Faye's POV
My eyelids fluttered open, and the first thing I saw was a circle of faces hovering around my bed.
Each expression wore the same carefully crafted mask of concern. Their smiles trembled with what anyone else might mistake for genuine relief. But I had learned to read between the lines of their performances. The disappointment flickering behind their eyes told a different story entirely.
They weren't relieved I was alive. They were calculating their next move.
A cold shiver ran down my spine as I studied each face. Were they already plotting another attempt, or simply trying to determine where their first plan had gone wrong?
Perhaps both scenarios were playing out simultaneously in their minds.
"Faye, darling, you frightened me beyond words," Eileen whispered, her fingers wrapping around mine with practiced tenderness.
I managed a small, fragile cough in response.
