The diamond before the fall

*The Earring*

The evening shadows stretched across the Baldwin mansion. Harris sat in his study, lost in thought. Sarah approached Emily's room, intending to talk to her about work, and stopped dead.

Through the slight gap in the door, she heard Emily's voice, low and cold. "Now that the case is closed, everything's over. No one knows I was the one who drugged her and also behind her death."

Sarah's eyes widened. She pushed the door open. Emily's phone slipped from her hand as Sarah slapped her hard. "It was you, Emily. I can't believe I raised a murderer."

Emily's face contorted in shock. "Mom—"

Sarah turned to leave, dialing the police on her phone. "I'm calling the police. You have to pay for what you did to Heiley."

Emily lunged, grabbing for the phone. "No, Mom, I'm your daughter. You can't do this to me!"

They stumbled toward the stairs. Emily tried to wrestle the phone away. In the struggle, Sarah slipped on the top step. She tumbled down, hitting her head on the landing.

Harris and Nancy rushed out, horrified. Sarah lay in a pool of blood, Emily sobbing, kneeling by her mom. "I... I was coming to see her... she was standing there... and she fell..."

Harris's face twisted in anguish. "Call 911. NOW!"

......................................

The paramedics rushed Sarah to the hospital, Emily clinging to Harris as he rode in the ambulance.

Hours later, a surgeon in scrubs appeared in the waiting room. Harris, Emily, and Nancy stood, faces tight with worry.

"How is she?" Harris demanded.

The doctor's expression was guarded. "Surgery was successful. We stopped the bleeding and relieved the pressure on her brain... but she's in a coma."

Nancy's hand flew to her mouth. "Will she..."

"We don't know." The doctor shook his head. "It's touch and go. We'll monitor her, but... it's up to her body now."

Harris's eyes closed briefly. Emily told them she slipped, but is that really what happened? His gaze lingered, unsure what to believe.

Emily stood frozen, guilt etched on her face.

Her eyes welled up as she gazed through the glass door at her mom, lying motionless in the ICU. She felt a crushing weight of guilt, her mind racing. She whispered to herself, "I should be happy that I'm safe now. It's all her fault... If she didn't try to call the police on me, none of this would've happened. But why does it hurt to see you like this, Mom?"

Tears streamed down her face as she turned away, her voice barely audible. "I did this. I caused this."

She slid down the wall, her back against the cold hospital corridor, and let the weight of her guilt consume her. The beeping machines and muffled voices faded into the background as she replayed the events in her mind.

"Why did you do that? Why did you try to call the police?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "I just wanted you to be on my side, Mom... Now look what happened."

The silence was deafening, punctuated only by her quiet sobs. She wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to hold herself together.

Harris quietly slid down beside Emily, wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders. "Hey Emily, it's gonna be okay," he whispered, pulling her into a hug. "Your mom is strong. She'll pull through this."

Emily buried her face in Harris's chest, letting his warmth soak in. "I feel so guilty, Dad Harris... I think it's my fault. I should have reached there in time," she mumbled.

Harris's voice was soft but firm. "None of this is your fault, Emily. No one can stop an accident from occurring. Sarah loves you, and she's gonna fight to come back to you."

Emily sniffled, her grip on Harris tightening.

........................................

Meanwhile, Alejandro concluded his meeting with the board members in Texas. As the last of them left the conference room, he turned to his secretary. "It's time to go back to California. I have to find her. I don't know her, but I'm in love with her." He looked at the earring he took with him before leaving the hotel room.

"How are we gonna find her?" Ken asked, curiosity creeping into his voice. "Do you know her name or how she looks?"

Alejandro shook his head, his expression grim. "No, Ken. I don't even know how she looks. The drugs affected my sight that night."

He held out the delicate earring, his fingers closing around it like a lifeline. "This is all I have. Find out everything you can about it."

Ken's eyes widened as he took the earring. "Got it, boss. I'll start digging once we reach California." He put the earring in his pocket and left the room.

Five minutes passed. Ken's voice cut through Alejandro's thoughts. "Boss, the chopper's ready."

Alejandro nodded, carrying his laptop. "Let's move."

They lifted off, California's coastline unfolding below. Alejandro's eyes narrowed, his focus locked on the horizon. "Find her, Ken." Ken nodded.

The chopper landed on the rooftop pad of Fernandez Tech. Alejandro stepped out, eyes scanning the premises with intensity.

As they entered the high-tech lobby, the receptionist's eyes widened. "Alejandro Fernandez! Welcome, sir."

Alejandro's gaze barely flickered. "Ken, get Victor on the line. Now."

Ken nodded, already typing away on his phone. "Done, boss. He's waiting in the war room."

Alejandro strode toward the private elevator, the doors whispering open to reveal a tactical command center. Victor, his head of Research & Development, greeted him with a nod.

Alejandro's gaze shifted to the bike. "Victor, where's the prototype for the Speed Sphere V2? I want to see it."

Victor's expression turned intrigued. "It's in the design bay, sir. We've pushed the limits on aerodynamics and speed."

Alejandro nodded. "Show me."

They headed to the design bay. Alejandro's eyes widened. "This is amazing. Victor, get it ready for a test run." Victor nodded with a wide smile. "On it, boss." Alejandro left the design bay, headed to his office.