Chapter 6

Julian realized Trina wasn't going to answer and quietly changed the subject. He opened his briefcase and took out a dark rosewood box and flipped the lid. Inside lay a full set of diamond jewelry—necklace, earrings, and a bracelet—so bright that it practically shone. "I remember you said you've been looking for the pieces your stepmother sold after your mother died," Julian said, his tone cool but edged with a hint of care. "I asked around and spent about a year tracking them down. I finally found them at an auction overseas and put the set back together for you." Trina's gaze finally flickered. The sight of the jewelry her mother, Kaia Mercer, had once cherished made her chest clench achingly. She drew in a deep breath, swallowed the sob clawing up her throat, and reached for the box. Her fingers were numb from the cold. "I'll take them," she said. "But I'm not going to thank you. You'll get your surprise soon enough." Julian's brows pulled together. He was about to ask what she meant when a guard knocked and stepped in, leaning down to murmur a few words in his ear. Julian's expression hardened, and he rose to his feet. "Trin, something urgent came up at the base. I have to go. I've arranged for a nurse to stay with you. Get some rest." Trina watched him hurry out, seeing straight through the lie he tried to feed her. He was probably rushing next door to take care of the fragile woman who had him wrapped around her finger. ... In the following days, Trina focused on her recovery. The nurses wheeled her back and forth for tests. Every time they passed Sienna's room and the door was left a little open, she could see Julian inside. He held a cup to Sienna's lips, peeled fruit for her, spoke to her in a low, soothing voice. He moved with a patience and gentleness he had never shown in front of anyone else. Trina would give the scene a brief glance and then look away as if it had nothing to do with her. Soon enough, he wouldn't be her husband. Whoever he chose to fuss over had nothing to do with her anymore. One day, after finishing another round of examinations, Trina pushed open the door to her room and froze. The place was a mess. Drawers hung open, and her clothes and other things lay scattered over the floor like someone had ransacked the space. Her heart lurched. She rushed to the bedside cabinet and yanked the drawer open. The rosewood box was gone. Trina grabbed the nurse walking past the room. "Who came into my room? Where are my things?" The nurse was startled. "Ms. Blake came earlier. She said you were friends and asked if she could take some things for you..." Sienna! Trina's gaze turned icy. She let go of the nurse and headed straight for Sienna's room. Sienna was propped up against the headboard. When she saw Trina storm in, she didn't look surprised at all. "Give me back my things," Trina said coldly as she reached the bed. Sienna closed the book in her hands and said slowly, "Relax. I don't want your jewelry. I just wanted an excuse to see you again. "Everyone says you're the wildest red rose in Flarora. You live however you want, with suitors lined up for miles. You could have anyone. So, why do you insist on stealing Julian from me?" Her voice sharpened with hurt and anger. "I told you the truth last time. You know he doesn't love you. He married you to get the medicine. So, why did you seduce him in that club? Were you trying to show off your charms? Prove that even someone as strict and controlled as Julian could lose his mind over you?" Seeing Sienna turn hysterical, Trina felt something tighten painfully around her heart. It hurt so much that she could barely breathe. It was ridiculous. Julian's loss of control that night had nothing to do with her. It had all been for Sienna's medicine. Yet somehow, Sienna had twisted everything to make it her fault. Trina couldn't be bothered to argue with Sienna. "Give me my things." Sienna stared at her for a moment. Then, she said quietly, "They're in the morgue. Things that belonged to the dead should stay with the dead, shouldn't they?" "You!" Fury shot up Trina's spine. For a second, she wanted nothing more than to claw that delicate, fake face to pieces. But she forced the anger down and headed for the morgue. Getting Kaia's belongings back was all that mattered. The morgue was down in the basement. It was cold and dim. The air was thick with the sting of formalin and the heaviness of death. Trina had been afraid of the dark since she was little, and places like this made her skin crawl. Now, every step gave her goosebumps. Even so, she gritted her teeth and pulled open the metal drawers one by one, the steel handles freezing under her fingers. At last, in a cabinet tucked into a corner, she found the rosewood box. She breathed out in relief, picked it up, and hugged it to her chest, as though it could let her feel Kaia's presence again. Just as she turned to leave, a loud clang echoed through the room. The heavy door had been shut from the outside. Then came the metallic scrape of a lock sliding into place. "Sienna! Open the door!" Trina stumbled to the entrance and slammed her palms against the door. From the other side came Sienna's mocking voice. "Ms. Shepherd, stay in there and keep your new friends company." Her footsteps faded down the hallway. "Let me out! Open the door!" Trina threw herself against the steel door with everything she had. Her shouts bounced back to her, swallowed by the cold, empty room. Her body was already weak. With the chill seeping into her bones and the fear squeezing her lungs, her strength drained away fast. In the end, she slid down the icy door and collapsed on the floor. The darkness grew at the edges of her vision until it swallowed her whole. She had no idea how much time had passed. When she finally woke up again, she heard faint murmurs from outside the door.