Chapter 15
After Olivia Bennett booked the next outbound flight in a moment of blind desperation, she lost consciousness not long after takeoff.
The plane was forced to return to Rivermont, and she was rushed to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment.
When she finally regained consciousness three days later, the first face that came into focus was one she hadn’t seen in over five years–Silas Quinn, her former graduate mentor and closest ally outside the Wests.
Silas had returned on Dean West’s final plea–that someone anchor Olivia before she lost herself entirely.
But by the time Silas landed, the Deah and his wife were already dead.
Their bodies lay cold in the hospital morgue–Harrison Lowell had ordered that they not be cremated, not be buried. Just left there.
Silas pulled every string he could, but no one dared go against the Lowells.
With no other choice, he had to put the funeral plans on hold while he searched for Olivia’s
whereabouts.
And when he finally found her, lying frail and broken in that sterile hospital bed–her face battered beyond recognition–he froze in horror.
“Silas…” Her voice trembled. The moment she saw him, every ounce of grief that had been buried
for days burst free.
She crumpled into his chest, sobbing so hard it shook her body. “It’s my fault… I killed them. I
killed them all. It’s all my fault!”
“Why wasn’t it me who died? Why?!”
“No, Olivia. None of this was your fault,” Silas murmured, gently rubbing her back. His eyes were red too, though he tried to hide it.
“The Dean’s only wish was for you to live–really live. And Lily… Lily begged you to take her to Disney World, remember? You promised her the whole world–and she believed you.”
Silas had always been there for her–next to the Dean and his wife, he was the kindest person in her
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life.
They had met during grad school. He was always distant and emotionally restrained with everyone -except her.
He loved Olivia.
Never once did he hide it.
But back then, Olivia had only eyes for Harrison. She treated Silas like an older brother–nothing
more.
In fact, she had gone out of her way to distance herself from him for Harrison’s sake.
When Olivia married Harrison, Silas had quietly left Rivermont and vanished from her life.
But from afar, he never stopped watching over her.
“You have to stay,” Silas whispered, gripping her hand. “I’m here now. I’ll stay with you. We’ll get Lily back. We’ll bring the Dean and his wife home.”
Olivia held him tightly and cried until her voice gave out and exhaustion finally overtook her.
She wanted to live–for them.
She knew that was what the Dean would’ve wanted.
But every time she closed her eyes, she saw her sister screaming as she was dragged into a
nightmare by twenty men.
Even with her eyes open, the visions refused to fade–Lily’s lifeless face, the Dean cradling his wife before the fall, and her sister’s screams echoing into nothingness.
Those images tore her apart like a waking nightmare. Sleep eluded her. Food turned to ash in her mouth. Every breath felt like drowning.
She was going mad.
And finally, on the night of a full moon, Olivia couldn’t bear it anymore.
She climbed to the rooftop of the hospital alone.
Her hospital gown whipped around her like ghost–silk, and she stepped to the ledge-
outstretched.
ledge–arms
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Living hurt too much.
She just wanted to see them again.
“I’m sorry, Silas,” she whispered into the wind. “I can’t do what I promised. I’m just… so tired.”
She closed her eyes.
Took a step forward.
“Lily,” she whispered, wind stealing her breath. “Mommy’s coming now.”
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Chapter 16
