Conspiracy

"What about her?" Jace asked all of a sudden, glancing toward Marianna, who was standing just behind Dr Brooks.

At his tone, Marianna felt a slight unease in her body. It was as if Jace was expecting her not to be a match, but she was sure of herself, so she quickly recovered. But she was surprised when Dr Brooks hesitated before saying,

"We ran the test on Mrs Marianna as well, and…" he paused briefly. "She isn't a match."

The words hung in the air like a thunderclap, and Jace's eyes snapped to Marianna.

"Care to explain that?" he asked. His voice was extremely low but lethal.

At the same time, Marianna's breath caught and her carefully constructed facade faltered under Jace's withering gaze. For a moment, she stood as though rooted to the spot, unable to speak. Then she forced a brittle smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"There must be some mistake," she said, unable to mask the panic from her voice.