Two police officers parted the crowd and stepped into the hospital room. They followed the direction of Jane''s shaking finger and spotted Leslie, who''s pale as a ghost and wrapped head to toe in bandages. The officers shared a loaded look, both clearly skeptical.


    This woman, covered in injuries and barely conscious, was supposed to be a murderer?


    The lead officer closed his notebook, his face lined with doubt. "Ma''am, you''re using her of murder. Do you have any evidence at all?"


    Jane''s expression tightened. Just moments ago, she''d let her anger take over and blurted out the usation. Only now did she realize her so-called proof was nothing but her father-inw''sst whispered words. No full name, no paper trail, not even a recording-absolutely nothing that would hold up in court.


    She opened her mouth, her voice cracking with urgency. "My father-inw told me himself! He said she cut his oxygen tube!"


    "Verbal testimony isn''t enough for a criminal charge," the officer replied, his pen hovering above the page. He nced at the crowd. "Do you have any security footage? Witnesses? Any physical evidence at all?"


    Jane''s throat tightened until she couldn''t get a single word out.


    She had nothing.


    The mood in the room shifted. Now when people looked at Jane, their eyes were cold and dismissive.


    "Calling the cops with no proof? She must be losing her mind."


    "How could that poor girl hurt anyone, looking like that?"


    "Probably just picking on her because she''s young and alone. Some people will do anything to bully others."


    Their words stung, and Jane''s face burned with embarrassment. She stared at the floor, wishing she could disappear.


    The officer snapped his notebook shut and gave Jane a stern look. "Ma''am, filing a false report or wasting police resources is a crime. Since this is your first time, this is a verbal warning. Next time, you''ll be held responsible."


    When the police finally left, the onlookers stuck around just long enough to throw more insults at Jane before scattering, leaving her standing alone in the room, feelingpletely helpless.


    She just didn''t get it. Last time, with Reese, all she''d done was say something simr. Sebastian called the police, and she got taken away for questioning. Why was it different this time? Why didn''t the police even take Leslie in for questioning?


    Leslie watched Jane''s humiliation with open amusement. Gone was the sweet, obedient version of herself. Instead, she let out a low triumphant chuckle, looking nothing like the pitiful patient she''d been moments ago.  s?novels


    "Maybe next time call the police when you''ve actually got evidence. Otherwise, you''re just wasting everyone''s time-and making the Ratcliff family look


    ridiculous. Is that really worth it?”


    Jane was already furious, and Leslie''s taunting pushed her over the edge. She lunged forward, ready to p her.


    "You little bitch! You dareugh? You''re the one who killed him!"


    But Leslie was ready. She pushed Jane away with one hand, right in the chest.


    Caught off guard, Jane stumbled backward and mmed into the bed, pain shooting up her back.


    "You..." Jane clutched her waist, ring at Leslie. "I knew you were faking! You''re nothing but a snake!"


    "A snake?" Leslie raised an eyebrow,


    her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Aaren''t you thest person who should be calling someone else, toxic? You think you''re innocent after everything you''ve done?"


    "What are you talking about?" Jane shot back, rubbing her back. "What have I ever done?"


    Leslie''s eyes narrowed and her voice dropped, every word sharp and dangerous. "Oh, I know all about it Years ago just to get Sebastian father like you, you sent a woman right to his bed because he wanted her. You didn''t even care what she wanted.


    "And when you found out she got pregnant, you secretly drugged her and tried to


    make her lose the baby. Didn''t work. The child survived.


    "To make yourself look generous, you raised that kid as your own. But his real


    mother was locked up in a mental hospital until she brokepletely."


    Jane staggered, her face going chalk-white. She stared at Leslie as though


    seeing a ghost. She''d kept that secret buried for years only herte husband ever knew.


    "How... how do you know all this?" Her voice shook.


    After all these years, she never thought anyone would find out.


    Leslie just smiled, her gaze cool and confident. "Oh, I know a lot more than you think."


    She''d lived under the Ratcliff family roof since she was little. In all those years, there was plenty she''d seen-and plenty more she''d learned.