Chapter 43
Stacy roared, her head throbbing with anger. She staggered back, then slammed her fist into the door. Without hesitation, she ran to the last room on the second floor.
Her mind raced. It’s Aurora’s fault. She ruined Maura. How can she sleep while Maura’s in the hospital? I’ll kill her.
She kicked the door open, but the room was empty, like Maura's.
Jaxon watched, suppressing his fury. He patted Stacy’s shoulder. “Let’s go to the hospital. When that ungrateful brat returns, she’ll pay.”
Stacy’s eyes blazed. Through gritted teeth, she hissed, “I’ll make sure Aurora suffers a miserable death.” Maura was her untouchable weakness, and Aurora would pay.
They descended and took the elevator to the underground parking garage. His driver waited. Jaxon ordered, “Terranex Hospital.”
“Yes, Mr. Crawford,” the driver replied, accelerating sharply.
The late-night drive, usually an hour, took twenty minutes, thanks to Stacy’s urging. Unlike her last visit, the private hospital was nearly deserted.
Stacy, in slippers, hurried across the floor, her footsteps echoing. Night-shift nurses peered from their stations.
They reached the surgery room; the light was on. Rocco sat on a bench outside.
“Rocco!” Stacy yelled, grabbing him by the collar and slapping him. “You said it was foolproof! Maura’s in there! Is this your idea of foolproof?” Her carefully styled hair spilled wildly as she teetered on the brink of hysteria.
He’d never been slapped. Stacy’s shrill voice amplified the ringing in his ears. He shoved her away, raising his hand, but lowered it when he saw Jaxon.
“Stacy, we underestimated Aurora,” Rocco said, his face darkening at the mention of Aurora’s name. “Caleb said she used some kind of powder. It causes uncontrollable itching. That’s how they were caught.”
Stacy’s anger overwhelmed her. She didn’t care how Aurora escaped; Rocco’s people had failed, endangering Maura.
She snapped, “Rocco, don’t forget how your company started. Without me, you’d be a broke nobody! Did you deliberately set Maura up? Are you trying to pass your daughter off as mine?”
She screamed, her voice hoarse, “That’s never going to happen! Maura is my daughter. My only daughter. Even if something terrible happened to her, I would never adopt your kid!”
The nurses looked at Rocco differently. He hadn’t expected this public accusation; his eyes flickered with guilt. His company existed because of Jaxon, and he’d even discussed raising his child with Jaxon, alongside Maura and Griffin. Stacy’s refusal was a roadblock.
“What are you talking about?” he muttered, a vein throbbing in his forehead. “Maura is my niece! I care about her! I rushed here. If anyone’s to blame, it’s Aurora…”
He rambled about his love for Maura, blaming Aurora. Jaxon watched thoughtfully.
Jaxon intervened. “Stacy, this isn’t what Rocco wanted. Calm down. Maura will be out soon.” He smiled politely, patting Rocco’s shoulder. “I know you care about Maura. Sorry to trouble you.”
Rocco, relieved, sighed. “It’s nothing. I’m just doing what I should.”
Jaxon nodded. “You said Aurora used powder. What kind? Tell me again.”
Rocco recounted Caleb’s account.
Jaxon sat, pondering. How did Aurora get that powder? Could it be something Victoria left behind? No, that’s impossible. A sixteen or seventeen-year-old couldn’t be that cunning. Where did it come from? I need to investigate her background.
Aurora awoke to her ringing phone. “Hello? Who is this?”
A cheerful voice replied, “Good morning, Ms. Crawford. This is your 7 a.m. wake-up call.”
Aurora hung up, got out of bed, and freshened up. She’d driven Caleb’s car from the warehouse and checked into a hotel; she couldn’t sleep at home after what happened to Maura. The call was her hotel wake-up service.
She opened the curtains, breathed deeply, and said, “Another day begins.”
She went to the mall, bought a new phone, took a taxi, and headed to Mereida High. Stepping out, she bumped into Alison. “Why the taxi? Don’t tell me the Crawfords kicked you out?” Alison sneered.