Chapter 22 · The Redemption Deal

"Sit down, Julian. And don't even think about lying to me this time."

Sloane didn't shout. She didn't have to. She leaned against the heavy oak door, blocking the only exit. Her eyes weren't just cold—they were predatory. Between two fingers, she held the letter from the Silent Heart Society like it was a piece of filth she was tempted to burn.

Julian didn't sit. He couldn't. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic rhythm. "Sloane, the things in that letter... they're twisted. It's not the whole story."

"The part where you broke a patient's mind for a promotion?" She stepped forward. The leather of her boots clicked sharply on the stone. *Click. Click.* She stopped inches from him. She was shorter, but she owned every inch of the air he breathed. "That felt like a pretty complete story to me."

"I was young," Julian whispered, his voice cracking. "I was arrogant. I thought I was fixing them."

"You weren't fixing them. You were playing God."

Sloane's hand shot out. Her fingers gripped his chin, forcing him to look at her. Her touch was ice, but her gaze was searing. "And now you're here, playing savior to monsters.