Chapter 9
It wasn’t long before the cops told us they’d caught the kidnapper.
But the kidnapper’s story didn’t match mine.
They needed me to give another statement.
Since I was already at the hospital, they agreed to do it there.
The questioning took longer than expected, and Daniel was waiting outside.
I told Daniel to go visit Leah’s grave.
It felt like a small thank–you for donating her heart to me.
Daniel left to do that.
The statement began.
Surprisingly, the kidnapper didn’t mention anything about Olivia’s crimes–hiring a hitman, extortion, not a word.
Instead, he took all the blame on himself.
Everything I knew, everything in my statement, seemed to be twisted into an accusation against me.
But I stuck to the truth I knew.
The police didn’t say much. They just told me to get some rest before leaving.
After the IV was finished, it was already evening.
The hospital hallways were mostly empty.
I asked around and found Olivia’s room.
As expected, Ryan was there too.
Olivia was awake, and when she saw me, she became visibly agitated.
Ryan immediately stepped in to comfort her.
“It’s okay, Olivia. It’s okay.”
08:52
The Love That Arrived Too Late
Chapay 9
Olivia started playing her victim role, throwing accusations my way.
“Why did you say I hired a hitman?”
“We’re both victims here, and I’ve been hurt worse than you.”
“What I can’t stand is you accusing me of killing my sister. Do you believe that, Ryan?”
Ryan looked thoughtful, his expression serious. He hesitated before shaking his head.
“No, I don’t believe it.”
Olivia seemed to get a boost from his reaction.
She turned to me, “Mia, now I’m starting to think you hired the kidnapper.”
I couldn’t help but poke at her weak spot.
“If I hired the kidnapper, you’d be in way more trouble than just simple assault.”
“You’d have been tortured, and then killed.”
Olivia’s eyes went wide.
She tried to sit up, shouting, “I’m gonna kill you!”
The monitors began beeping frantically.
Ryan kept trying to calm her down while pushing me away.
“What do you want, huh? If you don’t have business here, you should leave.”
“Olivia can’t handle the stress right now.”
“I do have business.”
Tomorrow, I was leaving.
I’d been played for three years, so I was going to make sure Ryan got a parting gift–call it a fair exchange.
With Ryan’s soothing words, Olivia calmed down a little, then bragged.
“Did you know, Mia? Ryan is going to marry me.”
Ryan looked at me with a sad, almost apologetic look.
08:52
Chapter 9
He smiled, but it was bitter.
As difficult as Olivia was, marrying her seemed like his way of taking responsibility.
But whatever happened with them was no longer my concert
I couldn’t care less.
“Oh, congratulations.”
I moved closer to Olivia, locking eyes with her.
One second later, I began the hypnosis.
“Olivia, tell me about hiring the hitman to kill your sister and me.”
Olivia began speaking.
Ryan’s breathing grew heavier, more labored.
By the time Olivia finished, Ryan could barely stand.
He slumped against the wall, gasping for air.
Olivia tentatively called out, “Ryan?”
It led to Ryan’s hysterical questioning.
“Why? Why! Why would you hurt Lillian? And why would you hurt Mía?”
Olivia cried uncontrollably, pointing at me.
“It wasn’t me, Ryan! It was Mia!”
“She made me say all of this. I didn’t kill my sister.”
Ryan looked at me, unsure of who to believe.
I sighed, trying to explain to the idiot one last time.
“I’m a licensed therapist, I can hypnotize people.”
“Hypnosis makes people reveal their subconscious, but it doesn’t make them lie.”
“Everything Olivia said is the truth–those are the things she’s hiding deep inside.”
08:52
The Love That Arrived Too Late
85.00%
Chapter 9
“Whether you believe me or not, that’s up to you.”
Ryan stared at me, and I met his gaze without flinching.
After a long silence, Ryan finally asked, “So, that day at home… you hypnotized me too?”
I nodded.
Ryan let out a bitter laugh.
