“What the heck are you doing? Give me my phone!”


    Tanya freaked out, practicallyunching herself at me, hands outstretched like she was going to


    tackle


    1. me.


    Yeah, right. If she wasn’t hiding something, she wouldn’t be acting like this, which made me even


    more


    curious.


    I dodged her, holding the phone just out of her reach. In the chaos, my thumb slipped, and the call


    connected.


    It rang once, then whoever it was hung up.


    Not answering? Suspicious much?


    I redialed just as Tanya jumped off the bed, barefoot and desperate. “Keira, what the f*ck is wrong


    with you? Give me my phone!” She was swearing up a storm, lunging at me like a maniac.


    Finally, someone picked up.


    “Why are you calling again when I already hung up?”


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Wait…that voice… Retta?


    I froze for a second, the puzzle pieces clicking into ce.


    No way. Retta? Miss Perfect? And now she’s getting shady just tond a guy? Wow.


    “Prof. Roane, sticking your nose into OB–GYN now?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.


    Dead silence. With one hand fending off Tanya’s ws, I couldn’t help but smirk. “What? Cat got


    your


    tongue?”


    Click. Retta hung up. Busted.


    Before I could rub it in, Tanya swiped at me again, managing to grab her phone back. Her nails


    raked across my hand, and it stung like hell.


    “You’re nuts! Get the hell out of here!” she screeched, chucking the phone at me.


    I nced at the fresh scratch on my hand, anger bubbling up.


    This girl had used Lena because someone else pulled her strings.


    Without even thinking, I kicked her.


    Tanya flew back, crashing into the edge of the bed with a yelp and crumpling onto the floor.


    1 crouched down, not even trying to hide my disgust. “How much did Retta pay you? Is this what


    you’vee to–taking bribes to help ruin people’s lives?”


    Tanya clutched her side, gripping the bed frame, looking all pale and pitiful.


    I didn’t care if she was faking or not. Leaning in closer, hissed, “You’ve hit rock bottom, Tanya. But


    keep your trash out of my life. And tell your puppet master her secret won’t stay buried.”


    I started to walk away, but Tanya grabbed my wrist. “If you beg me,” she hissed, “I’ll let your best


    friend off the hook.”


    I blinked. ‘Beg? Is she for real?‘


    Iughed. “Did that botched suicide attempt mess with your head?”


    Shey there on the floor, looking up at me with this sad, desperate look in her eyes. “I’ll back off


    Lena, but only if you agree to one thing.”


    Oh, she was really testing her luck now.


    First, she tried ckmailing me. Then, she wanted me to beg. And now, we’re negotiating?


    Seriously?


    But this… this was her n all along.


    Honestly, her whole scheme had crumbled ages ago. She knew it too–that’s why she ran to Retta


    for help in the first ce.


    Speaking of Retta, I used to think she had brains, but apparently, she was totally fine with using


    someone like Tanya to do her dirty work. Real “genius” move. Guess that was the best trick she had


    up her sleeve.


    But hey, it shows just how desperate she was to lock down Nate.


    “Alright, what’s your brilliant idea?” I asked, not nning to give in, but curious to see where this


    was going.


    Tanya hesitated for a second, then said, “Give me the amusement park.”