I couldn't hold it back any longer. Blood surged from my throat and splattered across the ground.
My face went ashen. My lips turned white.
Nathan scooped Ethel into his arms and walked in the opposite direction.
Daisy looked at the rocky path, then gripped my arm tight. In the next second, she let go and ran after him.
She dropped to her knees in front of Nathan with a heavy thud.
Her small hands clutched at his legs, tears streaming down her face.
"Mister, please, can you save my mommy? She's really, really sick. She needs to go to the hospital right now."
"Please. If she doesn't get to a hospital, she's going to die."
My daughter, on her knees, begging.
My tears fell one by one, hitting the dirt.
I raised a trembling hand toward her.
"Don't beg him..."
Nathan let out a cold scoff, turned, and pushed Daisy aside.
His arms tightened around Ethel.
"Why should I save another man's wife?"
"And—" He glanced back at me with a thin smile. "Sarah, you really think this little stunt is going to work on me?"
"Putting on a show with your own daughter?"
"Sarah, you really are pathetic."
"You managed to drag yourself all the way into these mountains. Don't tell me you can't drag yourself back out."
He turned away with Ethel in his arms and walked off without another word.
In the distance, he pulled out his phone, made a call, and disappeared from sight.
Daisy turned back to me. Her eyes locked onto my face, and the tears spilled instantly.
"Mommy... your nose is bleeding!"
It seemed my time was running out.
I gathered every last ounce of strength to sit up, then waved my daughter into my arms.
I stroked her hair gently and said, "In a little while, Mommy's going to sneak into their house. When I do, I need you to go back and bring the doctor here to find me."
She lifted her head, choking back sobs, and asked me why.
I pulled a few strands of hair from my pocket and pressed them into her small hand.
"Take these to the doctor and have him run a DNA test against yours. If they find my body, make sure the results get to Nathan Henson."
She didn't understand, but she nodded along anyway.
After a few minutes, I pushed her away from me. "Go to the hospital! Find the doctor!"
She let go of my hand reluctantly, then turned and ran out through the mountains.
I forced myself to stand, leaning against the trees along the way as I stumbled into the villa.