Lahat ng Kabanata ng Eight Chances, All Spent: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 8

As I had after the previous seven procedures, I carried the white medical transport case into her hospital room.The moment Vanessa saw me, she pushed herself upright.There was no hiding the urgency in her voice."Adrian, did they collect the baby's blood?"That was the only question she ever asked after one of these procedures.Damian Voss suffered from an inherited blood disorder.She always claimed everything she did was somehow for my sake.The truth was simpler. She kept conceiving with Damian so a private lab could try to study the baby's blood to find a cure.She wanted a ready and continuing supply of material for Damian's treatment.I said nothing and placed the case in the exact spot she had designated.Before Vanessa's eighth termination, we had once expected a child of our own.When she was three months pregnant, she ended that pregnancy for Damian.When I learned the truth, we had a terrible fight.I ran from the house during the argument and was struck by a

The next day, I was packing when Dr. Marcus Feldman, our department chair, called.By the time I reached the hospital, a crowd had gathered outside the administrative office.Objects came flying at me before I understood what was happening, and someone raised a bottle of acid and threw it.I twisted aside, but droplets struck the back of my hand and burned immediately."Butcher! My child took the medicine you prescribed and ended up in intensive care. Give me my child back."The father's screaming filled the corridor.My mind went blank.I had always been meticulous in my work and had never made a medication error.How could a child have received the wrong drug and deteriorated badly enough to require intensive care?Ignoring the chaos and the pain in my hand, I demanded the security footage.The recording showed Damian secretly removing the medication I had prescribed and replacing it with another bottle.Cold went through me, and I headed straight for his room.Vanessa wa

Vanessa grabbed Grant by the collar and demanded an answer."What do you mean the line was cut and he disappeared?"And what happened to my assets? They were administered by one of the most sophisticated trust firms in Crestland. No one knew my access credentials. How could every covered account be empty?"Grant handed her a copy of the agreement with shaking hands."Ms. Langley, you need to read this."The moment Vanessa saw the marital agreement, she froze.She had almost forgotten that she had ever signed it.Yet every line on the page documented how completely she had once loved Adrian Pierce.When they first became involved, everyone around them opposed the relationship.Adrian had tried to end things because of the enormous difference in wealth and social status, but Vanessa pursued him without restraint until he finally agreed to remain with her.To prove there was no limit to what she'd give him, she had personally executed the trust instruments and escrow documents t

Vanessa raised her face, and tears finally rolled down in silence.At that moment, she wanted only one thing: for Adrian to still be alive.She wanted the chance to say that she was sorry.Elsewhere, at the Whitmore estate outside Ridgewater, I woke in a soft bed with my vision still blurred.The first thing I saw was a woman with a startlingly fine face, watching me quietly."You're awake."My head was splitting, as if someone had taken a hammer to both temples.I barely managed to push myself upright.Every movement dragged against the bruises all over me."Who are you?""Camille Whitmore. My family owns Whitmore Holdings. I happened to be near Hawkridge Gorge that day because I wanted to try some of the outdoor attractions."Fear crossed her expression as she continued."Then I saw you fall. I didn't have time to think. I went into the reservoir and pulled you out."My breath caught.The memory of falling returned without warning.So did the cold water filling my lung