Chapter 25

Stephanie was about to continue her mocking remarks when she saw a scar on the inside of Jonathan's right arm. She froze for a moment. It looked like a burn mark. Frederick had burn scars too, but his were small, just a faint mark on his wrist—not nearly as severe as the scar on Jonathan's arm. Two years ago, one night after finishing a major surgery at the hospital, she had been utterly exhausted. She returned to her nearby apartment, where a blackout had forced her to rely on candlelight. She had barely finished washing up before collapsing into bed, forgetting to close the windows or extinguish the candle. Her room was ablaze when she woke up, the air thick with smoke. Dizzy and weak, she couldn't muster the strength to move. Just as she was on the brink of losing consciousness entirely, she faintly heard the sound of someone kicking down the door. Moments later, she felt herself being lifted and carried out. When she regained consciousness, she was lying in a hospital bed.