Maxb, /bSte said softly.

    –

    bMax /bsmiled, “You remembered my voice.”

    “I remember a lot of things.” Her tone was t. “You sound better than before.”

    He wasn’t surprised she knew about his condition. “Yeah, I’ve improved. I can make calls now, even stand for short periods, though not for long.”

    A pause. “Why are you calling me, Max?”

    His breath hitched. “I… I wanted to say I’m sorry.” His voice cracked. “Ste, I’ve been trapped in this endless nightmare, reying all the times you were hurt. It kills me. I was your brother. I should have protected you. But I didn’t.

    “You were always there for me, giving everything, and I-” He swallowed hard. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I needed you to hear this apology.”

    Silence stretched between them. His words carried more sincerity than before, but it didn’t matter. Too little. Toote.

    “If this was just to ease your conscience,” Ste said coolly, “then consider it done. Unless there’s something else, I’m hanging up.”

    “Wait!” Max’s voice turned desperate. “Please, let me see you. Just once.”

    Ste let out a bitterugh. “What, is this another one of Andrew and Anna’s schemes? Did you really think I’d fall for it again? After everything they put me through in prison?” She didn’t wait for a response. “Your acting’s gotten worse, Max.”

    The line went dead. Max sat frozen, the phone still pressed to his ear. ‘What the hell was she talking about?”

    Since waking up, he hadn’t seen any of his family, not Andrew, not Anna, not Fiona. He hadn’t wanted to. The only person he’d asked for was

    Ste.

    But her words gnawed at him. ‘Prison? Schemes? What had happened while I was unconscious?‘

    Gritting his teeth, he forced himself upright, ignoring the sharp protest of his weakened legs. He had to find her. Had to make her understand.

    But his body betrayed him. The moment he tried to walk, his knees buckled.

    A nurse burst in just in time ito /icatch him. “Are you insane?” she scolded. “You’re supposed to call for help if you need undo months of recovery.”

    ito /i

    move. One fall could

    His legs had been shattered in the ident. Though they’d healed, no one could promise they’d

    ever be the

    same.

    “I don’t care,” Max ground out. “I need to leave.”

    “Not happening.” The nurse steadied him firmly. “If there’s an issue, make a phone call.”

    “I did call. She refuses to visit.”

    “You mean Anna? She hasn’t visited much/However, there was another girl, Emily, who hade regrly before. She even secretly paid substantial portion of your medical bills. Seemedpletely devoted to you.”

    Max froze, his determined stride halting abruptly. “Emily? But she hasn’t visited since I woke up.”

    a

    bThe /bbnurse /bbthought /bbfor /bba /bbmoment/bb. /bb“/bbActually/bb, /bbnow /bbthat /bbyou /bbmention /bit, she bstopped /bbing /bbright /bbbefore /bbyou /bbregained /bbconsciousness /bbstrange/b. bShe /bused bto /bbvisit /bdailyb, /bbeven /bbrought meals bfor /byour father. Then suddenly, she disappeared. Hasn’t bbeen /bbhere /bbin /bbmonths /b

    tom the bnurses/bb, /bMax had learned he’d nearly be vegetative before miraculously waking after threeatose bmonths/b. bThree /bmonthsplete nkness in his memory. “Why was my father in the hospital?”

    b“/bbNot /bentirely sure. Both of you were admitted here originally, but when your medical bills piled up… well, apparently byour /bmother diverted funds to her family. Couldn’t cover your treatment. Dr. Quinn stepped in and paid $15,000.”

    “Just $15,000?” Max couldn’tprehend it. For people in their circle, that amount was trivial. Lionel had been his friend since childhood. No matter what, he wouldn’t have limited support to such a paltry sum.

    “Don’t get me started on Dr. Quinn,” the nurse continued. “He got caught withholding the Rh–null blood from Ste when she desperately needed a transfusion. Can you believe it? He actually drew blood from her while she was dying.

    “When he was up for promotion to Deputy Chiefb, /bSte exposed everything. He left to run the family business, but word is the Quinns are struggling now. Tried to copy Ste’s supermarket, made terrible mistakes. Last I heard, loan sharks are after him.”

    Max stood stunned, processing these revtions. “What about others? Any more news?b” /b

    “Oh!” The nurse recalled. “When no one would pay your bills and Anna disappeared, Ste transferred you both to a county hospital.

    “Later, must’ve been after Anna hooked up with Mr. Johnson, you got moved back here. All current expenses are covered by Mr. Johnsonb./bb” /b

    “Mr. Johnson? Monroe Johnson?”

    The nurse nodded. “When Dr. Quinn found out Anna had abandoned him, he immediately called off their engagement. Honestly, your family’s been a mess, one drama after another. I don’t know all the details, but that’s the gist of it.”

    Before leaving, she added sternly, “Stay in bed. You’re not fully recovered yet.” Then she walked out.

    Maxy back, his mind reeling. He needed time to process everything. But too many questions remained unanswered. He grabbed his phone and dialed Emily, only to hear an automated voice: “The number you have dialed is no longer in service.”

    He had always known Emily liked him, but he’d never taken her seriously. She wasn’t from the right social circle, not the kind of woman who could advance his career.

    Yet, when everyone else had abandoned him, Emily had stepped up. He thought, ‘So why is her number disconnected?‘

    He tried Anna next. No answer. Then Andrew. Still nothing. Fiona? Silence.

    This was getting stranger by the minute. ‘Even if my mother couldn’t afford the bills, why isn’t she here taking care of me and my father?‘

    Finally, he called Lionel. The line picked up instantly.

    “Max?! Max, is that you?” Lionel’s frantic voice sent a chill down Max’s spine.

    “Yeah, it’s me. What’s going on?” Max replied.

    “Max, thank God. Listen, I need money now. Just 90 million. That’s all.”

    Max nearly choked. “90 million? And you call that ‘not much‘? I don’t have that kind of cash.”

    “Then how much do you have? Hurry up, man, or they’re gonna kill me!”