Chapter 3

Liam’s POV

My mind went blank when I saw Miranda lying awkwardly on the floor. Instinct took over, and I rushed to her side, attempting to lift her into my arms.

“Miranda? Mira—” I stopped when my gaze landed on an empty bottle of pills beside her.

My hands trembled as I picked it up, dread slowly taking over.

Had she taken all of these?

I panicked as I stared at her unconscious frame and I immediately screamed for help.

“Someone, help!” But the words didn’t seem loud enough. I put a shaky finger over her nostrils and began shaking my head when I realized that I could barely feel her breath.

“No. No. No. No,” I muttered. “Help!”

I carefully laid her back on the floor and moved away to get help. I ran towards the window and screamed, getting the attention of the men down below.

They seemed too far away, so I turned and headed for the door. Thankfully, I saw three men running in. They must have heard my screams and joined me in the room.

I noticed that one of them was the man I had caught Miranda with only moments ago, and he immediately fell to his knees beside her, giving her CPR.

“What happened?” one of the older men asked me, while the third took out his phone and began making calls.

Within minutes, the room quickly became crowded, but Miranda had not been revived yet.

“Stop crowding around her! We need some air!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, and the men pulled back. “And why can’t we take her to the hospital?” I yelled at the older man who mentioned that a doctor had been called.

“What’s going on in here?” I heard my mother’s voice, and my eyes widened as I looked up to see her pushing her way to the front.

When she finally laid eyes on Miranda, she froze, staring down with a confused gaze.

“Ma…” I breathed, not sure how to explain this.

Her glossy blue eyes met mine, and her lips parted. “What’s going on, Liam?” she asked in a soft voice. “What’s wrong with your sister?”

“The doctor’s here!” someone yelled from the back, and I bent down to pick my sister up in my arms, placing her on the bed.

“Liam!” My mother’s voice shook as she waited for an explanation, a tear escaping her eyes.

“I don’t know, Ma,” I ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to keep my own emotions in check. “I went to see Pa, and I came back to see her like this.”

My mother rushed to Miranda’s side, sitting on the edge of the bed as she began to sob.

I looked away from them, trying to keep it together as the words my father always told me echoed in my head: “Men don’t cry, Liam. That’s meant for women. And weak men.”

“What’s happening?” His voice suddenly pierced through my thoughts. The men in the room immediately parted, giving my father a chance to come through.

My hands fell to my side as I saw the defeated look that suddenly appeared on my father’s face when his gaze landed on Miranda.

“Go ahead and check what’s wrong with her,” he said to the man behind him, and seeing the stethoscope around the man’s neck, I figured that he was the doctor.

The room fell silent as the doctor went to the other side of the bed and began his examination.

“This was found right next to her,” Miranda’s lover said, handing the bottle of pills to the doctor, who carefully looked at it.

My heart was racing as we all waited for the doctor, and that’s when my eyes fell on a note on the bedside table.

I looked around, wondering why I hadn’t noticed it until now.

I slowly picked it up and immediately recognized that it was Miranda’s handwriting.

It read: “I cannot do this. I can not marry a monster like Donatello. Since my own father would not listen to me and put a stop to this mad union, I have decided to end my own life! I hope you can forgive yourselves.”

My hands shook as I read every word, and tears clouded my vision.

“You pushed her to do this,” I whispered, letting out a throaty sob.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” My father asked, clearly irritated by my tears.

“You made her do this!” I yelled at him.

“Bring. Your. Voice. Down!” He yelled back, glaring at me. “What has gotten over you?”

My mom got up and snatched the note from my hand. As she read it, her tears dropped, soaking the paper.

“You did this!” I pointed an accusing finger at my father, feeling so much bitterness in my heart. “If anything happens to Miranda…”

“Swallow your words, else I’ll make them your last,” he warned, snatching the paper from my mom.

“I told you,” Mother cried. “I told you she didn’t want to marry Donatello…”

“You hold your tongue, woman!” Father yelled at her. “You’re talking like you don’t know what is at stake!”

The doctor rose to his feet at that point, and seeing the way he bowed his head, I knew it was bad news.

“She’s dead.”