Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 38

Alicia didn't sleep a wink all night. Ironically, it was only when dawn broke that exhaustion finally claimed her.

She dreamed of her childhood—a memory she wished she could erase. A couple had once promised to adopt her, but not long after taking her home, the woman became pregnant. With a child of their own on the way, they quickly lost interest in Alicia and returned her to the orphanage.

This wasn't the first time Alicia had been abandoned.

In fact, she'd been left behind more times than she cared to count.

She was given up by her birth parents as a newborn, and year after year, strangers would show up claiming to be her family, whisking her away for DNA tests.

Every time, she'd wait with a pounding heart—hoping, just hoping, that the results would mean she finally belonged somewhere, that her real parents would come and take her home for good.

But every time, there was only disappointment.

By the time she started college, Alicia had stopped believing her parents would ever come back for her.

And then she met Vincent.

"Don't touch me…"

Alicia twisted in her dream, trying to break free from invisible hands.

Someone crept into her hospital room and edged up to the bed. Out of a pocket came a syringe, its needle glinting in the dim light. The stranger reached for the port taped to Alicia's wrist, ready to inject whatever poison was in that syringe.

Someone wanted her dead.

"Don't blame me when it's over. You were just in the way—blocking someone else's inheritance. That's all this is," the intruder muttered, jabbing the needle into Alicia's IV.

Just as the plunger was about to be pushed, Chester walked in holding a bag of breakfast.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Chester shouted.

The would-be killer jolted in panic, shoving past Chester in a desperate rush to escape, leaving the syringe on the bed.

Alicia woke with a start, breathing hard as she watched Chester tear out of the room after the intruder. What had just happened?

Her gaze landed on the syringe lying next to her hand. A cold chill swept down her spine.

Chester's expression darkened.

Whoever could sabotage the hospital's surveillance system in such a short window had serious power—and dangerous connections.

"Could it really be the Holloways? Henry just put Alicia in the hospital," Chester speculated to his colleague.

His partner glanced at Alicia. "Do you have any other enemies besides the Holloways?"

They sealed the syringe into an evidence bag. "We'll have this tested at the lab."

"No…" Alicia shook her head.

Other than the Holloways, Mira, and Cecilia, she didn't really have enemies. Besides, those three were all in the same boat—they wouldn't be dumb enough to try to kill her, not now. "I honestly don't think it's the Holloways. If they tried something like this, they'd just be painting a target on their own backs."

Chester nodded. He agreed.

Still uneasy, Chester decided to stay in Alicia's room, keeping watch by her side.