Doctor Warner’s office door swings open, and my father steps inside. He opens the door with enough force for it to hit the opposing wall. Doctor Warner jumps up, and his bloodshot eyes widen in fear.
“This video was taken an hour ago.” Aiden points. “Look at the time stamps.”
I turn up the volume and keep watching.
“Something’s off,” Dad says. “She’s not acting how she should be.”
Doctor Warner adjusts his tie nervously, and a bead of sweat drips down his forehead. For a psychiatrist, you’d think he’d be better at feigning confidence. I’m not a body language expert, but even I can tell he’s acting shady.
“W-what do you mean?” Doctor Warner stammers.
If Dad finds out about Doctor Warner working with the guys and reducing my medication, he’d find himself the subject in my father’s next twisted experiment. Luckily for him, Dad seems too distracted and annoyed to notice Doctor Warner’s nerves.
“She’s not my Erin!” Dad blasts. “The rule breaking… the back talk… what she said to Jocelyn during visiting hours… it’s her. Sarah’s breaking through. I can feel it.”
“Erin’s going through a rebellious phase,” Doctor Warner suggests. “It’s common at her age. She seems fine to?—”
“You don’t know her like I do!” Dad picks up Doctor Warner’s metronome and hurls it against the wall, smashing a framed painting. “This isn’t how Erin behaves. Make preparations for repeating the procedure.”
“But, Magnus, that’s madness,” Doctor Warner says. “The upload of Erin’s consciousness will have disintegrated since the first procedure. The consequences could be disastrous. Think of the age gap alone. She’ll have no memory of anything from the point you moved to Pasturesville.”
Dad grabs Doctor Warner by the collar and sprays spit over his face as he yells, “I said, make the preparations!”
“But…” Doctor Warner whimpers, and his face reddens as he struggles to breathe. “It would almost certainly kill her.”
My heart thunders.
Dad drops his hold, and Doctor Warner splutters, massaging his neck.
Dad takes a deep breath. I think he’s about to come to his senses, then he says in a chilling tone that makes my blood run cold, “I’ve told you once before, my daughter is already dead. I will do anything to get her back.”
“Magnus… we have to stop… we…”
“No!” Dad blasts. “I make the rules! If you don’t comply, I will destroy you, Warner. I’ll make sure you never see the light of fucking day again. Your career, your life’s work, and your reputation will be gone in an instant. Do I make myself clear?”
I hope Doctor Warner will finally grow a pair of balls, but he only snivels and nods warily. Spineless coward.
“Okay,” he says. “But it’ll take time. I need to tweak the machine.”
“You have twenty-four hours,” Dad says. “We’ll do it tomorrow.”
Lex gently extracts the phone from my sweaty palm.
“Do you see what we’re up against now?” Aiden asks.
“What I’m up against,” I correct him. “I don’t need your help.”
Aiden strokes my cheek. “So fucking stubborn.” I hear the smile in his voice as the black fabric covering his mouth stretches. “You really are back.”
My body responds involuntarily to his touch, and a tremble of longing shoots between my legs. What’s wrong with me? I turn my head and bite his finger hard. That’s better.
“Ouch,” he hisses, yanking his hand away and scowling.
“Wise choice,” I say.
“We spoke to Doctor Warner on our way here,” Eli says as Aiden glowers at me. “We have a plan. A plan that, if it works, will give all of us what we’ve been waiting for.”
“See? You’re always thinking of yourselves,” I mutter scathingly.
