Chapter 3
Derek didn't move. His face was unreadable.
"Mrs. Hale," he said slowly. "Who were you talking to?"
My blood ran cold. The phone was still in my hand, Nadia's voice faintly asking, "Camille? Camille, are you there?"
I hung up.
"My sister," I lied smoothly. "Planning her baby shower."
Derek studied me for a long moment. His eyes drifted to the sink — where traces of green smoothie still clung to the porcelain.
"You didn't drink your breakfast," he observed.
"Upset stomach." I gripped the counter behind me. "Was there something you needed, Derek?"
"Mr. Hale asked me to drop off your Thursday prep medications." He placed a small paper bag on the island. "Take one tonight, one tomorrow, one Wednesday night. They'll make the procedure go smoothly."
Prep medications. Likely drugs to boost my marrow production — or sedate me.
"Thank you," I said with a practiced smile.
Derek lingered. "Mrs. Hale, your husband cares about you very much. Everything he does... it's for your wellbeing. I hope you understand that."
Was that a warning?
The moment he left, I grabbed my keys and drove to the address Nadia texted me. A private clinic downtown, run by a doctor named Grace Chen — no connection to Roman's medical network.
Dr. Chen's face grew darker with every word of my story.
She ran a full panel. When the results came back, her hands were shaking.
"Camille," she said carefully. "Over the past three years, you've undergone at minimum six bone marrow extractions, fourteen plasma draws, and..." She paused. "There are surgical scars on your lower back consistent with a partial kidney removal."
The room tilted.
"A kidney?" I whispered.
"Your left kidney is gone. Based on the scarring, it was removed approximately eighteen months ago. You were told you had an appendectomy?"
I remembered. Roman had been so worried. He'd held my hand before I went under, promised he'd be there when I woke up.
I woke up with a scar and his face hovering over me, telling me everything went perfectly.
"There's more," Dr. Chen continued gently. "Your current bone marrow levels are dangerously low. Another extraction could trigger aplastic anemia — your body could stop producing blood cells entirely. Whoever's been doing this to you—" Her voice broke slightly. "A few more procedures, and it could be fatal."
Fatal.
That was the endgame. Use me until there was nothing left.
"How long do I have?" I asked. "If they do Thursday's extraction?"
"Weeks. Maybe a month before total bone marrow failure."
I sat with that number in silence. Then I asked, "Can you document everything? Every scar, every lab result, everything that proves what's been done to me?"
"Already started," Dr. Chen said. "Camille, you need to go to the police."
"Not yet," I said. "Roman is one of the most powerful men in this city. If I go to the police without airtight evidence, he'll make it disappear. He'll make *me* disappear."
I drove home in a daze. One kidney gone. Marrow depleted. Three years of my life — literally drained from my body. And I'd thanked him for it. I'd kissed him goodnight and told him I loved him.
When I pulled into the driveway, Roman's car was already there. He wasn't supposed to be home yet.
I walked inside and found him sitting in the living room, still in his coat.
His phone was in his hand. His eyes — those blue eyes I once adored — were completely cold.
"Camille," he said quietly. "Derek tells me you poured out your smoothie this morning."
My heart stopped.
He stood and walked toward me slowly, his expression shifting into that warm, concerned mask. "Baby, are you feeling okay? You need those nutrients. You know how worried I get about your health."
He cupped my face in his hands. His touch was feather-light.
"I scheduled something special for Thursday," he said. "Dr. Voss says this will be the last procedure you'll ever need. After this, you'll be completely free."
The last procedure.
He smiled at me like he'd just promised me the world.
But I finally understood what "completely free" meant to Roman Hale.
"Mrs. Hale," he said slowly. "Who were you talking to?"
My blood ran cold. The phone was still in my hand, Nadia's voice faintly asking, "Camille? Camille, are you there?"
I hung up.
"My sister," I lied smoothly. "Planning her baby shower."
Derek studied me for a long moment. His eyes drifted to the sink — where traces of green smoothie still clung to the porcelain.
"You didn't drink your breakfast," he observed.
"Upset stomach." I gripped the counter behind me. "Was there something you needed, Derek?"
"Mr. Hale asked me to drop off your Thursday prep medications." He placed a small paper bag on the island. "Take one tonight, one tomorrow, one Wednesday night. They'll make the procedure go smoothly."
Prep medications. Likely drugs to boost my marrow production — or sedate me.
"Thank you," I said with a practiced smile.
Derek lingered. "Mrs. Hale, your husband cares about you very much. Everything he does... it's for your wellbeing. I hope you understand that."
Was that a warning?
The moment he left, I grabbed my keys and drove to the address Nadia texted me. A private clinic downtown, run by a doctor named Grace Chen — no connection to Roman's medical network.
Dr. Chen's face grew darker with every word of my story.
She ran a full panel. When the results came back, her hands were shaking.
"Camille," she said carefully. "Over the past three years, you've undergone at minimum six bone marrow extractions, fourteen plasma draws, and..." She paused. "There are surgical scars on your lower back consistent with a partial kidney removal."
The room tilted.
"A kidney?" I whispered.
"Your left kidney is gone. Based on the scarring, it was removed approximately eighteen months ago. You were told you had an appendectomy?"
I remembered. Roman had been so worried. He'd held my hand before I went under, promised he'd be there when I woke up.
I woke up with a scar and his face hovering over me, telling me everything went perfectly.
"There's more," Dr. Chen continued gently. "Your current bone marrow levels are dangerously low. Another extraction could trigger aplastic anemia — your body could stop producing blood cells entirely. Whoever's been doing this to you—" Her voice broke slightly. "A few more procedures, and it could be fatal."
Fatal.
That was the endgame. Use me until there was nothing left.
"How long do I have?" I asked. "If they do Thursday's extraction?"
"Weeks. Maybe a month before total bone marrow failure."
I sat with that number in silence. Then I asked, "Can you document everything? Every scar, every lab result, everything that proves what's been done to me?"
"Already started," Dr. Chen said. "Camille, you need to go to the police."
"Not yet," I said. "Roman is one of the most powerful men in this city. If I go to the police without airtight evidence, he'll make it disappear. He'll make *me* disappear."
I drove home in a daze. One kidney gone. Marrow depleted. Three years of my life — literally drained from my body. And I'd thanked him for it. I'd kissed him goodnight and told him I loved him.
When I pulled into the driveway, Roman's car was already there. He wasn't supposed to be home yet.
I walked inside and found him sitting in the living room, still in his coat.
His phone was in his hand. His eyes — those blue eyes I once adored — were completely cold.
"Camille," he said quietly. "Derek tells me you poured out your smoothie this morning."
My heart stopped.
He stood and walked toward me slowly, his expression shifting into that warm, concerned mask. "Baby, are you feeling okay? You need those nutrients. You know how worried I get about your health."
He cupped my face in his hands. His touch was feather-light.
"I scheduled something special for Thursday," he said. "Dr. Voss says this will be the last procedure you'll ever need. After this, you'll be completely free."
The last procedure.
He smiled at me like he'd just promised me the world.
But I finally understood what "completely free" meant to Roman Hale.