Maya's POV
Dawn breaks cold and gray. I stand at my mother's grave alone.
"Come alone," the message said. So I left Ethan sleeping. Left Hope safe with security. Came here to face whatever truth is waiting.
But nobody appears. Just me and the headstone.
Sarah Chen. Beloved Mother. Taken Too Soon.
"I'm here," I say to the empty cemetery. "Show yourself."
Wind rustles through the trees. Nothing else.
My phone rings. Hospital number.
"Ms. Stone? This is Dr. Martinez from Mercy Hospital. Your father survived the Code Blue last night. But he's declining rapidly. He's asking for you. Says he needs to tell you something urgent before he dies. Can you come?"
My heart pounds. "He's really dying this time?"
"Yes. Hours at most. I'm sorry."
I look at my mother's grave. Then at my phone. "I'm on my way."
The mysterious text was a trick. Someone lured me away from the hospital while Richard dies alone. But who? And why?
I race back to the hospital. My mind spins with questions.
