of New York. Headlines s

noise. My fo

access to her son. He lay still,

unt of my own blood, mixed with specific herbal compounds I'd spent years

my stomach, but Liam's innocent face, Bri

hatever happens, I am in your debt." She pressed a heavy env

nsistent. "This is a fight for m

courier delivered a small, encrypted drive to my

short vi

g her "healing orchid," but then, she carefully added drops of a shimmering, unlabele

ideo

liquid... it looked

ubtle glance at the gala, her request for my "opinion" on the orchid. She was no fool. She was

st imperceptibly at first, he began to respond

d a picture of Ethan's miraculous improvement under Vero

e contorted in a silent grimace of pain when he thought no one was

as deteriorating, masked by Veronica

quiet healing sessions for Liam

high-end hotel ballroom. The Vanderbilts, the O'Connells, doctors

ng early congratulations. Ethan was not yet t

beside her, "Ethan will soon join us, a testament to the power o

is Miss Hayes? Has she conceded defeat already

side of the ba

lked

walking on his own, was Liam O'Connell. His

ll into an asto

ed. Camera

ant expression fro

le!" she

Miss Hayes," he said, his voice a little

to his side, tears of joy

tive had

r face pale with shock and impending

two sturdy attendants, his arms linked through

ic grin on his face. "Looks like your litt

d strong

e lit up with

I'm walking! Veronica cured me! You

his attendants, to take a

id, my voice carrying clearly in the sudden hush. "But your legs... the

"Lies! Jea

attendants awa

Then another.

n he co

scream of pure, unadulterated

the floor, clu

enly dark, stained. A sickeningly sweet,

c er

horror. She saw the state of his legs, the discolored,

with fury, and slapped Veroni

screamed. "What have

anor's shriek, grabbed a hysteri

knelt beside Ethan

inically. "Necrosis. Extensive. To save your life,

th legs. Without it, the sepsis will

n, glared at me with w

shrieked. "Sabotage

hattered. His mira