After hearing about Kate’s accident, Jason and Jeff sprinted to their car and sped towards Alisha’s house. They rushed up the stairs and burst into Kate’s room.

Jeff froze in his tracks at the sight of Kate’s lifeless, ashen form sprawled on the bed. His breath hitched, and his eyes widened in disbelief as his heart pounded furiously.

Trembling, Jason dropped to his knees beside her, cradling her limp body in his arms. Desperation thickened his voice as he gently slapped her pale cheeks and cried out her name, his words trembling with fear and anguish.

“Kate... Kate! Kate!” he cried, clutching her limp form tighter as tears streamed down his face.

When Jeff's gaze shifted to Alena, who sat slumped on the floor opposite the bed, a surge of rage overtook him. He stormed towards her, grabbed her by the collar, and shoved her against the wall. His fingers dug into her throat as his crimson-tinged eyes burned with fury.

“You!” he growled, his voice low and menacing.

Gasping for air, Alena clawed at Jeff’s hands, her own trembling as she tried to loosen his iron grip. Her eyes widened in panic as his hold grew tighter. Through strangled breaths, she choked out, “Wi...Wilson... It’s... Wilson...”

Hearing the name, Jeff’s expression darkened further, his anger intensifying. His hands clenched tighter around her neck, as though the mere mention of Wilson had unleashed a more primal fury within him.

Meanwhile, Jason cradled Kate in his arms, sobbing her name as tears dripped onto her face. Then he felt it—a faint twitch in her fingers. He froze, staring at her hand, willing it to move again. Instead, a shallow breath escaped her lips.

“Kate! Kate! She’s breathing!” Jason exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mixture of hope and desperation. He shook her gently, trying to rouse her.

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Jeff immediately released Alena, who crumpled to the ground, coughing and clutching her throat. He rushed to the bed, shaking Kate with his trembling hands.

“Wake up, Kate! Please, wake up!” he begged, his voice cracking.

Urgency mounting, Jason said, “She needs medical attention.” He carefully gathered Kate into his arms, preparing to carry her out of the room.

“If you take her to a hospital, she’ll die,” Alena rasped, her voice hoarse but steady. She pushed herself up, leaning heavily against the wall.

Both men turned to her, their expressions filled with confusion and suspicion. Jason demanded, “What do you mean?”

Alena repeated firmly, “If you take her to the hospital, she won’t survive. Rose will find out she’s still alive, and she’ll come for her. You need to hide her, or she’s as good as dead.”

Jason hesitated, his protective instincts clashing with the warning. He glanced at Jeff, whose jaw clenched as his fists trembled with restrained rage.

“Are you threatening her?” Jeff barked, stepping towards Alena menacingly.

Alena shook her head, a bitter smile playing on her lips. “I’m not threatening anyone. I’m telling you the truth. Rose won’t stop until Kate is gone for good.” Her voice faltered momentarily before she muttered under her breath, “Am I helping them or what?”

Jason shot Jeff a look. “I’m taking her,” he said firmly, turning towards the door without waiting for a response.

Jeff lingered, his piercing gaze fixed on Alena. “I’ll make all of you regret this,” he warned coldly. “Rose will pay for this.”

Alena scoffed. “And I will tell you to be careful, Jeff. This time, it won’t just be Kate or Alisha—it’ll be you.”

Jeff’s lips curled into a sinister smile, but he said nothing. He turned and left the room without a backward glance.

Alena slumped to the floor, her chest heaving as relief washed over her. Kate was alive. She had been sure—convinced—that the girl was gone, but now, she was breathing. Her hands trembled, but it wasn’t from fear anymore. It was the strain of everything that had happened, the weight of everything still left undone.

She stared at the floor, her mind flickering back to the moment Kate’s hands had gone slack, her breath stolen away as if life itself had been ripped from her. The memory chilled her, a cold rush tightening in her gut. Why had I felt guilt? she wondered. Why should I care? She shook her head as though the thought itself was a poison she needed to purge. I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t have cared.

But she did.

Her thoughts turned to Wilson, and the sneer he’d given her when she had confronted him about Kate. “You think highly of yourself, Alena. Who do you think you are?” His voice echoed in her mind, just as his arrogant face had haunted her before. That smirk, the mocking superiority in his tone. She clenched her jaw, her fists curling tightly at her sides.

She could still see him, as clearly as if he were standing in front of her. The power he wielded, and the way Rose seemed to favour him despite his blunders. It made no sense. How did someone like him rise so high? she wondered, her gut churning with suspicion. There was something off about their relationship. The way Rose relied on him—it didn’t sit right. It’s more than it seems.

Alena’s resolve hardened, like iron forged in fire. Her grip on the floor tightened, nails digging into her palms. No one challenges me. Not Wilson. Not anyone.