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I recognize him instantly. He’s the same doctor who saw me when I almost overdosed. The dreadful night only he and Dion know about. I want to keep it that way—no one else should know. My heart starts beating faster.
The doctor gives me a knowing smile, the kind that says he isn’t going to say anything. For a moment, I’m frozen, unsure how to react. Then, I give him a small, grateful nod, trying to appear calm and collected. “Hi.”
“How does your body feel?”
“Hurts,” I mutter, a grimace crossing my face as pain courses through me.
My mother exchanges a worried glance with my brother, her hand squeezing mine gently. “We’ll make sure you’re comfortable, agápi mou. Dr. Grant will take care of you.”
The doctor nods, his eyes filled with understanding. “We’ll get you some pain medication right away.”
A nurse comes in and begins the examination and my mother leaves to talk to the doctor. As soon as the nurse is done, he also heads out of the room.
Suddenly, all the memories of what I overheard rush back, and I wince at the sharp pain in my head.
My brother notices my distress and furrows his brow. “What’s wrong?”
I swallow hard, trying to compose myself before responding. “How long have I been out?”
“Two months,” he murmurs.
My breath hitches. “Tell me everything that’s happened,” I demand, my voice edged with urgency.
“Okay. Well...” He hesitates. “Baba was…killed.”
Pain slices through my chest, and I let out a rough, shaky exhale. “How? Why?”
“Are you sure this is the right time, Ri? You just woke up.”
“Yes, Dimo. I need to know the truth.” It might be a hard pill to swallow, but I don’t want to stay in the dark any longer.
His eyes flicker, a flash of discomfort crossing his face before he quickly masks it.
“After the wedding, Philip had Angelica kidnapped,” he says, his voice trembling with rage. “He was planning to hurt her.”
My mind reels. The reality of what’s happened crashing into me like a tidal wave.
I lurch forward, and my brother hurries to my bed, putting a bucket under my mouth. I retch violently, and the acidic taste of bile fills my mouth, my body convulsing with each motion. The room spins around me as I heave, expelling the horror that’s lodged itself deep within me.
Dimitri puts a hand on my back and caresses me until the puking stops. The nurse attempts to come back in the room with my mother, but Dimo shoos them away. “Leave us!”
When the waves of nausea finally begin to subside, I lean back against the pillows, drained and shaken. Tears stream down my face as I curl up, the sobs racking my body.
“I’m sorry, Riri,” Dimitri says with a solemn expression.
My heart clenches. “Is Angie okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine. A little shaken, obviously, but he didn’t manage to lay a finger on her. Your friend is a little badass,” he says while wiggling his brows, and it manages to make me crack a smile.
“You’re an idiot.”
My brother chuckles.
I run my hands over my face to wipe my tears. I can’t believe all this. I never expected my father, the man I looked up to with unwavering admiration most of my life, to be capable of such heinous acts. He has always been a pillar of strength in our family.
“I never thought...” I stammer, my voice trailing off into a choked whisper. How can I reconcile the image of the loving Baba I once knew with the monster he became? And with everything we found out about his role in the Sisterhood…is this how Angelica felt about her own father? My chest squeezes at the thought. I can’t wait to hug her and never let go.
My brother’s hand tightens on my shoulder, a silent reassurance amid my crumbling reality. “None of us did,” he murmurs.
