The exhaustion crept in, and Katelyn’s eyelids slowly began to close. Then, against all odds, Carol’s eyes fluttered open.

Her hand reached up slowly, brushing through Katelyn’s hair with a delicate touch.

“Katelyn…” she breathed, her voice so soft it was almost lost in the silence, but it was filled with warmth and love.

Katelyn’s head shot up, her eyes lighting up with joy.

“Grandma, you’re awake!” she gasped, her voice shaking with excitement.

But just as a smile began to spread across her face, Carol’s expression changed sharply. Her body shuddered, and she coughed up a thick, dark stream of blood, staining the sheets.

The machines around them blared to life, alarms ringing with sharp, urgent beeps.

Katelyn’s heart pounded as her eyes widened in shock.

“No… How could this happen?” she thought.

Carol’s vital signs were crashing fast. She ran through every detail in her mind. She’d given Carol the right dose of medication yesterday. It wasn’t supposed to wake her, and it certainly wasn’t supposed to hurt her!

“Grandma!”

Just as she moved forward to check, the door to the room burst open.

“Katelyn, what have you done?”

Neil and Lise stepped into the room. A storm of fury clouded Neil’s face. He wheeled himself up to Carol’s bedside, eyes fixed on the dark stain of blood smeared across the floor.

“Grandma has done everything for you, yet you try to poison her!” His voice shook, each word edged with anger.

Katelyn’s gaze held firm, her reply calm and unyielding.

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“I’d never hurt Grandma.”

“Are you still lying, even with this blood before you? You were the only one with her this morning. Who else would it be?” Neil’s frustration spilled over as he looked at her. He felt himself unraveling. His love for Carol was as fierce as Katelyn’s.

As a child, Carol had been his anchor; always there, always watching over him.

“Katelyn, if Grandma knew she’d misplaced her trust in someone this ungrateful, she’d regret every ounce of kindness she ever showed you!” Neil’s voice dripped with contempt. ? ? ? ?s, ?s? s

Katelyn drew in a deep breath, pressing her nails hard into her palms to stay grounded. She did her best to keep her anger in check.

“Grandma has always been the one who treats me best. Why would I ever harm her? Think for a second. Instead of blaming each other, shouldn’t we be focused on saving her?” Katelyn retorted resolutely.

Without the right medical tests, Katelyn couldn’t be certain what was wrong with Carol. However, the purplish tint of Carol’s lips pointed unmistakably toward poisoning. The thought gnawed at her.

She had spent the whole night in the black market, so who could have gotten close enough to harm Carol? Despite her effort to stay composed, her thoughts spiraled into chaos. Emotion wrestled with reason, but emotion was gaining ground.

A flicker of satisfaction appeared on Lise’s lips; this was her moment. She stepped forward, her tone dripping with accusation.

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