Allessa began to speak, and even though her voice was calm and respectful, my body didn’t trust the moment. I stayed very still, as if moving might make everything shatter. Kelly’s hand remained warm in mine, steady, while Dominic stayed close enough that I could feel his presence without needing to look at him.
That helped more than I could explain.
“I need you to understand something first,” Allessa said carefully. “What I’m about to tell you isn’t something I’m proud of. When you were admitted, I was instructed to follow a treatment plan already approved by Sir Ariott’s private medical board. I wasn’t allowed to question it.”
Her jaw tightened before she continued.
“At first, the medications were administered through your IV. They were labeled as stabilizers—vitamins, sedatives, sup
