Chapter 5
Jordan matched the ticket, her fingers trembling slightly is not my ticket. A friend is going on a
trip and asked me to hold it for them.
Maxwell’s expression cooled, but he didn’t question further.|
He was too confident–confident that jordan would never leave him.[]
watching her enter the house, he turned to catch up with the mallman who had walked away |
Vanessa had mentioned wanting pastries from the new bakery in town, and he needed to arrange for someone to bring some back.)
Meanwhile, when forlan pushed open bei door, her blood froze
Her room looked as if it had been hit by a hurricane–drawers palled out, clothes scattered everywhere, even the mattress had been flipped.
Most alarming was that the blue doth pouch hidden in her pillowcase was messing.]]
Looking for this, sa?” Vanessa leaned against the doorframe, dangling the familiar blue pouch [
Jordan immediately recognized as the one her grandmother had secretly given her on her deathbed misining her life savings–three hundred twenty–seven dellars and sixty cents.
“Give it back!” Jordan lunged forward to grab it.]
Vanessa nimbly dodged, her lips curled in contempt. “What were you planning to do with this money?”
“None of your business“]
You weren’t planning to retake the exam, were your Vanessa narrowed her eyis.]]
jordan’s face drained of color.||
“I knew “Vanessa laughed coldly. “Do you really think I’d let you have a chance to redeem yourself? ||
“What do you want?” Jordan’s voice waterribly hoarse ||
Vança tilted her head, flashing an innocente. “It’s simple. Kneel down, bour to me three times, and I’ll give the money back.
Jordan’s naili dag, deeply into her palma_||
“What? Don’t want to?” Vanessa made as if to tear the pouch spart. “Then this money
TU do IL“}}
Jordani knees hit the flour with a heavy thud. The first bow struck her forehead against the harthwood with a dull things with the second, tears splashed onto the flour, by the third, herent body was trembling
“Can I have it back now??” she asked, her voice barely mullible
Not
smiled and theris, as Jordan watched is horror, turned toward the fireplace and tossed the pouch with all the money inside into the rearing names
Jordus hanged toward Yamessa, de perite to
the poodi before the Hanes consumed i
But just as her fingertips were about to trach the pouch, Vanessa let out a piercing stream, calling backward, turplace
d, her arm “accidentally striking the edge of the
Vanessa’s screams were rar–splining ||
Jedan froze in place, watching helplessly as i angry red burn mark iustavily formed on Vanessa’s
“What’s happening?
Maxwell and their parents burst into the room. When they saw Vanessa lying on the floor in agony, her arm badly burned, their faces tumed ashen.
Jordan Hayes: What did you do to your sister?” Her mother shrieked, rushing to Vanessa’s side, her voice dripping with
concern and fury ||
Jordan opened her mouth to explain, but before she could speak, her father slapped her hard across the face. “You ungrateful bratt if anything happens to Vanessa, I’ll never forgive your]
Maxwell had already scooped Vanessa into his arms and was striding toward the door. “We areil to get to the hospital:“||
Jordan was roughly dragged along
At the hospital, the doctors rxpression was grae. The patient has third–degree burns on her hand. She needs immediate skin grafting
Use her!” Her father pointed at Jordan without hesitation. She’s her twin sister–the perfect match.“||
I don’t consent” Jordan struggled violently, “Vanessa’s hand wasn’t barned by met the illd it herself.“||
You dare lie” Her mother slapped her again. “If you hadn’s tried to steal her money, would Vanessa be hurt? And why did you need money anyway? Don’t tell me you still wanted to retake the exam Let me tell you, someone like you would never pass even if you retook it. You might as well just stay home and get Harried
Two nurses held her down as the anesthetic needle pierced her arm. As consciousness began to slip away, jordan beard Maxwell’s cold voice:
You still wanted to retake the exam? Tailing once usually means you fail again. Besides, didn’t I say we’d get married early? En’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
jordan lifted her head, looking at this man she had once longed for with every fiber of her being
Not anymore
