Giana stomped down the hallway and stopped at the top of the curved walnut staircase. She grabbed the carved wooden railing. She gripped it so hard her knuckles turned stark white.

She looked down at the grand foyer.

Gary Fletcher stood near the entrance. He wore a tailored khaki trench coat. He held a massive bouquet of red roses. He was looking around with a perfectly practiced expression of panic.

Bile rose in Giana's throat. This was the man who had looked her in the eye and told her she was worthless right before taking everything she owned.

Delilah stepped out from the hallway below. She saw Gary and immediately put on her soft, victim face.

"Gary, you're finally here," Delilah whispered. She stepped close to him, letting her shoulder brush against his chest.

Gary instinctively put his hand on Delilah's waist. For one split second, they looked at each other. It wasn't a look of concern. It was a look of shared, dirty secrets.

Giana saw the look. The betrayal from her past life crashed into her current reality. The rage was too big for her body to hold.

"Gary?" Giana whispered his name. Her voice was trembling, perfectly laced with a mixture of heartbreak and shock. She let her lower lip quiver just enough to sell the performance.

Gary and Delilah jumped. They ripped themselves apart and looked up at the second floor.

When Gary saw Giana standing there, a flash of disappointment crossed his eyes. He quickly masked it with a wide, relieved smile.

"Oh, Giana! Thank God!" Gary started walking toward the bottom of the stairs, holding the roses out. "Where were you? I was dying of worry!"

His fake voice echoed in her ears. It mixed with the memory of his cruel laughter.

She needed him to think she was completely devastated by what she had just witnessed. She marched down the stairs to confront him, her eyes fixed on his guilty face, ignoring the steepness of the steps. She took a hasty step forward, but she was wearing smooth silk socks. Her foot hit the polished hardwood floor and slipped.

She lost her balance completely. She threw her hand out to grab the railing, but her fingers closed around empty air.

"Watch out!" Delilah screamed from below. It sounded entirely fake.

Giana's body pitched forward. She tumbled down the steep wooden stairs. Her shoulder slammed into the edge of a step. Her ribs cracked against the wood. The world flipped upside down in a violent blur of pain.

She hit the marble floor at the bottom with a sickening thud. Her forehead smashed against the bottom step.

Hot blood instantly poured down the side of her face.

Her vision went black at the edges. She couldn't move. She could only see Gary and Delilah's blurry faces hovering over her.

"Giana! Wake up!" Gary yelled. He put his hand on her shoulder, but Giana could feel that his grip was weak. He wasn't trying to help her up. He was just touching her for show.

Angele ran out of the kitchen. She saw the blood pooling on the white marble and let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Call an ambulance! Gary, call 911!" Angele dropped to her knees and pressed her hands against Giana's bleeding head.

Gary slowly pulled his phone out of his pocket. Delilah stood behind him, her hands covering her mouth, but Giana could see the corners of her eyes crinkling. Delilah was smiling.

The sound of sirens pierced the air. Paramedics rushed into the house.

They lifted Giana onto a stretcher. A plastic oxygen mask was strapped over her face. The smell of plastic and blood mixed in her nose before she finally passed out.

Hours later, the sharp smell of bleach woke her up.

Giana didn't open her eyes. She felt the heavy bandage on her forehead. She felt the needle of an IV tube taped to the back of her hand. She was in a hospital bed.

She kept her breathing slow and even. She listened.

"The doctor said it's just a minor concussion and some bruising. She's not going to die." Gary's voice floated from the corner of the room. He sounded deeply annoyed.

"She is so incredibly lucky," Delilah giggled softly. "To fall from that high up and only get a minor concussion."

Giana's heart pounded against her ribs. They thought she was asleep.

"Yeah, it seems our 'luck' ran out tonight," Gary whispered. The sound of fabric rustling echoed in the quiet hospital room. "I spent the whole night pretending to look for her. How are you going to make it up to me?"

"Stop it, we're in a hospital..." Delilah giggled again.

The wet sound of mouths connecting hit Giana's ears.

Under the thin hospital blanket, Giana's hands curled into tight fists. Her fingernails dug so hard into her palms that the skin nearly broke. A wave of pure disgust rolled through her stomach.

Before she could rip the blanket off and scream at them, the sharp click of high heels sounded in the hallway outside.

The brass door handle turned.

Gary and Delilah jumped apart like they had been shocked with electricity. Gary quickly smoothed his hair. Delilah wiped her mouth.

Angele pushed the heavy door open. She held a stack of medical bills. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

Gary instantly dropped into the chair next to Giana's bed. He grabbed Giana's limp hand and squeezed it.

"Aunt Angele, why isn't she waking up? I'm so scared of losing her," Gary said, his voice cracking with fake emotion.

Giana couldn't take it anymore. The feeling of his sweaty skin on hers made her want to vomit.

She let out a soft groan, squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and then slowly fluttered them open.

"Giana! My baby, you're awake!" Angele dropped the papers and rushed to the side of the bed. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Thank God!" Gary let out a loud, dramatic sigh. He leaned down, aiming his lips at the back of Giana's hand.

Giana's eyes went ice cold. Before his mouth could touch her skin, she ripped her hand out of his grip. The sudden movement yanked the IV tube, sending a sharp sting up her arm.

Gary kissed empty air. He froze, his face hovering awkwardly over the bed. A flash of genuine anger crossed his eyes.

"Don't touch me, Gary. I'm nauseous," Giana said. Her voice was weak, but the disgust in her tone was razor-sharp.

Angele thought it was a symptom of the concussion. She quickly pushed Gary by the shoulder. "Step back, Gary. Give her some air."

Gary gritted his teeth and stepped back.

Delilah moved closer to the bed, putting on her sweet, concerned face. "Giana, you terrified us! How could you be so clumsy..."

"Delilah, my head hurts. I don't want to hear your voice right now," Giana cut her off completely. She didn't even look at Delilah.

Delilah's mouth snapped shut. She exchanged a panicked look with Gary. Giana was acting like a completely different person.

Giana turned her head to look at Angele. The coldness vanished from her eyes, replaced by soft, genuine tears.

"Mom, I'm so sorry I made you worry again," Giana reached out and grabbed Angele's hand.

"Oh, sweetie, it's okay. You're safe," Angele cried, stroking Giana's hair.

"When I was falling down those stairs, I thought I was never going to see you again," Giana said, her voice trembling. "It made me realize how stupid I've been."

The room went dead silent. Gary and Delilah stopped breathing.

"I've wasted so much time on useless things and useless people," Giana said, shooting a cold glare straight at Gary.

Gary swallowed hard. He took a step back.

"I'm done partying," Giana looked back at Angele, her voice hard and determined. "When I get out of here, I'm focusing entirely on my grades. I'm going to get into an Ivy League school. I won't disappoint you and Dad anymore."

Angele gasped. She covered her mouth with both hands, sobbing with absolute joy. "Giana... I am so proud of you!"

In the corner of the room, Gary and Delilah looked like they had been punched in the stomach. If Giana became a perfect, successful daughter, their plan to steal the Caldwell inheritance was completely dead.

Suddenly, the heavy hospital door was violently pushed open.

Dave Ortiz walked into the room. He wore a black suit and a blank, terrifying expression.