Chapter 6

Nora let out a scream that tore through her entire body.

She rushed to hold Tracy, but no matter how hard she shook her, Tracy didn't respond.

Nora begged through her tears, "Mom, don't fall asleep. Please, talk to me. It's Nora. It's your daughter."

She cried until she had nothing left. She lost all sense of time, and the only thing she noticed was Tracy's body growing colder, little by little, until it felt like ice against her skin.

The cold seeped into her bones and settled in her chest, where it refused to leave.

By the time dawn broke, Lucas finally showed up with a bowl of Claire's favorite oatmeal in his hand.

He froze at the sight of Nora, covered in blood, sitting motionless on the floor with Tracy cradled in her arms.

Lucas asked in disbelief, "Why are you still here? I sent someone to take you both to the hotel next door."

Nora lifted her head slowly. Every trace of life had drained from her eyes.

She whispered, "My mom is dead."

Lucas stammered, "What?" He looked like the words had knocked the air out of him.

Nora shot to her feet and grabbed Lucas by the shoulders, shaking him as hard as she could.

She screamed, her voice raw and breaking, "She was hurt this badly, and you pulled every single doctor away from her. Why? So they could treat Claire's sprained ankle?"

Lucas stood frozen, muttering, "I didn't realize her injuries were that serious."

Nora's voice cracked as she demanded, "She's an old woman who hit her head, and you didn't think that was serious? But Claire tweaks her ankle, and suddenly it's an emergency?"

Lucas frowned and said, "This has nothing to do with Claire. I didn't think it through. I'll make it up to you."

Nora slapped him across the face.

Her voice came out hoarse and shattered as she shouted, "Make it up to me? My mother is dead. She was alive, and now she's gone. How do you make that up to someone? Your lives matter, but ours are worthless, is that it?"

Before she could say another word, blood rose in her throat and spilled from her lips. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.

When Nora woke up, she was back home.

She lay in bed and stared at the ceiling without blinking, tears sliding down her face like a doll that had lost its soul.

She had been so grateful to Lucas for saving her family. But the truth was, without him, her father never would have ended up in a coma, and her mother never would have died.

The biggest regret of her life was ever meeting Lucas.

Lucas pushed the door open and found Nora sitting on the bed, tears streaming silently down her face.

His chest tightened at the sight. He set a bowl of soup on the nightstand and said softly, "You should eat something."

Nora stared straight ahead, her expression blank. "Where's my dad?"

Lucas felt an unexpected wave of nervousness. "Your dad's fine. I've already arranged a transfer to a new hospital, so don't worry." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "I've taken care of your mom's funeral too."

Nora slowly sat up and looked directly at him. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Before my mom died, she said something to me. Do you want to know what it was?"

Lucas frowned. "What did she say?"

Nora spoke each word slowly and deliberately. "She said it was Claire who started the fire, and Claire who pushed her."

Lucas cut her off before she could say anything else. "That's impossible."

Nora looked him straight in the eye. "Then why was Claire at the hospital in the middle of the night?"

Lucas had already asked Claire about that, and he answered without hesitation. "She knew I hadn't eaten all day, so she brought me food. She didn't expect the fire, and she twisted her ankle trying to find me."

Nora's lips twitched into something that wasn't a smile.

She knew Lucas would never believe her. So she lay back down and stared at the ceiling, still and hollow, like a doll with no feeling left inside.

After that, no matter what Lucas said, Nora gave him nothing. Not a word, not a glance, not a single reaction.

Lucas was used to being surrounded by admirers wherever he went.

This was the first time anyone had given him the cold shoulder, and he didn't know what to do with it. In the end, he had no choice but to leave.