ire

ext morning to clear out my medical locker

the heavy security doors, I

conversations to glare at me, their e

skly toward the medical wing, de

a female Associate stepped out of a doorway, blocking my p

se. It must be difficult to show your face around me

lness settling over me, ecl

your mouth," I warned, stepp

the server, Claire. Everyone knows the

the nearest terminal in the medical bay. I logged into the Family'

lashing red, already having

nfidelity, claiming I was the bastard ch

a sensation of falling, swi

. I stared at the screen in horror, but as I watched, my eyes trace

natomical angles of the neck were impossible, the

by someone with professional editing skills and access

, I clicked on the most ex

blended my features with my mother's to maximize the humiliation, ensuring the entire

hest heaving with a mixt

f Family law-a calculated cam

n downloading the files. I decided then to take the f

à. I was going to bring th

n on the keyboard, terminating the

hone from the desk, his impo

I demanded, reachi

diers began to gather in the hallway, d

each. He looked down at me, his face

the corridor heard him. "Trying to hide the evidence? The whole

im my one remaining lifeline. He sidestep

my blouse. The fabric tore down the seam with a sharp r

red over the thin white scars from my years of grueling tr

d on Luca's lips as his eye

ed, his voice carrying effortlessly down the hall. "Have you bee

pted from the gathered crowd. They call

pressing in from all side

ing gaze, the pieces did not s

pted server. The intimate knowledge of my family. The w

rd of ice lodging itself in my brain: Luca had commission

uth hovering inches from m

red, his voice smooth and deadly. "She deserv

, clean and cold as forged steel, burned through m

e face with all my might. My palm crack

ist in a crushing grip, his fingers digging viciou

ck pocket, began to ring. It was the speci

ed my heavy boot down onto hi

on of a second. I ripped my arm free and snat

cking away from h

mother has flatlined from shock. We resuscitated her, but she de

ng any remaining thought of the

Soldiers, who parted in surprise, allowing m

und gates, the cold air h

cab, a blacked-out van screeched to a

e. Elena sat inside, her posture regal and

ered, her voice flat

cking and scratching like a cornered ani

f the van and slammed the doors

uld hear was the echo of the doctor's words-"she needs a signatur