When My Fiancé Let My Sister Die

The phone was still in my hand. The screen showed the livestream had ended. Sixty thousand viewers. The number kept climbing even after I'd stopped broadcasting.

Danny moved fast. Faster than I'd ever seen him move. He crossed the space between us in three strides and grabbed for my phone. His fingers closed around my wrist.

"Give it to me." His voice was low. Dangerous.

I yanked my arm back. "Don't touch me."

"You just destroyed everything." His face was white. Not pale. White. Like all the blood had drained out. "Do you understand what you've done?"

Antonella's performance cracked. The tears vanished. Her voice went shrill. "You selfish bitch! You couldn't just let us have this one thing!"

"One thing?" I stared at her. "You're wearing a wedding dress."

"It's not real!" She was screaming now. The guests were backing away. Creating distance. "It was never supposed to be real! You weren't supposed to find out!"

Mrs. Guzman pushed forward. Her face was twisted with rage. She reached for my phone. I stepped back. She lunged again. I kept moving.

"Someone stop her!" Mrs. Guzman shrieked. "She's hysterical! She's ruining everything!"

Hotel security appeared in the doorway. Two men in dark suits. They looked at the scene. The white dress. The crying. The blood on my face where Danny's ring had caught my cheek when he grabbed me. They didn't move.

Danny turned to them. His voice shifted. Became the CEO voice. Smooth. Authoritative. "This woman is trespassing. She's disrupted a private event. I need her removed."

One of the security guards took a step forward.

Then the doors burst open.

Emmeline.

My stepsister was breathing hard. Her coat was half off her shoulders. Her phone was still in her hand, the screen showing my livestream. She must have driven like hell to get here this fast.

"Vivienne." She crossed the room. Didn't look at Danny. Didn't look at Antonella. Just came straight to me. "Are you hurt?"

I touched my cheek. My fingers came away red. "I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

"I'm fine," I said again.

Emmeline turned to face Danny. She was younger than me by four years. Smaller. But she stood like she was made of iron. "You need to back up."

Danny's jaw tightened. "This is none of your business."

"She's my sister. That makes it my business."

"Your *step*sister," Mrs. Guzman spat. "You're not even real family."

Emmeline ignored her. She kept her eyes on Danny. "We're leaving. You're going to let us leave."

Danny didn't move. Behind him, one of his associates stepped forward. A big man. I'd seen him at company events. Head of security for Guzman Group. He was holding something. A heavy decorative stand. Gold. Ornate. The kind of thing hotels put in corners to hold flower arrangements.

He raised it.

Emmeline saw it. She moved without thinking. Shoved me sideways. Put herself between me and the man.

The stand swung.

The sound was wrong. Not a crack. More of a wet thud. Like something breaking that shouldn't break.

Emmeline dropped.

She hit the marble floor hard. Her head bounced once. Then she was still.

Blood spread beneath her. Too much blood. Too fast.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Then I was on my knees beside her. My hands pressed against the side of her head. The blood was hot. It soaked through my dress. Covered my palms.

"Emmeline." My voice came out broken. "Emmeline, look at me."

Her eyes were open. Unfocused. Her lips moved but no sound came out.

"Someone call 911!" I screamed it. "Call 911!"

No one moved.

I looked up. Danny was standing in the doorway. Blocking it. His face was blank. Empty.

"No one calls anyone," he said. His voice was flat. Cold. Like he was reading from a script. "This can still be contained."

I stared at him. "She's dying."

"She shouldn't have interfered."

The words didn't make sense. I looked down at Emmeline. Her breathing was shallow. Irregular. The blood wasn't stopping.

"Move." I tried to stand. My legs wouldn't work. "Danny, move. I need to get her to a hospital."

"No." He didn't blink. "You're not going anywhere. Not until we figure this out."

Antonella was crying again. Real tears this time. "Oh God. Oh God, this wasn't supposed to happen."

Mrs. Guzman grabbed Danny's arm. "We need to leave. Now. Before the police come."

Danny shook her off. He was looking at me. Through me. Like I was a problem he needed to solve.

"Give me your phone," he said.

I held Emmeline tighter. Her blood was everywhere. On my dress. My hands. The floor.

"No."

Danny stepped forward. "Give me the phone, Vivienne. We can fix this. But I need the phone."

I understood then. Really understood. He wasn't going to let me call for help. He wasn't going to let me leave. He was going to let my sister die on this marble floor to protect his reputation.

Seven years. I'd given him seven years.

And he was going to let Emmeline die.