Chapter 14
Days later, two diagnosis reports arrived at Whitmore Manor.
Tessa happened to sign for the delivery. Curious, she settled onto
the sofa and tore open the first envelope–hers. The words leapt
out: No abnormalities detected.
Clinical Notes: [Mild tachycardia. Maintain healthy stress levels
and regular exercise.]
She was healthy. Perfectly fine.
It was impossible. Tessa scanned the page again and again. The
hospital misdiagnosed me.
Then who was sick? Aria? Had their files been switched?
Her fingers trembled as she ripped open Aria’s report.
Significant shadowing in left breast tissue, indicative of a mass
with suspected metastasis.
Clinical Diagnosis: [Stage II breast cancer. Long–term
pharmaceutical intervention advised.]
Tessa’s grip tightened, crushing the paper. Her mind raced.
Chapter 14
Her entire hold over the Whitmore family hinged on being the
sick one. If they learned Aria was ill the affection lavished on
her would vanish, redirected to its rightful target.
No. They must never know.
She bolted upstairs to her room. She needed to shred these
papers. Now. Only then would she feel safe.
Downstairs, Owen had just stepped through the door when the housekeeper rushed over. “Owen, Tessa locked herself in her
room after getting a package this morning. She hasn’t eaten all
day.”
The woman wrung her hands. “She needs nourishment,
especially being so frail.”
Owen’s face darkened. He took the stairs two at a time. Her
bedroom door wasn’t locked. He knocked sharply.
“Tessa? It’s Owen. I’m coming in.” He pushed the door open. What he saw stopped him cold.
Tessa whirled around, panic stark on her face. His gaze dropped. Torn paper littered her hands and the floor.
“Tessa,” Owen’s voice turned dangerously quiet. “What are you
Chapter 14
holding?”
“N–Nothing.” Tessa instinctively hid her hand behind her back.
“Tessa, is that the hospital report? Why did you tear it up? Let
your second brother take a look.“Owen spoke as he stepped
forward.
“Owen, don’t look. It’s still cancer. I’m already devastated–why
make me face it all over again?” Tessa tried to mask the panic in
her eyes, tears streaming down her face like a pear blossom in
the rain.
She spun around and ran into the bathroom, locking the door.
“Tessa, open the door!”
The sound of a toilet flushing came, and after a moment, Tessa
emerged.
Thay
“Where’s the report?” Owen asked, frowning when he saw her
empty hands.
“I flushed it,” she choked out, biting her lip. “I don’t want to see it
again. I can’t accept this, Owen. I’m so scared.”
Looking at her trembling, terrified expression, Owen’s heart
ached. He reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll cure you. Have I ever lied to you?”
Chapter 14
Tessa nodded through her tears, but inside she was calculating.
Her illness was fake. Sooner or later, the Whitmore family
would realize something was off. She had to drive Aria out
before that happened.
Downstairs, Aria was changing her shoes when Zoe approached.
“Aria, a package arrived for you today, but Miss Tessa opened it.”
Aria’s hands stilled for a moment before she simply nodded and
went back to putting on her shoes.
When she went upstairs, she saw Owen holding Tessa,
comforting her gently.
That kind of warmth she’d never had.
Aria let out a cold, humorless smile and silently entered her own
room.
Once, she would have felt hurt. ‘Now? Not my problem!
She had only one goal before the end of her life–make something
of herself. She had already failed once. She wouldn’t fail Jasper
again.
So her days were spent either in class or poring over the books
Jasper had given her.
Chapter 14
The countdown was down to fifteen days.
In the past few days, she’d gone out of her way to avoid running
into Tessa. Life had been peaceful, leaving her plenty of time to
study.
‘Can’t fight her? Then avoid her, she wondered.
At the bus stop, the drizzle suddenly turned into a torrential
downpour, with no sign of letting up.
Aria frowned–she hadn’t brought an umbrella.
Usually, she kept one in her bag and the weather stayed clear.
Today, she’d left it at home and here came the storm.
