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My glare burned into him. He dropped his gaze, refusing to meet my eyes.
Seizing the moment, Emily pressed herself against Mark. "That engagement ring matters more than anything, Mark. It’s proof you chose me—that we were meant to be." She paused, casting a glance at my daughter. "...But if your sister refuses to cooperate, forget it." Though her words sounded dismissive, her eyes remained locked on my daughter’s abdomen.
Mark turned to the intern. "Proceed. We’ll restrain her if she interferes."
I shielded my daughter, every muscle tense. "Try touching her," I hissed, "and you’ll see what real madness looks like."
Then Mark’s next words froze my blood: "Step aside, Amanda. Or Mother cuts off her medication. Permanently."
All strength left me. My daughter’s fragile life depended on those pills—medicine my mother-in-law provided only after I’d sworn to bear her a grandson. A life traded for a promise. The woman adored Mark and despised my daughter; she’d withhold the pills without hesitation.
"You’re gambling with her life," Mark pressed coldly. "Surgery might not kill her. No medicine? She dies. Guaranteed."
I dropped to my knees. "Every scan came back clean! There’s nothing inside her!"
Emily cut in sharply, "Some materials don’t show up on scans, you know." Her eyes challenged me, sharp with triumph. Suddenly, I understood: this wasn’t about a ring. She wanted my daughter gone.
Yet Mark believed her. To him, that symbol of their past meant everything. "Doctor!" he called. "Now!"
As the intern stepped toward my daughter, I shouted, "Wait! She never swallowed it!" Three faces snapped toward me. I steadied my voice. "The day it disappeared? You two were eating cake. My daughter was on oxygen—she couldn’t eat a bite." It was true. They’d ripped off her mask, shoving cake past her lips while Mark was absent.
Mark narrowed his eyes at Emily. She fumbled for words, panic rising.
I pressed my advantage. "Miss Emily finished that entire cake. If anything was swallowed…" The implication hung heavy: The glutton was you.
Emily stammered, "Mark, I-I’d never—"
I spoke over her trembling voice. "If it’s in your stomach, then you should undergo the procedure." My stare pinned her. "Unless your 'priceless token' isn’t worth the trouble?"
Color drained from Emily’s face. She clutched Mark’s arm, pleading silently. But his gaze had already dropped to her abdomen—a predatory glint flashing in his eyes.
"Of course I want it back," she whispered, voice shaking. "B-but…"
"But what?" I demanded. "Isn’t this ring the ultimate proof of your love?"
