Chapter 4

Grandfather and I froze at the same moment.

Swallowing my fury, I asked Fergus under my breath,

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He looked at Maya in her princess dress.

"Maya's got a kind heart. She wanted to come see Grandfather too."

I bit out each word.

"Fergus, you'd better keep her in line."

Grandfather asked him,

"Who's this girl? Your secretary?"

Fergus opened his mouth to answer, but Maya stepped forward first.

"I'm Fergus's friend. Grandfather, how's your health? How much longer do you have to live?"

"Maya."

There was a warning buried in my voice.

Maya stuck out her tongue.

"Oops, listen to me, running my mouth like that."

"Grandfather, take a look at this."

She suddenly pulled a sheet of paper from inside her dress and handed it to him.

I moved to stop her, but it was already too late.

As Grandfather read, his breathing turned ragged, his face flushed dark, his chest heaving.

With everything he had left, he slapped Maya, the one closest to him.

"You, you..."

He coughed violently and suddenly brought up a mouthful of blood.

"Grandfather!"

The scream tore out of me.

"Someone, help! Someone, come quick!"

But Fergus shut the door tight.

He patted Maya's shoulder to comfort her as she covered her face and cried.

Then he turned to Grandfather, his eyes glazed with frost.

"Grandfather, Maya came here out of kindness. Elder or not, you hit her, so you owe her an apology."

"Fergus!"

My eyes went red as I stared him down, teeth clenched.

Hearing him, Grandfather's breathing came faster.

Then all at once he pitched forward onto the bed.

Fergus went still.

Outside, doctors and nurses pounded frantically on the door.

I lunged and grabbed his collar, fists locked in the fabric.

"Open the door, let the doctors in, Grandfather needs help now!"

Fergus lowered his eyes.

"Apologize to Maya on Grandfather's behalf."

"She's a sensitive girl. Who knows how many nights that slap will cost her sleep."

My eyes went wide.

"What did you just say!"

"Apologize."

"Never."

Maya nestled against Fergus's leg and arched a brow at me.

She'd done this on purpose.

"Then I'll never open the door."

As the words left his mouth, the heart monitor erupted into a shrill, screaming alarm.

The line on the screen had already gone flat.

My heart seized.

"...I'll apologize, I'll apologize, is that enough? Maya, I'm sorry."

"Fergus, save him now!"

Maya smiled, all giggles.

"Ms. James, I accept your apology."

Only then did Fergus open the door.

A crowd of medical staff poured in and worked to save him.

One minute later.

Grandfather's attending physician spoke, powerless.

"Ms. James, Mr. James suffered too great a shock. His heart stopped on the spot."

"There was nothing we could do."

Something detonated inside my head.

My mind went blank.

Mechanically I laid my hand over Grandfather's, cold and stiff.

That was when I noticed he was still clutching the paper Maya had given him.

I pried it loose.

It was a pregnancy report.

Five months along.

Mother: Maya Matthews.

And the father: Fergus Simmons.

"Heh..."

A bitter curve pulled at the corner of my mouth. I couldn't tell if I was laughing or crying.

I shut my eyes hard.

Then snapped them open.

"Someone, tie Maya up for me."

"As for Fergus... autumn's here. It's about time the Simmonss' sky turned cold too."