The physician let out a sharp cry, dropping the glass syringe onto the metal tray with a loud clatter.Gideon lunged across the guardrail, reaching for her arms. "Isabella!"Her eyes rolled in their sockets, wide and glassy, but no words came from her parted lips.Her ribs hitched beneath the thin cotton gown.Before Gideon could pull her upright, her chest buckled forward in a sudden, violent spasm.She leaned over the side of the mattress and gagged, emptying her stomach straight onto the tiles.A thick, foul stream of green fluid hit the floor, splashing against the metal legs of the bed.The sharp, bitter stench of rotten bile filled the room, burning the back of Gideon's throat.Gideon did not pull back. He wrapped his arm around her shaking shoulders and held her steady against his chest."Get a basin!" Gideon barked, keeping his hand pressed against her back. "Move!"The doctor scrambled backward, bumping his hip against the counter as he grabbed a roll of paper towels.Isabell

"Take that folder back downstairs and tell them I'm not signing a single page," Isabella said, her voice cutting through the quiet room.The messenger froze in place, clutching the black binder against his chest. He looked between the two siblings, his hands trembling as he waited for an order he could actually follow."Young Mistress, the legal team said they won't leave the lobby without your name on this form," the young man stammered, his eyes darting toward the door. "They've been waiting for over an hour.""I don't care if they sleep on the floor," Isabella snapped, turning her back on him. "Get out."Gideon stepped between the messenger and the bed, his jaw set tight. He saw the cold fury in his sister's eyes and knew pressing her right now would only cause another screaming match."Give us a minute," Gideon told the messenger.The young man bowed his head and stepped back toward the corridor, leaving the door slightly cracked.Gideon turned to Isabella, lowering his voice so i

The brass hands on the wall clock pointed straight past eleven.Isabella blinked hard, her vision clearing as the numbers locked into focus.She threw the heavy quilt off her legs, her chest tight with sudden confusion.She had never slept past sunrise in her life, yet the morning sun was already high above the window frame.Her limbs felt heavy and strange, as if lead filled her muscles.The bedside phone buzzed against the dark wood, rattling the water glass.Isabella reached out, her fingers catching the metal frame on the second ring.She swiped the green bar and brought the phone to her ear."Gideon?" she asked, her voice rough and dry."You're awake," Gideon said from the other end.He let out a long breath over the line. "The guards said you didn't answer the door for breakfast.""I overslept," Isabella said, rubbing the back of her stiff neck. "I don't know why I feel so wiped out today.""Your body is still recovering from the hospital," Gideon said quickly."I'm getting dres

"What took you so long?" Gideon asked, standing up from his chair.He kept his voice smooth, but his pulse hammered against his ribs. The resemblance caught him completely off guard. Every curve of her jaw, the dark eyes, and the slight tilt of her chin matched his sister down to the millimeter.Near the broken doorway, the head house guard struggled to his feet. He wiped blood from his mouth, squinting at the woman in the silk dress with a deep frown. Something about the way she held her shoulders felt off, but the face belonged entirely to the young mistress."I had to fix my hair, brother," the woman replied, her voice ringing out in clear tones.Lord Morris let out a low grunt, stepping past the long table. "That's enough chatter."He reached out, his gloved fingers clamping around the woman's forearm. She didn't pull away. She lowered her head, playing the role of a defeated bride with quiet obedience."Get to the trucks," Morris commanded, dragging her toward the shattered entra

"You're a spoiled heiress who spent her entire life locked behind private gates," Lord Morris scoffed, waving his hand toward the hallway. "You know nothing about how real power works in the streets."The woman in the dark silk dress tightened her jaw, but she kept her mouth shut as Morris turned his back on her."Get those two trucks moving south," Morris ordered his assistant. "I want that office stripped clean and those people handled by midnight."The assistant bowed her head, typing the final coordinates into her tablet before hurrying down the corridor. Two transport trucks revved their engines in the lower courtyard, their heavy tires grinding against the pavement as they headed toward the highway.---Hours later, yellow streetlights cut across the dashboard of the Bentley as it rolled through downtown Zenith City.Sarah leaned her head back against the headrest, rubbing her tired eyes with the back of her fingers. The product launch had succeeded, but the endless supplier cal