Chapter 730

"See, sis? I told you I was fine! You can't trust everything you find online. You and big bro just had to drag me to the hospital. Now even the doctor knows I drool in my sleep how embarrassing!" Jane clutched a stack of test results in her chubby little hand, her cheeks puffed out like an angry pufferfish as she glared at her sister. But her tiny, milky voice, sweet as sticky rice, carried none of the intended fierceness. It didn’t sound like anger at all more like a whiny plea, so adorable that Mina couldn’t help but want to pinch her soft little cheeks. Before Mina could reach out, however, a familiar figure stepped out of the elevator. Mina quickly clamped a hand over Jane’s chattering mouth and pulled her into a corner to hide. Jane squirmed in protest, but then followed her sister’s pointed finger and spotted Rory. Her big, obsidian-like eyes blinked rapidly as she pried Mina’s hand off her mouth with her own pudgy fingers. "Why is Rory here?" she whispered. "Did she have another trick up her sleeve? Is Ainara hurt after all?" Mina gasped. "You don’t think she’s here to pull the plug again, do you?" Only after Rory had exited the hospital lobby did Jane tug her sister forward. "Come on, sis. Let’s check the registry see if Ainara really got admitted." The two girls approached the front desk. Jane tilted her head up, flashing a sweet, dimpled smile at the nurse. In her sugary little voice, she chirped, "Auntie Nurse, we’re here to visit someone, but we don’t know which room she’s in. Could you help us look it up?" The nurse melted at the sight of the cherubic face. How could she say no? Softening her tone, she replied, "Of course, sweetheart. Who are you visiting? Just tell me the name, and I’ll check for you." Jane piped up brightly, "We don’t know the patient’s name, but our cousin Rory is here with her!" Though she suspected Ainara was the one hospitalized, Jane played it safe by only mentioning Rory. At the name, the nurse didn’t even bother checking the registry. Her warmth cooled slightly. "Oh, you’re relatives of that Brown family’s new mother? They’re in the VIP maternity ward on the 14th floor. Just take the elevator up." Despite the nurse’s shift in tone, Jane remained impeccably polite. "Thank you, Auntie Nurse!" she sang before grabbing Mina’s hand and dashing toward the elevators. "Staying in the maternity ward? Did Aaliyah have her baby?" Mina mused, tapping her little chin thoughtfully. Jane nodded. "Must be. Isn't she the only one in the Brown family expecting?" "Not necessarily!" Mina said with the air of a know-it-all, putting on her best grown-up tone. "That scumbag Cayden might have some mistress number four or five hidden away somewhere!" The moment those words left her sister’s mouth, Jane felt a wave of disgust not for herself, but for Leila. As soon as the elevator doors opened, the two little girls spotted Camillie at the far end of the hallway, leaning proudly on her cane, her presence radiating authority. Beside her, a nanny carefully cradled a newborn in her arms. Without a word, Mina and Jane ducked behind the nurses' station, their small frames hidden from view. They waited until Camillie and the nanny had stepped into the elevator and disappeared. Then, like tiny spies, they tiptoed toward the room the old woman had just exited. Standing on their tiptoes, they strained to peek through the small observation window on the door. Too high! They couldn’t reach it! Without hesitation, Mina scooped up Jane, balancing precariously on her toes as she lifted her sister higher. Jane wasted no time, pressing her face to the window to peer inside. But before she could get a good look, Rory’s sharp voice cut through the air. "What are you two doing?!" Startled and guilty, Mina instinctively let go of Jane, who tumbled to the floor with a soft thud. Yet, like a little rubber ball, the chubby toddler rolled right back up, dusting off her bottom with her tiny hands as if nothing had happened. With an audacious glare at Rory, she declared, "My sister and I are here to visit a friend. Since we don't know which room she's in, we're checking each one. Got a problem with that?" Rory scoffed, her lips curling in disdain. "How amusing. This entire floor is the maternity ward. Is your friend a new mother or a newborn baby?" Jane lowered her head, pondering for a moment before lifting her gaze. Her large, obsidian-like eyes gleamed with intensity as she fixed them on Rory. With a solemn, almost theatrically serious expression, she announced, "Fine, since you've seen through us, I won’t hide it anymore! We’ve uncovered your true identity!" Though her words sounded like something out of a juvenile fantasy, the sharpness in her gaze combined with Rory’s own guilty conscience made the latter flinch involuntarily. Rory’s brows furrowed in anger as she snapped, "I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting. Get lost and stop disturbing my mother’s rest outside her room!" **"Bam!"** Before Rory could react, Mina had already leaped forward, her fist connecting squarely with Rory’s face. Glaring down at her, Mina sneered, "Rory, you murderer. How dare you threaten my Jane?" She leaned in closer, her voice dripping with cold fury. "Listen carefully once I, the forensic examiner, find the evidence of your crime, you’ll be rotting in prison before you know it." Noticing the rapid shifts in Rory’s expression, Mina turned to Jane and added casually, "Oh, by the way, Jane, arranging for a car to hit Ainara’s vehicle that counts as attempted murder, right?" "One count of murder, one count of attempted murder. Rory, you’d better prepare yourself first juvenile detention, then a lifetime behind bars!" Rory stood frozen, the sting on her face momentarily forgotten. Shock and disbelief flickered in her cold, calculating eyes as she stared at Mina and Jane. To amplify her presence, Jane puffed out her small chest and nodded vigorously. "That’s right! My sister will find the evidence and send you to prison!" A flash of venom crossed Rory’s gaze. *Could it be that those little bitches, Mina and Jane, actually know about Arielle?* Her mind raced. Mina had just mentioned Ainara so they must have overheard their conversation at the café. How the hell did they end up in such a remote café? But it didn’t matter now. If they knew her secrets… well, they’d brought this upon themselves. Her eyes darkened with malice as she watched Mina and Jane’s retreating figures, now nearly at the elevator.