Chapter 4

“Happy now?”

I took the papers back and looked at his signature. “No. Not even close.”

My lawyer checked the documents before looking at me. “Donna Raven, once the application is approved by the authorities, the entire appliction process should take around thirty days.”

“Thirty days.” I nodded. “Fine.”

Silas remained beside me, watching us. For a brief moment, I saw something flash across his face.

Panic.

It disappeared almost immediately.

He probably thought I was doing this because I was angry.

...

Soon, I was taken to the press conference. I was still wearing a hospital gown, and my body was weak, but I forced myself to stand straight. I had appeared in front of reporters many times before. I'd been praised for my work overseas and called a genius in my field. Now I was standing in front of those same cameras as the woman accused of killing her own daughter.

I took the microphone.

“Hello. I’m Raven St. Clair.”

My hands were shaking, so I clenched them into fists until my nails dug into my palms.

“It was my mistake. I failed to identify the toxin in time, and my misjudgment caused the treatment to fail.”

I swallowed hard.

“Riley died because I failed to save her.”

The moment I finished speaking, the reporters erupted.

“You’re supposed to be a genius who trained overseas, yet you couldn’t even save your own daughter!”

“People like you shouldn’t be trusted with patients or rescue operations!”

“What kind of doctor lets her own child die?”

“All those awards were probably just luck!”

Someone shouted from the crowd, “Get out of the medical field! You don’t deserve those honors!”

I stood there and took every word.

I didn't defend myself because Silas had my father, and I had promised.

It turned out falling from the top didn't take years. Sometimes it took one day, one lie, and one man deciding that your life was worth sacrificing.

Then an egg flew through the air and struck my forehead.

It cracked against my skin, and the yolk slowly ran down my face.

“Get out of here!”

Someone screamed, “People like you don’t deserve to live!”

My chest tightened as I fought back the urge to scream.

Then my phone buzzed.

I looked down.

Another message from my friend appeared.

[Raven, something terrible happened. Someone spread the photos of your father being humiliated all over the city! He saw them. His PTSD got much worse, and he's on the hospital rooftop. He's threatening to jump.]

My ears started ringing.

“What?”

I didn't wait for anyone to respond. I ran.

I didn't care about the reporters, the cameras, or the people still screaming behind me. I ran straight back to the hospital, desperate to reach my father before Silas's cruelty cost me another person I loved.

When I reached the rooftop, a crowd had already gathered below.

And there he was, my father was sitting on the edge of the roof. His face was empty. He looked like he had finally run out of strength.

People below were shouting at him.

“Jump already!”

“You’re just pretending!”

“Former Air Force officer? What a disgrace!”

“Look at the pictures! So much for being respectable!”

Someone laughed. “Your daughter killed her own child, and now you’re pretending to be a victim?”

Another person shouted, “Maybe Raven learned it from you! Who knows what kind of family you people really are?”

My blood boiled.

“Shut the fuck up!”

I screamed at them. “All of you, shut up!”

Nobody listened. They kept shouting, but my father didn't react. He simply sat there, staring at nothing.

My heart broke.

“Dad...”

I slowly walked toward him.

He didn't look at me.

“Dad, it’s me.”

His fingers trembled.

I stopped a few steps away, careful not to frighten him.

“Please don’t move.”

He finally looked at me. His eyes were filled with fear and exhaustion. “Raven...”

“Yes. I’m here.”

He looked down at the ground.

“I don’t want to be here anymore.”

My heart dropped.

“No.” I shook my head. “Don’t say that!”

I slowly lowered myself to the ground, keeping several steps between us.

“I’ve already lost Riley.” My voice cracked. “I can’t lose you too.”

He looked away.

“I’m so tired, Raven.”

“I know.” Tears blurred my vision. “I know you’re tired, Dad, but please come back to me.”

I held out my hand.

“Just take my hand. You don’t have to think about anything else.”

He stared at my hand but didn't move.

I kept it there.

“Please.”

My voice softened as I tried to keep myself from breaking down. “You’ve survived everything before this. You survived the Air Force. You survived your illness. You survived your PTSD. You survived the people who hurt you.”

I took a shaky breath.

“So survive this too.”

Tears finally rolled down my cheeks.

“Because if you leave me now, Dad, I’ll really have no one.”

I kept my hand extended toward him.

“Please come home with me.”

My father looked at me, and somehow, he still managed to smile. “Raven, I’m sorry.”

I shook my head as I moved closer to him. “Don’t say that, Dad.”

His eyes were empty, and his voice trembled when he spoke. “If you hadn’t come to save me, you wouldn’t have been forced to leave Riley. You wouldn’t have had to choose Vesper first. Riley died because of me. I caused this. I’m the reason you lost your daughter.”

“No.” I stepped closer and held out my hand. “That wasn’t your fault. Silas did this. He forced me to choose, and he threatened you.”

Dad slowly shook his head. “I’m tired, Raven. I’m tired of being afraid. I’m tired of waking up from nightmares. I’m tired of feeling like I’m a burden to you.”

“You’re not a burden.” My voice broke as I reached for him. “You hear me? You’re my father. I’ll take care of you.”

He smiled again, but something in his eyes made my heart sink.

“Raven, I love you.”

“Dad...”

He slowly stood.

“Please don’t...”

He opened his arms as if he wanted to hug me. “I’m going to see Riley.”

My blood ran cold.

“No!”

“I’ll apologize to her for you.”

“Dad, stop!”

He took one step back, then another.

“Please!”

I rushed forward, but it was already too late.

He jumped.

“DAD!”

I ran to the edge and screamed his name until my throat hurt. When I looked down, I saw him lying motionless below.

My father.

My last family.

Gone.

“No...”

My legs gave out beneath me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, and couldn't even cry. I had already lost Riley, and now I had lost him too. Why did everyone I loved keep dying because of Silas?

I turned toward the stairs without knowing where I was going. I wanted to follow my father. I didn't care anymore. But before I could take another step, someone grabbed me from behind.

“Raven!”

Silas wrapped his arms around me, but I fought against him immediately. “Let me go!”

“Raven, stop! Your father is gone. You can’t do this to yourself too!”

“Let me go! You fucking bastard!”

He held me tighter, so I turned and bit his arm as hard as I could. Silas grunted, but he still didn't release me.

“I have nobody left!” I screamed in his face. “Do you hear me? I have nobody!”

My tears finally came as I fought against him. “Riley is dead. My father is dead. And it’s all because of you! You monster!”