Chapter 20

He blinked. "What?"Claire smiled. "I asked if you liked the ivory roses.""Sure.""You didn't hear me."He looked down. "No."The smile on Claire's face tightened slightly—only slightly. "What's bothering you?"The question lingered between them. For several seconds, Ethan considered telling her everything: the pill, Maya, the conversation, the suspicion. Instead, he said nothing. Because for the first time in six months, he wasn't sure who he could trust.Later that night, long after Claire had gone upstairs, Ethan sat alone in his study. Rain clouds drifted across the lake, moonlight reflected on the water, and the mansion remained silent.He opened the desk drawer. Inside rested the tiny plastic bag Maya had given him. The white pill looked harmless, ordinary, yet he couldn't stop staring at it.Finally, he picked up his phone, scrolled through old contacts, paused, then selected a name: Dr. Samuel Reed.The call connected after two rings. "Ethan?" The familiar voice sounded surprised. "It's late.""I know.""Everything okay?"Ethan looked down at the pill. "No."Silence. Then Samuel spoke again. "What happened?"Ethan took a slow breath. "I need a favor."The following afternoon, a black sedan pulled quietly into the rear entrance of the Whitmore estate: no company logo, no medical markings, nothing that would attract attention. Dr. Samuel Reed stepped out carrying a leather bag. He was in his late sixties: silver-haired, sharp-eyed, one of the few physicians Ethan trusted completely.Years earlier, Samuel had treated Ethan's father; their families went back decades. Unlike the specialists Claire preferred, Samuel had never cared about publicity, or appearances, or billing hours: he cared about facts, which was exactly what Ethan needed.They met in the study, alone: no assistants, no nurses, no Claire.Samuel immediately noticed the tension. "You look worried.""I am."Ethan reached into his pocket, removed the plastic bag, placed it on the desk.

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