh words biting her wholly because she knew she was the unwanted child in her family. She lifted a trembling hand to her stinging, bright-red cheek. Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to let them fall when she had told herself not to look weak in front of the Everetts ever again.
"This will be handled in custody. I've already contacted the authorities. Let's see how you run with five million," Leah declared. It was the first thing she had done after discovering the accounts were drained.
The distant wail of sirens sent a chill down Selina's spine. She wasn't afraid of the police; she was agonized by the powerlessness of being the perpetual scapegoat while the real culprit—likely Zane—remained untouched.
Three police officers entered the lobby, approaching the group quickly.
"We've received an urgent report. Please identify the suspect," the lead officer said.
Leah pointed a trembling finger at Selina. "There she is. Arrest her!"
The officers exchanged a look. "Mrs. Everett, we need evidence—documents, records, or a statement from Mr. Hudson. Do you have any?"
Leah faltered. "My husband is in surgery! But she has been lurking around him—who else could it be?"
"That's suspicion, not proof," the officer said flatly. He turned his focus to Selina. "Where were you during the time of the attack on Mr. Hudson?"
Selina froze. She wanted to scream the truth, but the weight of it would crush everyone. Telling the police about Zane now felt like a move she wasn't ready for—not while her father's life hung in the balance.
She knew what it meant for the both of them.
The officer's eyes narrowed at her hesitation. "You don't have to be afraid," he said, his tone softening slightly but remaining professional. "If someone threatened you, you can tell us now."
Selina's fingers curled into the fabric of her dress as she steadied herself.
"No one threatened me. I haven't met with my father for several days. I only came because I received a call from his chauffeur about the accident."
The officer turned back to Leah and Clarissa. "Without evidence or a direct lead, we cannot make an arrest. We will file your report and review it. Once the victim regains consciousness, we will pursue the case further."
"But officers, you can't just leave it like that without taking her in for questioning!" Clarissa pressed.
"I've already asked what is necessary. Any further investigation relies on the victim's cooperation. I'll assign a team to monitor his safety here," the officer replied.
Leah scoffed, struggling to contain her frustration. "We should just wait? What if this girl runs away with everything? How will you take responsibility then?"
The senior officer glanced at Selina one last time before the officers withdrew. Hushed murmurs swelled into a storm around her.
Phones remained raised, recording every second. Selina stood stiff, a burning humiliation wrapping around her like a cloak. She hadn't been handcuffed, but the cameras had already branded her—accused by her own family.
She turned a quiet, burning glare toward Leah and Clarissa, sharp with disappointment, fury and betrayal.
Without a word, Selina walked out of the hospital, her hands clenched into tight fists. She needed to pour out her emotions to someone, because every ounce of her current pain and suffering was the fault of the man who was supposed to be her safety and peace.
He was the one she was supposed to find comfort in—the one whose arms should have been her sanctuary.
Instead, they had become the very walls of the cage that was crushing her all long, deliberately.