Avery's Point of View
The private clinic was tucked away behind a row of tall pine trees on the outskirts of the city. It was the kind of place built exclusively for high-profile athletes and public figures—quiet, discreet, and entirely devoid of paparazzi.
To anyone else, it looked like an upscale medical center. To me, it felt like an execution chamber.
I held Jasmine’s small hand tightly in mine as we walked through the glass doors. She was wearing her favorite yellow raincoat, swinging her free arm, completely oblivious to the fact that the next twenty minutes would permanently alter the rest of her life.
"Mommy, why are we at a doctor's office?" she asked, looking around the pristine white lobby. "I'm not sick."
"I know, sweetie," I said, forcing my voice to sound soft and even d
