Anna opened her eyes and a rectangular lamp radiated its white light, disturbing her. She heard someone say her name with exaggerated euphoria and then she heard another voice. She turned away to find out whose voice it was, and felt a lot of pain in the process.
She met Jenna and Adam's eyes. Jenna looked at her with joy and Adam with a frown.
"Oh, Anna! What a fright we've had. You're a fragile human. We talked it over and Adam agreed that you should take a room on the second floor to avoid any future accidents."
Jenna seemed happy and Anna was annoyed, because she didn't understand why. She couldn't remember how she ended up in that strange place. She closed her eyes, trying to erase Jenna's voice from her mind, which didn't allow her time to remember, and then all the events came flooding back. The memories came rushing back at the speed with which her anger, which she never thought she would feel towards a person, not at that intensity, seemed to give her energy and she tried to sit up, only to be stopped immediately.
"The doctor said you shouldn't make any effort. Wait a minute and I'll lift your stretcher so that you can sit up for a while." Jenna said and left Anna's field of vision, and Adam took her place, looking at her with tenderness and concern. Anna felt the bed rise slowly and was almost sitting up when she stopped. She had an overview of the place. Her leg was in a cast, and Jenna was staring at her with tear-filled eyes.
Anna took a deep breath. She was in a hospital. Probably Adam's hospital. She just wanted to know how her baby was doing. But she was unsure whether to ask in Adam's presence. Now, more than ever, she needed to hide this child from him. And I knew I couldn't live in the mansion anymore. It was too crowded, and there was no room for her and the child in that place.
"Genevieve?" Anna asked, knowing that she was perhaps the only person who would bother to help her save that child.
"She's outside. The doctor told us to go in by twos so as not to crowd the room."
"What happened? Did you overbalance?" Adam asked rudely.
Anna realized something surprising... he didn't know... How long had she been there? She realized that Adam didn't suspect it was an assassination attempt. He believed that Anna had actually fallen down the stairs.
"I don't remember what happened. I don't even know why I'm here... And for how long..."
"You fell this morning. It must have been about eight hours..." Adam said, sounding more relieved.
"I've got a bit of a headache... Adam, can you get the doctor for me?"
"Jenna!" He called out.
"No Adam." Anna said forcing a smile. "Go yourself. I need to talk to Genevieve alone. Women's stuff... Can you call her for me?"
"I don't know if you've noticed, but Jenna is also a woman." Adam retorted.
"I'm sorry, Jenna. You can stay, but I need to talk to Genevieve, too."
"Okay." Adam agreed. "You have ten minutes. I'll be back with the doctor."
Anna waited for him to leave, and as soon as Genevieve had joined them, Anna turned to Jenna who had already approached the bed.
"Which of the men or werewolves would do a job for me, without Adam knowing?" Anna asked, knowing she had little time.
"None of them. They consider themselves one big family... But if this wasn't an accident, you have to tell Adam. He'll know what to do to get revenge..."
"Adam and his family are responsible for the death of my family. He won't punish Sarah as severely as I need him to. He may even ask her to leave the house, but... I want more than that!"
"What are you talking about? Adam isn't responsible for your mother's death..."
Anna turned to Genevieve, who was listening in silence with a vacant expression.
"You're all murderous animals!" Anna said through her teeth. "I want to kill Kate and Sarah!"
"Anna... I think you're very confused. Kate was the person who came to your rescue. If it hadn't been for her, you wouldn't have made it in time to be saved." Jenna said reproachfully.
Genevieve said out loud what Anna had been dreading to hear.
"And not even to save... your baby."
Jenna looked from one to the other in surprise, but suddenly understanding the strange things that had happened over the months.
"Is my son all right?" Anna asked, oblivious to Jenna's reaction.
"Yes. He's in perfect health." Genevieve said thoughtfully. "But he's no longer safe in that house."
"Adam knows about the child..."
"No. Luckily for you, the doctor who's here today is the same one who told you about the child's existence... He said it was better that Adam knew for you... But I think..."
Anna was silent for a few minutes. She didn't hear Genevieve or the argument between her and Jenna, who complained that she hadn't been informed of the presence of a baby in Anna's womb.
"Kate, you may not have pushed me, but you're an accomplice to whoever did it. How can we be sure that Sarah didn't push me on her orders?" Anna returned to the subject, and they both turned to her as if remembering just then that Anna was there.
"Sarah tried to kill you?" Jenna sounded disconcerted.
"She wanted to finish the job she started when she killed my mother, with a baby in her womb." Anna said, remembering the woman who had appeared to her, for a moment in her mind, before all this had happened.
"You need to talk to Adam about this. He'll punish you."
"No... I'm going to keep my promise to her, and Adam wouldn't allow it. He'd want to sort it out his way." Anna said bitterly and Jenna felt, for the first time, that she was more mature than she should have been, and also, there was something malevolent when she spoke of the woman who had pushed her.
"Why are you defending Kate? Do you really think she couldn't do it? She practically shoved a knife into the back of the man who gave her everything. Allister was worse than a monster, I know that now, but he trusted her. He protected her! Make no mistake. Kate is capable of anything."
"No Anna. Kate is shallow, empty, bitter, but she would never plot against your life or Adam's. She's not a criminal. She's not a criminal. You're jealous, but she grew up dreaming of being looked at by Adam the way he looks at you. She's been in his life too long, and we here know that she doesn't occupy even the tiniest space in Adam's heart. She's frustrated, yes, but... thinking about killing someone, everyone has. She's going to give Allister's will to Adam, but she's never told him where to find the people who know about it, because she knows that Adam will kill anyone he considers a threat to what he stands for."
Anna stared at Jenna, skewered. She had always known that she couldn't count on her help. She would have to take her time. She couldn't tell Jenna or the silent Genevieve about her intentions. At that moment, she had just lost her trust in both of them. And with that, she had no one left.