All of a sudden, Linda’s hand shot out and clamped around Hadley’s right hand, the one gripping the knife.

Hadley stiffened, caught off guard for a heartbeat. But she wasn’t completely unready. Her other hand darted out and seized Linda’s wrist in a hard grip. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?” Linda sneered, her lips twisting into a sinister smile.

For a split second, Hadley just stared at her, rattled by the thought that Linda might actually try to kill her. But tucked inside her bag, her phone was still on, the call quietly running. She’d managed to reach Eric earlier, just like she’d planned. Every single word Linda had spat out had been transmitted straight to him. Not a single word was missed.

All of it was Linda’s own doing.

Eric, true to form, had started recording not long after the call began. Right now, he was on his way to the sanatorium with Phillips. They were almost there. He’d known from the start that Hadley was treading carefully, drawing Linda out bit by bit, waiting for her to spill everything.

But now, listening on the other end, he sensed something was wrong.

“Hadley?” Eric clutched his phone, instinctively wanting to warn her to stay away from Linda. But when her name left his lips, he realized she couldn’t hear him.

“Phillips!” Eric swung around and ordered, “Call Tamara! Tell her to get to Hadley right now. She’s in danger!”

“Right away!”

Inside the room, Hadley’s grip on Linda’s wrist hardened, and her stare never wavered. “Are you planning to kill me as well?”

“That’s right!” Linda’s smile twisted into something dark and gleeful. “Out of everyone, I despise you the most. The more I think about it, the more I realize you don’t deserve to be alive.”

Her other hand shot up and clawed at Hadley’s grip. “Give me the knife!”

“Not a chance!” Hadley snarled, tightening her hold.

? galnv．

Just then, a heavy pounding rattled the door.

“Hadley! Hadley! Open the door!” Tamara’s voice rang out.

Linda let out a sinister laugh. “Oh, your precious bodyguard? Too bad. I locked the door myself. She won’t be getting in that easily!”

“Where’s the key?” Tamara asked from the outside.

“I’ll get it!” the caregiver said, already scrambling down the hall.

“Hurry!” Tamara barked, and the door rattled harder under her pounding fists. She wasn’t about to wait around. The banging grew fiercer.

Inside, Hadley’s breath came faster, and she fixed an icy stare on Linda. Gripping the knife so tight her knuckles turned white, she hissed, “Do you really think you can hurt me? Tamara will break in any second now!”

Hadley might have been smaller, but she was confident she could keep the blade out of Linda’s reach. Their hands strained against each other. Linda couldn’t pry it free.

“Just give up, Linda. I’m not that scared woman you used to push around,” Hadley sneered.

.

.

.