CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINE – BACK TO SQUARE ONE

The sterile confines of the hospital room were a stark contrast to the chaos that had engulfed their lives. Donovan lay motionless in the hospital bed, his features obscured by a tangle of tubes and wires, the steady beep of the heart monitor the only indication that he still clung to life. Julian stood vigil at his bedside, his expression a mask of grim determination as he studied the battered investigator. Donovan had paid a steep price for his pursuit of the truth, a truth that Julian now feared may never see the light of day. "He's strong, Julian," Charlotte murmured, her hand slipping into his in a silent show of support. "If anyone can pull through this, it's Donovan." Julian nodded, his jaw clenched with barely restrained fury. "The von Beckers will pay for this, Charlotte. I swear it on my life." A soft rap on the door drew their attention, and a diminutive figure slipped into the room, his eyes shadowed beneath the brim of a weather-beaten cap. Julian recognized him immedi