"Irwin," Jeannie said, glancing at him, "I think there's something wrong with your mother. Go to the nurses' station and get someone, quickly."
Worried about Rosita, Irwin nodded at once and dashed out of the room to find a nurse.
As soon as he left, Jeannie quietly locked the door behind him.
She crossed the room and gave Rosita's cheek a gentle slap.
Rosita frowned in her sleep, still trapped in some nightmare, unable to wake.
Jeannie pressed harder. "Ms. Lockwood!"
The sting snapped Rosita awake. She stared at Jeannie, still dazed, struggling to make sense of her surroundings.
"Wake up, Ms. Lockwood." Jeannie flashed her a sweet, almost innocent smile. "Now that we're alone, let's talk about Irwin, shall we?"
Rosita's brow furrowed. "What about Irwin?"
"His parentage," Jeannie replied, her eyes glinting. "Did you know you were talking in your sleep? You said Irwin's real parentage must be kept from Mr. Wentworth. I'm curious—what is Irwin's real story?"
Rosita's expression shifted instantly. "I never said that, you must have misheard."
"I recorded it." There was a calculating edge in Jeannie's eyes. "If you won't tell me, I'll just go and ask Mr. Wentworth myself."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I'm Irwin's teacher, you know. Mr. Wentworth trusts me completely." Jeannie's smile grew even sweeter, but her tone was cold and threatening. "I care about Irwin, truly. That means I need to know everything about him. And it certainly seems you're hiding a big secret from Mr. Wentworth, Ms. Lockwood."
Rosita went pale, her hands clutching the bedsheet, head pounding and thoughts racing.
"Time's running out, Ms. Lockwood," Jeannie said lightly. "Irwin's off fetching a nurse for me, but he'll be back any second. If you want to keep this between us, you'd better tell me everything before he returns."
Rosita stared at Jeannie, seeing her clearly for the first time.
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