Chapter Forty
Morning sunlight filtered through gauzy curtains, casting golden stripes across the clinic’s pale walls. The smell of disinfectant lingered faintly in the air, a strange mix of calm and sterility that made Ace’s stomach twist. She hadn’t wanted to come. Not like this. But when both her mother and Clara showed up outside her door at precisely eight-thirty, smiling like they were escorting her to brunch instead of the medical wing, there hadn’t been any use arguing. Now she sat on the exam bed, one leg bouncing slightly as she waited. Clara and Evelyn occupied the two chairs near the corner, flipping through old magazines like twin conspirators pretending they weren’t watching her every move. Ace sighed. “You both look way too pleased with yourselves.” Evelyn smiled over the rim of her
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