Chapter 3 - Belle Named Harlan's Sister as the Person Who Had Been Giving Her Secret Medication—and Harlan Realized the Betrayal Came From Inside His Own FamilyLydia Voss arrived at the hospital within twenty minutes.
She wore an elegant black dress and looked genuinely shocked.
"Harlan."
He didn't greet her.
"Why did Belle say your name?"
Lydia's eyes moved toward the room.
"What?"
"She said you knew about the medication."
Lydia stared at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You gave her something."
"I would never hurt Belle."
I watched her carefully.
She looked convincing.
But Belle's reaction was not.
The little girl started crying when Lydia entered.
She turned toward me.
"Don't let her come close."
Lydia stopped.
Her face went pale.
Harlan looked at me.
Then at his sister.
"Get out."
Lydia stared.
"But—"
"Out."
She left.
I looked at him.
"You believe your daughter."
"I believe fear."
"What does that mean?"
"I've seen Belle afraid."
"She's afraid of your sister."
"Yes."
Then he asked:
"Why?"
I didn't know.
That night, Belle slept.
Harlan sat beside her.
I remained in the chair near the window.
At 3:15 a.m., Harlan spoke.
"My father died when I was fourteen."
I looked at him.
"My mother died when I was twenty-one."
I listened.
"My sister raised me."
"Lydia?"
He nodded.
"She protected me."
"Then why would she hurt your daughter?"
"I don't know."
He looked at Belle.
"When you grow up in my world, trust becomes complicated."
I understood that.
My own family had been complicated.
My father had disappeared when I was eighteen.
My mother had died years earlier.
I had learned not to expect much from relatives.
Harlan looked at me.
"How much do you make?"
I blinked.
"What?"
"Your job."
"I'm a waitress."
"How much?"
"Depends on tips."
"Where do you live?"
"An apartment."
"How much do you owe?"
I frowned.
"Why are you asking?"
"Because you're broke."
I stared.
"How do you know?"
He looked embarrassed.
"Security ran a background check."
"On me?"
"I needed to know who was around Belle."
I should have been furious.
Instead, I laughed.
"Great."
He looked confused.
"I have fifteen dollars in my account."
He stared.
"What?"
"Fifteen dollars and forty cents."
He looked toward the floor.
"And you still stayed."
"Your daughter was dying."
He looked at Belle.
"That matters."
"Yes."
Then he said:
"Your eviction notice."
My stomach tightened.
"You found that too?"
He nodded.
"You need somewhere to stay."
"I'll figure it out."
"You don't have to."
"I don't take handouts."
He almost smiled.
"Neither do I."
Before I could answer, the hospital doors opened.
A man entered.
Dark suit.
Gray hair.
He looked at Harlan.
Then at me.
His face changed.
He recognized me.
But I had never seen him before.
He immediately turned away.
Harlan noticed.
"Do you know him?"
"No."
The man left.
Harlan sent security after him.
Ten minutes later they returned.
The man had disappeared.
But they found something.
A photograph.
Me.
Taken three months earlier.
Outside my restaurant.
Someone had been watching me.
Harlan stared.
"Why were you being followed?"
I didn't know.
Then Belle woke.
Her eyes opened.
She looked at the photograph.
May you like
And whispered:
"That's the man who drove the car."
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