I was brimming with confidence, certain that if I could just get a face-to-face with the president of the
All-Stars Consortium, I could bring him around to our way of thinking and secure a partnership.
Surely, that was a better bet than risking it all on a shaky deal with Henry.
Colin paused, his gaze lifting to meet Eric''s, who had somehow materialized at the doorway without
a sound. "Phoebe, let Eric handle this."
I hesitated, a knot of worry tightening in my stomach at the thought of Eric flying solo on this one.
"Trust Eric; he''s a pro," Colin whispered, his grip on my hand growing firmer. "He''s got this."
My eyes flicked to Eric, who gave me a reassuring nod, though a trace of guilt shadowed his
features. He probably felt bad for not being able to protect me on Colin''s behalf.
"Sir, ma''am, don''t worry, I''ll handle the charity g," Eric said softly.
He remained just beyond the threshold, not stepping into the room, but I could see the bruises on
his face and the scrapes on his arms.
Ever since Colin had been admitted to the psychiatric ward, Eric seemed to be running at full tilt.
Though I didn''t know what exactly he was up to, I couldn''t shake the feeling that he and Colin were
keeping too much from me.
Just like Julian had hinted, had the Langley family''s fortunes been Colin''s doing all along?
Was it true?
"We''ve only got this one shot, and it won''tst long," I said, locking eyes with Eric again. eded to
be sure he could pull it off.
Eric nodded. "Got it."
Relieved by his confidence, I let out a breath. "Okay..."
"Get back to your room and rest. And what''s this about you walking around, and why''d you go
pulling out your IV?" The nurse burst into the room, her eyes widening in exasperation at the sight
of the dried blood on Colin''s hand.
"For heaven''s sake, you''re a grown man. Don''t you know to call for a nurse before yanking out a
needle?" She gave Colin an earful.
Colin held me close, refusing to let go.
"Come on, be a good patient. Go get your shot," I coaxed in a whisper.
"No..." His voice was a choked mix of stubbornness and self-reproach.
"I''ll stay with you, okay?" I soothed him back down to the bed, sitting by his side.
After the nurse had fixed him up and left, Colin pulled me into his embrace.
He was silent, just holding me.
I didn''t speak either, letting him have this moment.
I felt a coolness on my forehead – probably the tears he couldn''t hold back.
"Colin..." I called his name softly, looking up to find him drifting off into a heavy sleep.
His moments of rity were brief; soon he was deep in slumber once more.
The doctor had said there were heavy sedatives in his system, dulling his senses.
"Let him sleep it off. The more he sleeps, the better he''ll feel when he wakes up," Finn murmured
from beside the bed.
"Why was Colin sent to the psychiatric sanatorium?" I frowned, my gaze wary as I turned to Finn.
"It''s about Phoebe." Finn hesitated before spilling it out. "I''ve dug up some things... Phoebe might
not be the innocent victim she appears to be. I suspect she''s a murderer."
I red at Finn like he was the one who''d lost his mind. "What’s wrong with you?"
"Caleb believes Phoebe isn''t the killer. He said the truth is hidden in the psychiatric sanatorium and
swore to help me uncover it, to show me who the real culprit is," Finn said, ncing at the still-
sleeping Caleb. "For Phoebe''s sake, it seems he truly doesn''t care about anything else."
"What evidence do you have to suspect that Phoebe is a murderer?" I asked, my voice edged with
caution.
Têxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.
"I''ve uncovered some things," Finn said, frowning back at me. "Don''t you care even a little that
Caleb''s been using you as a stand-in?"
"Stick to the facts!" I snapped, cutting him off.
Finn shrugged. "Alright. Do you remember a string of teen disappearances years ago? The
daughter of that killer whomitted suicide by jumping was among those who went missing."
"What does that have to do with Phoebe?" I asked, a sudden nervousness gripping me, my fingers
tightening involuntarily.