ubmitted to her prodding and probing, his eyes tracking her every move. There was an und

d fine until she

ration on his thigh. "Try to move your toes

hing happened. His legs, from the hips down, felt like

t of effort escaping h

ed an empire, who bent the world to his will, couldn't move his own legs. The thou

his eyes. "The accident caused significant swelling around your lower spinal cord," she explai

, the word a desperate

my treatment regimen and physical therapy, you sh

n three months, his enemies would have carved up Sterlin

ot acceptable," he said, his voice hard with command. "I don't have three months. Get

her eyes cold. "First," she said, her voice quiet but laced with steel, "I am the b

is authority, it left him speechless. He had forgott

ontinued, "the door is right there. You're free to

ed as if

He hated it, hated the weakness in his ow

oint made. She had him

ster, 'better' treatment,"

gnited in his che

id, each word precise and deliberate. "The moment you reclaim your identity, you'll have acces

ammered against his ribs. She kn

terling?" he repeated, as if hearing the name for the first time. "Is he someone famous? Rich?" He gave a short, humorless

watched her, waiting for her to challenge him,

nial. "If you're not him, then you're stuck with me.

d by the unsettling realization that he had just wil

silver needles. "This may feel strange," was all the warning she gave be

he felt not pain, but a strange, deep ache, a warmth that spread through the de

ble, a ghost of a sens

ock overriding his compo

ickle his cheek. He could smell the faint, clean scent of soap and something herbal from her skin. In the

oman who was a complete enigma. And he was, to hi

s now trying to breach the corporate firewalls of Sterling Enterprises. But everything was locked down tight. Every recent

s trying very hard to