Chapter 6
The medics worked quickly, their eyes red with emotion as they patched me up and carefully lifted me onto a
stretcher.
As they wheeled me out toward the ambulance, I caught a glimpse of Dad’s superior.
He was standing off to the side, staring intently at his phone, his face dark with anger.
He hadn’t even finished the video before his phone buzzed.
“Yes, sir! Understood. We’re moving to arrest Roger Quinn immediately!”
Meanwhile, my family–blissfully unaware–was still celebrating.
Lila pulled a pack of alcohol wipes from her designer bag and carefully dabbed at a tiny spot on Mom’s blouse.
“Mom, where did it touch you? We have to make sure it’s completely clean,” she cooed.
“Blood is so unlucky.”
“If it brings you bad vibes, I’ll feel awful.”
Mom smiled warmly, patting Lila’s head like she was a precious doll.
“Oh, sweetie, you’re always so thoughtful. Always worried about me.”
“Not like… some people, who only ever think about themselves.”
“She doesn’t even realize,” Mom continued, “if your father and I had shown up, it wouldn’t just be us losing our jobs–it could’ve destroyed our entire family!”
Lila threw her arms around Mom, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Thank goodness you and Dad didn’t go! If it had been me, I would never admit to being your daughter.”
“Even if they tortured me to death, I wouldn’t let them harm you in any way!”
Mom’s face softened, her voice full of affection.
“See? That’s why I’ve always said bringing her back into our lives was a mistake.”
“Charlotte was nothing but a burden from the moment she was born–she even made my delivery a nightmare and ruined my career prospects.”
“But you, Lila–you’re my treasure. You’ve never caused any trouble for us.”
“You’ve always made us proud.”
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ngerprints of Betrayal
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Chapter 6
Dad lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before exhaling with a soot
“Don’t even bring her up. She’s a buzzkill.”
“We never should’ve taken her back. She was already kidnapped–the should we stayed gone?
“Look at her now. She doesn’t even look like she belongs to us
“And to think she had the nerve to expect the same treatment as Lila.
“She’s absolutely shameless!”
Mom let out a sigh, her voice cold and dismissive.
“Some people are just born unlucky. She wasn’t meant to have a good life.”
“What’s happening to her now? It’s just karma.”
“At least,” she added, “she managed to serve one purpose–taking Lila’s place as a target
“That’s probably the only value she’s ever had.”
Dad nodded, a smug grin spreading across his face.
“Now that the kidnappers are dead, there’s no one left to expose the video from back then. Our problems are finally
over.”
“Everything worked out perfectly.”
Lila glanced at me from across the room, a sly smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“But what if she wakes up? What if she says something to someone?”
Mom let out a low chuckle.
“Don’t worry about that. She’s not even on our family records anymore, and your dad made sure to erase any
connection between us.”
“Even if she talks, we can just have her declared mentally unstable.”
“Who’s going to believe her over us? We’re respected officers of the law.”
“This uniform guarantees no one will question us.”
Beep–beep–beeeeeep.
The heart monitor beside me let out a shrill, steady tone as the lines on the screen flattened.
“She’s crashing!” one of the nurses shouted.
The medics sprang into action, pressing down on my chest in a desperate attempt to pull me back from the brink.
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Chapter 6
Lying there, lifeless on the stretcher, I could only stare at my family.
They were laughing, smiling, completely at ease–until their celebration was abruptly interrupted.
Dad’s superior stormed onto the scene, leading a team of officers with weapons drawn.
Guns were leveled at my parents without hesitation.
“Roger Quinn, Evelyn Quinn–you are under arrest for the torture and murder of a minor. Surrender immediately!”
Their perfect little world shattered in an instant.
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