Unexpected Ally

Diane's POV

A steady beeping filled the silence. My eyelids fluttered open to a blindingly white ceiling. For a moment, my mind felt like static—blank, disoriented. Then, like a flood, everything came rushing back.

The confrontation with Liam. The accident.

A dull ache pulsed through my body as I shifted slightly. My throat was dry, my limbs heavy. I reached for my phone on the bedside table, wincing at the effort. I hadn't held it since the accident, and dread settled in my stomach as I unlocked the screen.

Missed calls. Messages.

I played my voicemail. The first message from Robert. A quick update from work, concern in his voice. The next one made my pulse spike.

Liam.

"Diane, I know you were in the house today. Whatever you think you found, whatever you're planning—it won't work."