Back inside the hospital room, the sterile scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, but for Dianna, it was the scent of victory that filled her lungs. Reclining against the stiff white pillows, she let her head rest back, her eyes glistening with quiet satisfaction. The case had been pulled back, the threat swept under the rug — all thanks to her mother's well-timed intervention.
Once again, her mother had played her cards like a seasoned puppeteer, pulling the strings from behind the curtain, and Dianna had watched the world bend to her will. She should've felt triumphant, but Rita's silence was a sharp reminder that not everyone shared her sense of security.
Rita stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed tightly, her expression unreadable but her eyes restless — calculating. Something about the way she stared out the window for a beat too long before turning back to Dianna made her younger sister shift uncomfortably.
