There was an attached audio file. My finger lingered over the play icon. Something inside me — instinct, fear — urged me to stop. But curiosity pushed me forward.
At first, nothing but silence. Then a voice I knew all too well. Calm, firm… unmistakable.
Nikolai.
“Remove her cornea and give it to Carlo.”
My breathing faltered. Carlo — Sabine’s younger brother. My best friend’s little brother.
“Sir,” another voice said hesitantly — a doctor, I realized. “Mrs. Arvant’s eyes are perfectly healthy. We can look for another donor. If we proceed, she’ll permanently lose her—”
“Do it,” Nikolai interrupted, his voice turning icy. “Sabine’s been crying nonstop. I can’t stand watching her suffer. Sienna will manage. At least once she’s blind, she’ll depend on me. She won’t leave.”
“Sir, this isn’t—”
“Just do it!” Nikolai snapped. “I’ll handle the paperwork. And she’ll never know. She’ll think it was an accident caused by Carlo. He didn’t mean it, and I won’t let him go to jail — Sabine wouldn’t survive that. Besides…” His voice dropped, colder than ever. “With her blind, Sabine and I can do whatever we want.”
My legs gave out. The phone slipped from my grasp and hit the floor.