Ethan woke to the pungent, antiseptic bite of hospital air.
His eyelids fluttered open, and his mind was a whirlwind of chaos, yet one phrase looped relentlessly in his skull. "Never see you again."
His throat burned like sandpaper. He tried to speak, but no sound came.
Then he saw her. Iris perched at his bedside.
She was the woman he had once thought fragile, obedient, and in need of his protection.
Now her face was gaunt, her eyes were bloodshot, and her knuckles were bone white as she gripped the court summons.
"Ethan, you are awake." Her voice came out raw, and tears welled in her eyes. "Those accusations, I cannot bear them. Only you can save me, save us, and save the baby."
He hauled himself up, and his gaze turned glacial. "You have the nerve to bring up the child?"
She fli
