Chapter 4

My messages went unanswered, leaving me in a heavy silence. It wasn’t until the crack of dawn that Noe finally responded, his text as icy as the Alps he seemed so fond of: 'Agree.' His predictable indifference almost made me laugh. Alanna’s body still lay in the morgue, and Noe—her only family—couldn’t muster more than a single word. Just as I debated texting him about the next steps, my phone buzzed with his call.

'Is Alanna with you?' His voice cut through the line, sharp and impatient.

'Don’t forget her engagement party today!' he barked, his tone commanding, as if yesterday’s tragedy was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. He must’ve tried calling her this morning and, failing to reach her, turned to me. Despite sending him the grim details of her death certificate, he refused to believe it. The weight of his denial left me utterly drained.

As I hovered on the edge of hanging up, Noe added, 'I might be running late coming back from the Alps. Go ahead and greet the guests at the party.'

The engagement party was set for three in the afternoon. Even though he’d taken the day off, Noe chose to extend his hiking trip, treating his sister’s celebration like an afterthought. I stayed silent, my resignation echoing in the quiet.

'Are you listening?' His impatience bled through the phone. 'Make sure to remind Alanna, okay? She’s not answering my calls. I hope she hasn’t overslept.'

My voice, hoarse from a day and night without food, couldn’t muster a response. My body and mind were spent, hollowed out by exhaustion.

Feeling utterly powerless, I managed to croak, 'Come to the hospital and talk to her yourself.' I sent him the location and shut off my phone.

After a brief rest, I began sorting through Alanna’s belongings in the hospital room. Her backpack held a bouquet and a speech for the engagement party—a celebration that was supposed to be joyous but had turned into a tragedy.

Alanna was three years younger than Noe. They’d leaned on each other since childhood. When their parents died in a car accident, Alanna shielded Noe from fatal harm with her own body. That year was hell for Noe—losing his parents and watching his sister fight for her life in a coma. When Alanna finally pulled through, he vowed to study medicine so he could give her the best care.

And yet here he was, hiking with Linda instead of facing the possibility that something had happened to his sister. He was ignoring even the slimmest chance of Alanna’s survival. The thought brought fresh tears to my eyes. I grieved for Alanna’s stolen future and shuddered at Noe’s coldness.

My gaze landed on Alanna’s phone, abandoned on the table. Remembering her final words, I picked it up and unlocked it, finding myself on a paused recording page. Just as I was about to hit play, the door to the hospital room slammed open, jolting me so badly that I dropped the phone.