Chapter 127 With No Remorse

Chapter 127 With No Remorse


And I swear time stopped making sense.

I didn't know how long I had been sitting outside the ICU waiting.

Minutes?

Hours?

Maybe both.

The corridor smelled like disinfectant and something cold that every hospital seemed to have. Nurses walked past every now and then, their shoes making soft squeaking sounds against the polished floor.

Life continued effortlessly but mine didn't.

I sat there staring at the closed ICU doors.

I'd washed my hands twice in the restroom, but I could still see Dylan's blood every time I looked down at them.

Maybe it wasn't really there anymore or maybe my mind just refused to let it disappear.

I rubbed my palms together.

But it didn't help.

Brian sat beside me without saying much.

For once, I bet even he had run out of sarcastic remarks and I was thankful for the silence between us. It felt strangely comforting.

Eventually he cleared his throat. "They caught Kevin."

I blinked but didn't look at him. "They did?"

"He didn't get far." His voice remained calm. "The police arrested him."

I swallowed. "Oh."

Good thing.

Brian sighed. "I don't think he acted alone."

That made me finally turn my head to look at him.

He was leaning forward with both elbows resting on his knees.

"I've been thinking..." His jaw tightened.

"And I believe Miranda pushed him into it."

Brian continued. "Kevin's reckless but this looks like Miranda's influence."

"Kevin wouldn't just randomly pull a gun in front of thousands of people. I'm sure Miranda made him do it.” Brian said, looking down at the floor.

I should have been shocked but I wasn't because I already had the idea that Miranda had something to do with it.

I remained silent and simply stared ahead.

Then I felt Brian's eyes on me. "Reet?"

I didn't answer because my mind wasn't even listening anymore.

It had wandered somewhere much darker.

If…

If Miranda could do this to Dylan, her own stepbrother…

Someone who shared blood with her…

Then, what chance did Dad have?

The thought alone made my stomach twist painfully.

Dad was completely alone.

I bit my lip to stifle my emotions.

Nobody even knew where he was; no one knew whether he was eating, sleeping, or even alive.

If Miranda could stand there and order someone to shoot her own family…

Then what would stop her from hurting mine?

A shiver ran through me.

Brian gently rested a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll keep digging."

His voice sounded determined. "We'll find your father." He assured me like he'd read my mind.

I nodded automatically. "I know." I whispered even though I wasn't sure if I believed it anymore.

A nurse appeared farther down the corridor and called Brian's name.

He immediately stood. "They want to talk to me."

I looked up slowly. "The doctor?"

"I think so." He hesitated. "You'll be okay for a minute?"

I lied automatically. "Yeah."

But he didn't look convinced. "If anything happens…" He trailed off.

I gave him a small nod. "I'll call you."

He studied my face for another second before finally nodding. "Don't go anywhere."

A tiny, humourless smile crossed my face.

"I'm not exactly planning a vacation."

He gave the smallest huff of laughter. "Fair enough."

Then he walked toward another hallway, disappearing around the corner with the nurse.

The silence returned heavier this time.

I leaned back against the cold wall and allowed my eyes to drift aimlessly around the waiting area.

I saw families, doctors, patients, people crying quietly, others praying—everyone simply looked like they were waiting for something.

Then a familiar figure entered my line of sight.

My body immediately stiffened at the sight of Miranda.

What the hell was she doing here?

She walked through the corridor with the same graceful confidence she carried everywhere else.

Her black coat hung neatly over her shoulders, her posture was relaxed.

There wasn't an ounce of guilt on her face, not even regret.

She looked ridiculously comfortable.

Anger suddenly crawled into my veins.

When I stood up to my feet, the chair scraped loudly against the floor behind me.

My footsteps echoed through the hallway as I marched toward her.

She noticed me almost immediately and a slow smile tugged at her lips.

"Well..." She sighed dramatically.

"If it isn't…"

I instantly slapped her hard across her face before she could finish.

The slap echoed sharply through the corridor, several nurses nearby turned their heads to our direction.

A couple waiting nearby gasped softly.

Miranda's head jerked to one side and a strand of hair fell across her face from the impact.

For the first time, she looked surprised.

I was breathing so hard my chest hurt.

My palm stung but I didn't care.

Unfortunately, tears blurred my vision again. "Have you had enough?"

My voice shook violently. "Tell me!"

"Have you finally had enough playing your stupid games?" I demanded angrily.

Miranda slowly turned her face back toward me. She gently rubbed the reddening mark on her cheek.

Then for one maddening second, she laughed.

I furrowed my brows at her.

"You've got quite the swing." She chuckled darkly.

I stared at her in disbelief. "How..." My voice cracked. "How can you stand there and laugh?"

I shoved her shoulder hard. "Dylan is lying in the ICU!"

"He's your stepbrother!" My chest rose and fell rapidly. "How could you hurt him?"

"How?"

Miranda calmly brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear.

Then she looked directly into my eyes. "Why wouldn't I?"

Her question hit me so unexpectedly that I forgot how to breathe.

"What did you just say?"

She shrugged. "I asked..." Her smile widened slightly. "...why wouldn't I?"

I stared at her unable to process what I'd just heard.

She sighed dramatically. "You know..."

She folded her arms. "I've spent a long time thinking about it and I finally realized something."

She tilted her head. "The only time I'll ever truly have peace..."

She smiled almost dreamily. "...is when Dylan disappears from my life."

I shook my head slowly. "No..."

She nodded softly. "Yes Reet, your stupid boyfriend complicates everything for me simply by existing.”

She continued. “People were beginning to compare us, they project ridiculous expectations and it's so exhausting.”

She gave another careless shrug. "So removing him solves quite a few problems."

My heart pounded painfully against my ribs.

What the…

Miranda clicked her tongue. "Although..." A tiny frown crossed her face. "...it looks like he might survive." She sounded genuinely disappointed like she'd failed an exam.