“Why couldn’t you just die?” Her whisper sliced through the sterile air. “It shouldn’t have come to this, but you had to go and fall in love with a nobody. It should have been me.”

She found the constant beeping of the machines infuriating and walked over to them, wondering what would happen if she silenced one—would it also silence James? She reached out a hand, her finger hovering above the power button.

A click from the door interrupted her.

Millicent quickly pulled her hand back and softened her expression to one of concern, running manicured fingers through meticulous short black hair as she watched the doctor make his way across the room.

“Oh, Dr. Montfort.” She held out both hands in a gesture of helpless concern.

The doctor hesitated, then briefly shook her hand. “Mrs. Renfroe, I…” His gaze lingered on the machine.

Millicent took a few steps closer to him, away from the machine. “It’s Ms. Renfroe,” she corrected, affecting a soft southern drawl she’d worked so hard to eliminate from her natural speech. She was neither soft nor helpless but was willing to use a facade of either when it suited her purposes.

“Ms. Renfroe,” the doctor amended with a nod, his attention returning to the chart in his hand. “Thank you for making it here so quickly. I understand James’s father—Roger Harrington?—is currently abroad?”

Millicent nodded, her gaze briefly assessing the doctor—late forties, physically fit, likely quite affluent. “I was happy to drop everything and fly here. Montana is lovely.” Her swift arrival in Montana had been planned, but she’d expected to identify a body, not…this. She looked at the bed. Keeping anger and frustration out of her voice, she added, “I just can’t believe James was in such a bad accident. What happened?”

“All I know is his car went off the side of a mountain. Miraculously, some trees broke his fall and no doubt saved his life. Mr. Harrington will have to talk to the sheriff’s office for details.”

“Miraculous, indeed,” she echoed drily, her lips curling in a faint, unkind smile. It was no miracle to her; he shouldn’t have survived. “Is he…will he wake up?”

The doctor looked at her, compassion in his eyes. “Given the sedatives we’ve administered and the severity of his head injury, we’re cautiously optimistic he’ll regain consciousness in a day or two.”

Millicent looked at the injured man again. “And when the sedative wears off?”

“He should wake up,” the doctor affirmed. “We’re managing the swelling and expect to reduce sedation soon. When can we expect Mr. Harrington to arrive?” The doctor flipped through James’s chart as he spoke.

“I haven’t received his plans yet.” Millicent shrugged. “I imagine he’ll want to get here as quickly as possible.”

The doctor nodded and placed the chart in its holder by the door. “I’ll be back to check on James later.”

Millicent nodded, and her gaze followed the doctor as he excused himself. She sank into a chair next to the bed as soon as the door closed silently behind him.

James Harrington was a thorn in her side. This would have been so much easier if he’d said yes to her advances. How could she have known the event they’d been attending was to honor his late mother? His continual rejections after that evening had infuriated her further. Was it the ten year age difference that put him off? At forty, she took great care—and expense—to pass for thirty. He should have been flattered by her interest. Instead, he’d rejected her, and she’d had to take more drastic measures.

She’d been so close to being rid of him. Shaking her head, she pulled out her phone.

Millicent: What happened? He’s still alive!

Frank: He’s still alive? It should have worked

Millicent: Well, it didn’t, I’ll figure out the next step and be in touch

Millicent needed to notify her boss of his son’s accident, but first, she needed a new plan, something to get Jamie out of her life permanently.

And she had to figure it out before he woke up.

Early the next morning, the call came; James had awoken. Millicent took the news that he had amnesia with some restraint, thrilled of this opening of an unexpected window. It seemed the universe was giving her another opportunity. She might yet be rid of James Harrington.

She smiled as she hung up, then texted Frank again. As her mama used to say, there was more than one way to skin a cat. With a sinister plan swirling through her mind, Millicent vowed James Harrington would pay dearly for defying her. This game wasn’t finished.

It had only just begun.