Chapter 182. Hand on the knob. His chest tightened. He could see her through the gap—pale face, closed eyes, tubes snaking from her arm to the IV stand. Machines beeped steady. He stepped in. Closed the door quietly. Pulled the chair close to the bed. Sat. Watched her chest rise and fall. Remorse hit him like a gut punch. He dragged a hand over his face, fingers rough against stubble. Foolish. So damn foolish. He had thought she was betraying him. Hiding phones. Meeting shadows. But here she was—broken because of his world, his enemies. He had dragged her into the fire, and now she burned. "I'm sorry," he whispered again. Voice broke. He leaned forward, elbows on knees. Head bowed. "I should've protected you better. Should've seen it coming." Victoria stirred. A small sound escaped her lips. Her eyelids fluttered. Ethan straightened fast. Reached for her hand. Gentle. His thumb stroked her knuckles. Her eyes opened. Focused on him. Tears welled up instantly. "Ethan..." We

Ethan’s words hung in the air. “We have to get rid of the baby.”Victoria’s scream dissolved into ragged, broken sobs. She curled onto her side, away from him, her body a tight ball of grief and defiance. The monitors beeped faster, tracking her distress."you need to be calm," he whispered.But Victoria, was far from listening to anyone.Ethan stood up. His face was pale, his eyes dark with a storm she had never seen before.It wasn’t anger, It was horror. He turned and walked out of the room. His steps were too steady, too controlled. He moved down the hospital corridor like a machine, nurses and orderies parting for him without a word.He didn’t stop until he reached a deserted supply closet at the end of the hall. He shoved the door open, stepped inside, and locked it. He drove his fist into a metal shelving unit. Once. Twice. The clang was deafening in the small space. Pain shot up his arm. He welcomed it. He leaned his forehead against the cool, dented metal, breathing hard

“Get me a full neuro workup, now! And push phenobarbital, 20 mg IV,” he barked, his medical instinct taking over despite the fear. He moved back to Victoria’s side, placing his hands on her temples this time. He didn’t try to pour raw power in. Instead, he sent out fine, seeking threads of energy, probes trying to map the chaos in her mind.It was like touching a live wire. Jagged, hostile feedback zapped back at his senses. His own head pounded in sympathy. Blood dripped steadily from his nose now, spotting Victoria’s pillow. He ignored it.The anti-seizure medication flowed into her IV. For a long, terrifying minute, nothing changed. The spiking lines on the EEG continued their violent dance.Then, slowly, the peaks began to lessen. The chaotic scribbles smoothed into slower, rolling waves. The frantic beeping slowed, returning to a steadier, if still abnormal, rhythm.The next six hours were a relentless siege. Ethan operated on Victoria’s body. When her kidneys showed signs o

The room became a hurricane of white coats and shouting voices. Ethan's hands pressed firmly against Victoria's temples, his eyes squeezed shut, his jaw locked.He pushed his energy into her like a man trying to hold back a flood with his bare hands.The monitors screamed. The heart rate line was a blur of spikes. The EEG showed a brain consumed by electrical fire."General, you have to move!" a nurse yelled, trying to pull him back.Ethan didn't hear her. He was somewhere else, inside the storm of Victoria's mind. It was dark there, cold. He felt her consciousness flickering like a candle in a hurricane.He pushed harder.Blood poured from his nose, dripping onto her white gown. His head pounded with a pain but he didn't stop."Pushing 10 of diazepam!" the anesthesiologist called out.The medication flowed into Victoria's IV. For a moment, nothing changed. Her body continued to arch and tremble.Then, slowly, the seizure began to ease. The violent jerking softened to tremors. The ri

“I think we should collaborate with the president,” Anna said"No," Thomas said, his voice hard. He shoved the photograph back at Anna. "I won't work with the President. He betrayed Jack. They both did. They used him like a tool and threw him away when he stopped being useful."Anna didn't take the photograph. She let it fall to the stained carpet."Thomas, listen to me," she said, stepping closer. "Your brother made a choice. He went after the president first. He tried to destroy him. And he lost. The President didn't betray Jack, jack failed the President. There's a difference."Thomas's face twisted with rage. His hands shot out and grabbed Anna by the shoulders. He shook her, hard."Don't you dare!" he shouted. "Don't you dare defend that coward! My brother is dead because of them! Both of them!"Anna didn't flinch or push him away. She let him shake her, her eyes locked on his."You want revenge?" she said, her voice calm against his fury. "Then stop acting like a child. Jack ma