Chapter 2

Liam led Ethan into a private examination room. The door clicked shut, but the feeling of being watched lingered. The nurse' s demeanor became even more hostile now that they were alone.

"Sleeve up. I need to draw some blood."

His voice was clipped, impatient. He didn' t look at Ethan, just busied himself with a tray of sterile equipment, his movements sharp and aggressive.

Ethan rolled up the sleeve of his expensive shirt, his jaw tight. He hated needles, a fact Olivia knew well. Liam seemed to sense it, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.

"A bit squeamish, are we? I' m sure you' ve faced worse things in your wild nights."

He grabbed Ethan' s arm, his grip unnecessarily tight. He didn' t swab the area with alcohol properly, just gave it a quick, rough wipe. Then he jabbed the needle in, hard.

Ethan flinched, a sharp pain shooting up his arm. It felt deliberate, meant to hurt.

"Careful," Ethan gritted out.

Liam just laughed, a low, ugly sound. He drew the blood, his eyes scanning Ethan' s body with a look of disgust.

"All done. Now, let' s talk about your… history."

He put the vial of blood on the tray and circled Ethan, like a predator examining its prey. His eyes landed on a small, faded scar on Ethan' s forearm, a remnant from a childhood accident.

"What' s this? Track marks?"

The accusation was so outrageous, so vile, that Ethan was momentarily speechless.

"You spend all night partying, getting high, and then you come in here pretending to be a decent man for a woman like Olivia Hayes? Men like you make me sick. You think your money can buy you a clean slate, a good woman, a perfect life. But the filth always shows."

That was it. The dam of Ethan' s control finally broke. He shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. The pain in his arm was forgotten, replaced by pure, white-hot rage.

"You' re finished," Ethan snarled, his voice trembling with fury. "I' m going to have your license revoked. You will never work in this city again."

He stood over Liam, his body radiating menace. For the first time, a flicker of fear appeared in the nurse' s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by that same arrogant defiance.

Liam leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms. He looked Ethan up and down, a mocking smile on his face.

"Is that a threat, Mr. Miller? Are you trying to intimidate a healthcare professional? I' m just doing my job, asking the tough questions. Or are you afraid of what the answers might be?"

He was enjoying this. He was pushing every button, intentionally trying to provoke a reaction.

"Get out of my way," Ethan said, his voice dangerously low.

He couldn' t be in this room a second longer. The check-up was a sham, a setup designed to humiliate him. He had to get out, find his father, and have this man removed.

"I' m not doing any more tests. This is over."

Ethan moved toward the door, his mind racing. He had to find Olivia, to explain what had happened, to make sure she understood the depth of this man' s malice. He reached for the handle, but before he could open it, the door swung inward.

Olivia stood in the doorway, her face a mask of concern.