Ariana's sister backed away as Derek and I shuffled into the room. Derek shut the door behind him and blocked it so that Laila could not escape.

"Oh, please, Derek," Laila said. "I am stronger than you."

"That must mean that you are a ghost," I came to the conclusion. "Only ghosts can be stronger than other ghosts and can see them besides me and probably other humans."

She opened her mouth to speak, and Derek said, "Make up as many excuses as you want. Daniel and I were coming to visit Ariana. We were on the other side of the door when we heard your voice. Boy, did we hear plenty."

I wiped my nose. "I did not want to believe it, Laila. I thought that you were a good person like your sister. Derek and I bought into your innocence and lies. You never loved Ariana if you were planning on murdering her."

"Okay!" she proclaimed in frustration. "Okay. You caught me. I want Ariana dead."

Her confession made me feel relieved...and sad. We had caught another killer who was behind the attempt murders...but why did it have to be Ariana's own sister?

There was no doubt in my mind that Laila and Liam were working together. They both wanted Ariana to die. I could understand why Liam would want revenge, but why would Laila? What would she have to gain in her own sister's death?

"Peace," Laila answered. "I want Ariana to die because I want peace. I can read your thoughts, Daniel."

I frowned at her. "Do not read any more of my thoughts. You hear me?"

"Daniel, please. Do not be angry or scared."

"Those are hard things to do, considering that you and your boyfriend tried to commit murder how many times?"

"Liam did not confess the whole story back at the house," Derek guessed correctly. "He left you out of the picture. That is also why you stayed with Liam while everybody else escaped the house. You were acting."

She smiled a little and shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? I was born with the talent of a believable actress. I practiced during Ariana's absence."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Are you out of your mind? How could you choose a boy whom you barely know over your own sister who loves you so?"

She pretended to take offense to that. "I would be pretty upset if you stated that while knowing the truth. But seeing that you do not because Ariana is...well, Ariana, I will give you a chance to live and tell you in great detail what she put me through."

Laila pulled on her blonde hair - and took it off. It was actually a wig! Her real hair was short and brown. She explained that she cut off her blonde hair and made it into a wig.

The sisters growing apart began after their parents passed away. Ariana and Laila were placed in an orphanage and shared the same room. Despite that neither of them would receive a hug or kiss from their mom and dad ever again, they were content and blessed that they at least had each other. If one of them died or went missing, the other would have no idea what to do.

Missing is what Laila assumed for a long time after Ariana had to practically live at the hospital. Now, she did not have knowledge that she was at the hospital. In fact, the only reason that Laila discovered that her older sister had brain cancer and a tumor was because she made a visit to the hospital.

It was her first doctor's appointment. The mistresses who ran the orphanage decided that Laila was old enough to start visiting a real doctor. She would have been okay with meeting an actual doctor...if her sister were by her side.

The doctor who took her in was Dr. O'Fallon. Now, Dr. O'Fallon was also Ariana's doctor. You probably can see where this is leading. Dr. O'Fallon knew that Ariana and Laila were sisters and mentioned to Laila how happy he was that Ariana was going to make it.

Going to make what? Laila was confused. Since that she thought that Ariana went missing, she figured that he meant that she was found safe and sound.

She gasped. "My sister? Ariana is alive?"

Dr. O'Fallon replied, "Yep. She is alive and well."

"Yay! Is she here at the hospital? Can I see her?"

"Absolutely. She is just filling out some paperwork and will be out soon."

Laila was eager to see her beloved sister for the first time in forever. She had loads to talk about and even had a list of those topics. She missed her so much and wanted everything - everything that could - to go back to normal. No longer would there be an empty bed next to her every morning and each night. No longer would she be lonely and sad.

She really thought that day was the best day of her life. She was wrong.

It was indeed the best day of Ariana's life. The tumor was gone, and so was her cancer. It could not be said the same for her younger sister. She was devastated when she was told that Ariana had been fighting brain cancer the entire time. She was unaware. She was unaware that her sister had cancer.

No wonder Ariana was absent from the orphanage for so long. That is why she was cold to her when she left the orphanage for the last time. Ariana knew...

...and kept it a secret from her.

That realization made Laila snap. She was not going to spend some time crying. She would get her revenge. Ariana did not die from the cancer. So she would have to die some other way. Slow and painful. It was slow and painful while Laila was by herself at the orphanage.

Ariana meant nothing to her.