A message shed across her screen. Orion: [Where are you? I think I saw your brother again.]


    Attached was a photograph of Getty, arm in arm with Alexander, entering some event.


    Quinn nced at it, the ache in her heart momentarily overshadowed by the pain in her abdomen.


    Orion: [Did your brother scold youst night?]


    Orion: [I posted several lost dog ads today, and sure enough, a few people came to im them, including the owner of the Husky you like.]


    Orion: [But two of the dogs at my shelter are about to have puppies, I''ll send you a couple of the new ones.]


    Orion: [Next time must keep a closer eye on them, or they''ll get pregnant by ident.] Her phone pinged incessantly, each alert a new message from Orion, who seemed to be lost in his own conversation. Quinn hadn''t even finished typing one response when several more messages flooded in.


    Eventually, Quinn simply stopped trying to reply.Orion sent several long texts, then circled back to the initial question.


    Orion: [Where are you?]Quinn didn''t want to get tangled up with him. She feared Alexander might lose his mind again and do something drastic to Orion, just as he had with Juliet and Abigail.She dared not provoke him further. Taking a deep breath, Quinn turned off her phone screen and tucked it into her pocket.By the time her IV treatment wasplete, it was halfpast ten.


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    She made her way to Juliet''s hospital room and tapped lightly on the door. Receiving no response, she peeked inside. The sight of the empty bed caused a heavy sinking feeling inside her. She pushed the door open and entered.Standing there, cold to the core, her mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened to Juliet during her absence had Ariele again?


    As she was caught up in her thoughts, Juliet emerged from the restroom inside."Quinn?"Juliet, dressed in a patient gown and leaning on crutches, looked thinner and more fragile than ever. The moment Quinn saw her, her eyes reddened, and she hurried over to hug Juliet.


    Juliet paused for a moment, then gently patted her shoulder. "What''s wrong? Quinn, are you upset about something again?"Quinn hugged the older woman for a while before letting go, managing a small smile as she shook her head."I thought you had disappeared. I was a bit worried," shemunicated through gestures.


    Juliet took her by the hand and led her towards the hospital bed. "Quinn, could you talk to Alexander for me, and ask him not to let me stay here anymore?"


    Quinn looked at her, puzzled.Juliet exined, "Look, there''s no one here, and the caretaker onlyes by at meal times. I have to lie in bed all day, and the doctor won''t even let me go outside.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    With so much money being spent, I still feel suffering."At least I was free when I picked up trash outside in the past. Now..." She trailed off, not wanting to seem ungrateful for Quinn''s kindness or appear unappreciative of her situation.Quinn''s expression grewplex as she gripped the older woman''s hand tightly.


    After a moment, she signed, "Have you been feeling okaytely?" Juliet chuckled, "Of course, how could it be not okay with such expensive medicine? Quinn, go back and tell Alexander not to waste money on me."Quinn couldn''t agree to her request. If she left, she''d be without a ce to go.And Alexander wouldn''t allow it. This was... the only one who could be used as her weak spot to control her.


    Juliet watched her closely for a moment, noticing the sorrow hidden in Quinn''s eyes and her unhealthily paleplexion."Quinn, tell me the truth. Did you say something to Alexander as an exchange for me to stay here? Or did he do something to you?"