Page 60 of Dark Consequences

“And you’re coming with me,” Raphael says before he bends down to collect me in his arms.

The elevator beeps, and I turn away from making lunch for Mei and me. Expecting to find Raphael, I’m surprised when it’s Emilia.

“What are you doing here?” I glance behind her but don’t see anyone else. “How did you get the code to come upstairs?”

Raphael put my mind at ease before he left, assuring me we were safe. He promised that only the family knew the code, and with Rose busy with her sister Grace and Evie, and Gabriella working at the hospital, there was no chance of anyone stopping by unexpectedly.

“The guard downstairs was easily persuaded,” she admits with an innocent shrug and a sly smile playing at the edges of her lips.

The small hairs on the back of my neck rise. Something’s not right.

“Raphael’s not here. You should go.”

Emilia holds up a cup holder. There are three foam cups set inside. “I brought a little peace offering. I’ve had time to think about my behavior at the DiAngelo estate, and I wanted to apologize.”

I hesitate, but the sooner she gets done with whatever her goal here is, the better.

“Please? One drink, and then I’ll go. I promise.”

With a heavy sigh, I motion for her to follow me and then gesture to the kitchen island. Emilia sets the container on the marble top.

Mei notices our new company and comes running over, the sounds of her cartoon show playing in the background. “Hi!”

Emilia turns and smiles at my daughter. “Hi, Mei. I brought you some hot cocoa.” She glances over her shoulder at me. “If that’s okay with your mother, of course.”

I nod and watch as Emilia grabs the smaller of the three cups and hands it to Mei. Carefully holding the cup between her hands, Mei politely says thanks and then slowly walks back to the living room to enjoy her treat in front of her show.

Emilia hands me another insulated cup. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I assumed everyone likes hot cocoa.”

“It’s fine.” I’m not about to tell her how hot cocoa is my favorite winter drink. “Thank you.”

I blow through the drink hole and then take a careful sip, testing the temperature. It’s warm but not too hot, which is perfect. So I take another sip, savoring the taste of chocolate exploding on my tongue.

Emilia takes her cup and holds it between her hands. “You’re welcome.”

“So you wanted to apologize?”

She nods. “I realize that the things I said were cruel and unnecessary.”

I wait for her to actually say sorry, but she doesn’t. “I appreciate you saying that.”

Emilia runs a manicured finger around the rim of her cup, studying the drink but never taking a sip. “Of course, I also realized that I acted out of jealousy, but there’s no reason to be concerned.”

“What do you mean?” The edges of my fingers tingle, and my legs go numb.

“Well, when I found out who you are and who you belong to, all of my fears disappeared.”

Why is she smiling like that? Why is she fuzzy around the edges, too?

“What…did you…do?” My equilibrium falters, and I stumble into the island, barely catching myself in time. This feels eerily familiar. Like the time Dr. Rodriguez drugged me all those years ago. “Did you…drug me?”

“It didn’t take long to get in touch with Xiao. I mean, the man is downright desperate to find you and his daughter. He’s eager to have you home.” Emilia reaches out and takes the cup from my hand seconds before it slips from my grip. “So I struck a deal. Return you and Mei, and he lets Raphael live for taking you two.”

“What?” Black edges close in on my vision. I fight to look toward Mei and find her stretched out in front of the television, her cup knocked over. The bitch drugged my daughter, too.

“With you gone, Raphael will have no choice but to turn to me for comfort.” She leans forward, and a wicked grin spreads across her face. “With you gone, we’ll be married, just like we were supposed to before you came along.”

Rage surges through my veins as Emilia’s smile twists into a venomous sneer, taunting me. It’s the last thing I see before the drug-induced darkness takes hold.

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