h was raspy, her dominance was eviden

nd cables hooked to her body. "Dr. Escobar," he continued, his voice both deep and tend

n. But her limbs felt tight, and the agony in her chest told her di

now but still tinged with poi

ure you survive. His gaze momentarily turned to the monitors to validate her steadiness. Though

eper in her, something she wasn't used to experiencing. Frustration. The

ofia's eyes narrowed as she dem

turned not aside. Your inner circle asked for me. Yo

ned, who had brought him here; she was not a lady who let

murmured, her voice icy. You are nothing excep

ined a steady look. "I have no need

sense. She detested the way she depended on his presence at this time. She owed him something; he was the one

strength. She had to get off from this

she went to slide her legs over the side. "For now you hav

ouch, stiffened. Never e

k right away, not changing

igure dominated the little corridor, his black eyes staring unsettlingly at Rafael.

though they were sharing a secret, "

im the choice to decline. He moved forward, Ra

t a part of this world." "Let me thus make this clear.

g into his chest. "I have no involvement in wh

fect. But you cannot walk out of here without being suck

anished into the darkness before Rafael co

aking palms, he took it out. The simple message on the screen was a picture of Sofia's hospital room tak

n offer that felt as much a directiv

to leave. I wouldn't stop you. If you stay, though, I want you to be a regular f

ted and burdened. Though Rafael felt

automobile in front of us. The one that

er gaze sliced through the layer of professionalism Rafael had spun around. Like daggers. She was Sofia Alvar

g the weight of her unspoken expec

ly, although inside a thousand ideas

he said, nearly to herself, "I don't like being saved." Her eyes then narrowed somewhat,

choice? Was his contribution limited to that of a surgeon? With a hard gu

think you understand what this is, don's you?" Her voice was like a keen, under control razor. "You don't

d façade a challenge that tested his nerves. He had always been a guy of reason and of science. He was alien to th

nce loomed over him anyway. "I am not the kind of lady who lets fat

his attention, a subdued but unquestionable intensity. Part of him yearned to learn more and t

, "Why me?" trying to stif

vate chamber flew open, breaking off the moment. Rafael hardly

uentes. He exuded the kind of person accustomed to getti

ntonio questioned, his voice s

part of this. But the tension in the room was evident, and Rafael felt as though

," she answered, her voice picking back to its regular edge.

equired before he turned back toward Sofia. "I sure he

more than just a doctor living here. He belonged to a far more expansive web that disregarded e

more, this time more sharply. "Dr. Escobar, just so

world he had just entered. He had hardly ventured into t

y, he read the brief text: Stay out of her