Chapter 356
Before I can say anything, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes down the hallway.
“Sierra?!” The voice cuts through everything.
My head snaps up just as Sierra’s mother appears. Her hair is slightly disheveled, eyes wide with fear, chest rising and falling too fast as she looks around frantically.
“Where is she?!” she demands, her voice shaking. “Where is my daughter p>
No one answers fast enough and then her gaze lands on me, her gaze raking over me, over the blood-covered clothes and I watch the exact moment something inside her shatters.
“What happened?” she chokes out, rushing forward. “What the hell happened to her p>
My throat closes because how the hell am I supposed to answer that? How do I tell her that her daughter is lying behind those doors and I don’t even know if she’s okay?
“Ivy…” Aunt Harper starts, but Ivy cuts through her so sharply it almost feels physical.
“I don’t want any excuses… I don’t want to be placated,” she growls, her voice tinged with both anger and fear. “I want to know where my daughter is and I want to know what the fuck happened when she was perfectly fine the last time I spoke to her this afternoon p>
“There was an incident at the party,” Dad says.
“An incident?” she repeats, her eyes cutting to me. “Is that her blood p>
I open my mouth to answer, but nothing comes out, so I close it again. I don’t even need to say anything. The look in her eyes—the way they fill with tears, the way something inside her breaks—tells me she already knows.
She stumbles, her hand going to her chest as a broken sound tears from her lips. Lilly rushes forward and catches her before she can collapse.
“W-what happened?” she asks, her voice shaking.
“Brook pushed her down the stairs,” I answer, unable to look her in the eyes.
“Why would she do that?” she asks, her voice rising. “Why p>
“Because she’s in love with Noah,” Lilly says when no one else answers.
My head snaps toward her, and for a second the entire room goes still. Everyone looks from me to her, shock written clearly across their faces… I thought no one knew, but I guess I was wrong.
“So, she tried to kill my daughter because of you?” Ivy whispers, her voice breaking as her red, tear-filled eyes lock onto mine.
No one says anything. No one moves. But we all know she’s right. They didn’t hear what Brook said, but it’s not hard to guess her reason for wanting Sierra gone.
“Why…” she starts, her voice cracking as she cries. “Why does everything terrible that happens to my daughter somehow lead back to you, Noah? Why p>
“Ivy p>
Her eyes snap wildly to Mom. “Shut up, Ava. I don’t want to hear another fucking excuse p>
Her chest rises and falls as she struggles to breathe through the emotion.
“How long is my daughter going to suffer because of your son?” she demands. “How long before he stops hurting her? Until she’s dead? Is that what he wants p>
Her words cut deeper than anything else tonight, tearing through what little is left of me.
“That’s not fair, Ivy,” Mom says, her voice tight. “Noah didn’t do this p>
“He didn’t push her,” Ivy shoots back, tears streaming down her face, “but isn’t it still because of him? Doesn’t that make him just as guilty? And what about all the other times? Why is she always the one who suffers? Why, Ava p>
Mom falls silent because there is no answer that can ease that kind of pain.
“This is the last time,” Ivy says, her voice steadier now despite the tears. “Once this is over, my daughter is staying away from your son and your family p>
“You can’t—” Mom starts.
“I can and I fucking will,” Ivy cuts her off. “Will you only be satisfied when she’s dead p>
Her voice breaks, but her gaze remains hard.
“I’ve kept quiet all these years. I’ve tolerated everything because I’ve been grateful for what you’ve done, Ava… but that ends today. You and your family will stay the fuck away from my daughter, or you won’t like what I’ll do p>
“Are you threatening me?” Mom asks, shock and anger mixing in her voice.
“Yes,” Ivy says, her voice quieter now, but far more dangerous. “I’m done playing nice, Ava. I won’t let your family destroy my daughter p>
Mom is about to respond when the doors to the emergency room swing open.
“Sierra Meyers?” the doctor asks.
Her mom pushes forward immediately. “I’m her mother… how is she p>
“She sustained multiple injuries from the fall,” he continues. “She has a severe head injury, two fractured ribs, and significant trauma to her abdomen that caused placenta abruption… There was internal bleeding and several of her organs were impacted from the fall p>
My jaw tightens as my heart breaks into a million little pieces.
Her mother lets out a strangled sob before she asks in a shaky voice, “And the baby p>
The doctor pauses briefly, like he’s choosing his words carefully.
“The impact caused severe trauma to the baby,” he says. “The baby’s heart rate and oxygen level dropped significantly and there were also complications involving the umbilical cord due to the force of the fall”
My stomach drops, and for a moment the hallway spins, and I can barely hear anything except the ringing in my ear and tearing of my heart.
Her mother grips onto his coat, her voice breaking. “Are they going to be okay p>
The doctor exhales slowly.
“We’re doing everything we can, but I just want to prepare you for the worst,” he says. “We are not sure they’re going to pull through p>
The world tilts and for a moment I stop breathing and my heart stops for a second too long as I listen to words that shred me into pieces.
He doesn’t wait for the words to sink; he just turns and rushes back to the room where I hear one doctor shouting, ‘Prepare the OR p>
I fall on my knees, my legs unable to carry me as all the strength leaves. I feel chills as something in the air shifts. Ivy sobs turn into something I can’t even explain. I look up to find her eyes burning as they switch from me to my parents.
“I swear if something happens to my daughter and grandchild, I’ll be your reckoning,” she says, her voice somewhere between a growl and a sob. “I’ll rain down so much hellfire on your family and burn everything you hold dear to the fucking ground p>