Ashfo

hallway, sharp and heavy

, then to the ashen face of Dr. Smith. The pieces clicked into place with an audible snap in the suffocating s

g, gathered in his eyes. But for the

anding on Dr. Smith with t

the single word more

ford... I... there seems to have been a... a m

"See to it he never practices medicine in this state, or any other, again. And I want our legal

out, and he slid down

woman on the bed. All the tenderness was

his expensive trousers. The tears were real this time, tears of pure terror. "Ethan, listen to me! I was

lame, to play the confus

shing you? You let me believe she tried to kill you, while s

d, her voice desperate. "I was so afraid of losing you! And... and your moth

expression flicker. For a second, I saw a crack in his resolve. But then it hardened into something

debt is paid," he said, his voice final. "I will see to it that you are provide

Swiftly. Brutally. The

inally, he

before: guilt. Raw, profound, and unsettling. He looked lost. For the first

reached for my wounded arm, his hand s

as an idiot. A blind fool. Let's get you taken care of. A pro

moved to

ack as if fr

fro

bled my world in the span of an hour. And I felt nothing. No ha

d his words softly. It was a

nk you,"

ned my ba

ffling step at a time, toward the exit. T

head was high. There was

ntered his voice that I'd never heard befor

, grabbing my goo

around. I didn

ree-carat pink diamond he'd given me felt like a shackle. It had once been my most t

ly, I worked the r

was smooth.

d my hand and

e sound sharp and piercingly loud in the silent hallway, before roll

And I delivered

t a di