CHAPTER 75: A new plan

　　Isabelle lay in the hospital bed, the sterile smell of antiseptic and the quiet beeping of medical machines surrounding her. The room was dimly lit, casting long shadows across the walls. She had been responding to the treatment for a few days now, and her strength had returned enough for her to sit up. Her fever had subsided, and her voice, though still weak, had regained some clarity. But while her body was healing, her mind was still lost in the storm of betrayal and heartache.

　　She stared at the ceiling, her thoughts swirling. She thought of John of the way he had looked at her with such contempt, as if she were nothing. She thought of Emily, her so-called friend, and the way she had orchestrated this whole nightmare. And Rachel, always there, lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any sign of weakness. Isabelle’s heart twisted in her chest, and tears slid silently down her cheeks.