Chapter 747

“No, I just want Nina back ASAP,” she shot back, looking like she hadn’t slept in days. Aw, poor thing. Except, not really. “You’ve waited this long. What’s a few more days?”

The second I finished, Sasha’s temper hit full send. “Keira, what’s that supposed to mean? You’re not planning to double-cross me, are you?”

“I’m saying, wait a couple of days,” I replied.

“Wait for what? What are you pulling now?” Her tone screamed, ‘I’m onto you.’

I glanced out the window. “I’m waiting for someone to come back safely.”

She grabbed my arm. “You’re planning to use Nina to trade for Xander, aren’t you?”

So, she did know about Xander. No point pretending. “Yeah,” I admitted, straight up.

“Keira!” she snapped. “How can you be so vile? Nina’s just a kid!”

“And she’s your kid, yet here you are, using her like a chess piece,” I shot back, zero sympathy.

Let’s be real—Sasha handed Nina over as leverage. Now she was mad I played the game better?

Her glare could have melted steel, but after a few beats, all that fire just fizzled out. She slumped back, defeated. “Guess there’s no one you can trust in this world except yourself.”

I ignored her dramatic monologue. “Nina’s fine. She’ll see you in a few days.”

Sasha stayed quiet. She knew arguing was pointless.

The cab dropped me off at home first, then took Sasha wherever she needed to go. Once inside, I showered, changed, and ordered some takeout. After eating, I ran a few errands and then headed to Uncle Damien’s apartment.

Lately, I’d been dreaming about Narelle. Weird, right? Dreams are just random brain noise, but it felt like she was trying to tell me something. Narelle’s whole world had been her parents, so I grabbed a few gifts and made my way over.

“Uncle Damien, Aunt Abby!” I knocked a few times, calling out. No answer. I knocked louder. Still nothing.

Frustrated, I dialed Uncle Damien’s number.

“Hello,” a stranger answered—not him. I double-checked my phone. Yep, the number was right. “Who is this?” I asked.

“I’m Mr. Yule’s caregiver. He and his wife are in the hospital. Are you family? They’re at Central General Hospital…”

At the hospital, I found them in the same room. Seeing them like that—so fragile—was gut-wrenching. No wonder I kept dreaming about Narelle. She was practically shouting at me to wake up.

“Uncle Damien, Aunt Abby, I’m so sorry I haven’t been around,” I said as soon as I stepped in. Truth was, I’d been avoiding them. The years apart had created this awkward distance I wasn’t sure how to bridge, and I’d let that stop me.

Uncle Damien just shook his head and held my hand, silent as tears rolled down his face. The caregiver had already filled me in. Aunt Abby had slipped in the bathroom, and when Uncle Damien tried to help, he fell too. She was in bad shape, and the doctor wasn’t optimistic.

I grabbed a tissue, gently wiping his tears. “It’s going to be okay,” I said softly. “I’m here now.”

The more I tried to comfort him, the harder Uncle Damien cried, his whole body shaking under the weight of his grief. He’d already lost his daughter, and now his wife was slipping away while he sat there injured and helpless. That level of despair? Only someone who’d lived it could truly get it.

“Rea, you’re my only family now,” he said, gripping my hand like a lifeline. His words hit me like a punch to the chest. “There’s something I need to tell you…”

Chapter 748