Sean felt a chill run down his spine, not just from the situation, but from Sandy''s icy demeanor. Was this really his sweet, kind-hearted sister? The Sandy he remembered would hesitate before even stepping on an ant. Now, with Nichs having lost his left leg, she seemed detached, almost heartless.


    Sean stared at her, searching for the sister he thought he knew. Sensing his unease, Sandy asked, "Hey, what''s up with you, Sean?"


    Sean hesitated, then said, "Sis, Nichs lost a leg trying to save Herman. He lost a leg."


    "Yeah, so?" Sandy replied with a frown. "Why are you making such a big deal out of it? It''s just a leg. And it''s not like I told him to crash the car."


    Sean was stunned by her cold indifference. He recalled how she had once manipted him, using their family ties to get him to donate bone marrow. Did Sandy see everyone as just a resource?


    Was he, her brother, just another Nichs to her?


    Suddenly, he asked, "Sandy, if one day you needed to sacrifice my life for some purpose of yours, would you do it? Would you sacrifice me without hesitation?"


    Sean would willingly make sacrifices for Sandy, but this was different; her indifference was chilling.


    Sandy''s expression softened, and she wrapped her arm around Sean''s. "Oh,e on, Sean. You''re overthinking it. You''re my brother, the closest person to me. I would never do anything to harm you."


    Sean forced a smile, but inside, he felt cold. He couldn''t see the Sandy he once knew.


    "Mom wants us over for dinner tonight. Can you make it?" Sean asked, his tone carrying a hint of vulnerability, as if seeking Sandy''s approval.


    Sandy replied, "I can''t. I need to stay with Herman. With Nichs injured, it''s my time to shine. I can''t chat any longer; if I''m gone too long, Herman might get suspicious."


    "You can''t deceive him forever," Sean wanted to say, but held back.


    Sandy cut him off, "I, Sandy, never leave things half-done."


    Seeing that he couldn''t persuade her, Sean said nothing more.


    Inside the hospital, Herman stood outside the ICU, smoking a cigarette to calm his nerves. The person responsible for the ident wasn''t seriously hurt and was conscious, so Herman had gone to see him and ask about the incident firsthand.


    It was clear Nichs had crashed intentionally. Even the surveince footage from the police showed it. Herman had watched the footage-Nichs stood on the curb, looking off. The light was red, with over ten seconds left. No sensible person would run that light.


    Nichs had seen the red light. So why did he?


    Herman couldn''t piece it together. Why would Nichs make such a sacrifice?


    "Sandy," Herman said when she found him, trying tofort him, "Don''t be upset. It''s a miracle your father survived."


    "Yeah," Herman replied, then suddenly asked, "When can I meet your family?" Sandy was caught off guard. "You want to meet my family?"


    Could this mean he was thinking about marriage?


    Herman nodded. "It''s been a while. I should meet them. Let''s do it tonight."


    Sandy felt a rush of anxiety. It was too sudden, but refusing might raise Herman''s suspicions. "Sure, but only my mom''s home. Dad''s out of town and won''t be back soon."


    Sandy was relieved her father was in Riverdale. She couldn''t let him meet Herman; that would ruin everything.


    "Okay, let''s set it up then," Herman said, putting out his cigarette and heading out.


    Nichs was stable in the ICU, no need for constant supervision. Sandy had thoughtfully hired a caregiver to notify them of any changes. There was no need to stay.


    Sandy quickly called Ashley; she needed to prep for this meeting and make sure Ashley knew what to say. It was crucial not to slip up now.