Chapter 4

My throat clamped shut.

A searing burn crawled up my neck.

I was already gasping for air.

"This is... almond!"

I grabbed his sleeve,

forcing the words through gritted teeth.

"My... EpiPen..."

Julian stared at the empty cup,

turning deathly pale.

"How the hell is it almond..."

He tore through my handbag.

"The EpiPen..." His eyes darted away.

"Last time you said it was expiring soon, I took it out.

Chloe was stressed and sleep-deprived,

so I... I gave it to her to keep by the bed.

Just in case."

"I'm taking you to the ER!"

He threw an arm around me, rushing me toward the door.

Right then, his phone rang.

Julian glanced at the screen.

He pushed me aside to answer it.

"What? Your stomach hurts? From that juice?"

I slumped against the icy wall.

The world began to blur.

All I could hear was a deafening ringing in my ears.

Seconds later, Julian hung up, sheer panic in his eyes.

"Look, Chloe drank your strawberry juice.

She's having severe stomach cramps.

She's by herself, Ava.

I need to go to her, I can't risk it."

He shoved his Black Card into my hand.

"Call an Uber.

Go to the nearest private ER and put it on my card.

I'll check on you later!"

And with that, he bolted.

He jumped into his Bentley and took off without looking back.