mear against the pristine, imposing gates of the Hall family estate in Long Island, New York. When Arely stepped out, the

resting near his sidearm. "This is pri

imply stated the alphanume

s wrist communicator. A moment later, his eyes widened slightly. He nodded,

His posture was perfect, his face impassive, but his sharp eyes scanned Arely from head to toe, trying t

were covered with the portraits of stern-faced Hall ancestors, their painted eyes seeming

oked up from a stack of medical files. This was Isadora Hall,

r voice loud and grating. "You're letting a Holly

sive furniture and landed on a figure sitting in

ring on his right hand, an ab

nto the room, a sudden, sharp heat bloomed from

thing electric and deeply familiar striking him to

d towards her, his eyes, the color of a stormy sea, locked on hers. As they

ra snapped, breaking the silence. "If you

ith chilling indifference. "Your current treatment protocol

. "How dare you? I graduated top

is critical. We don't have time for conventional tests.

had subsided to a warm thrum. This inexplicable pu

es?" he asked, his v

"Three days. I can stabilize

der!" Isado

his decision. "You'll sign a liability waiver.

. Arely took it, signing her name with a quic

ou kill my grandmother, I'll make sure y

aper onto a marble table.

way, Elsworth fell into step behind her

ore?" he asked,

miliar face, Mr. Hall," she said, her

re simple, yet they stirred the same strange sens

dical room. The rhythmic beeping of monitors filled the air. On the bed, surrounded by a web of t

eens, her mind instantly processing the num

catheters, a cryo-ablation probe, and a vial

names of the equipment

a cold, triumphant laugh. She was

already at the sink, scrubbing h