“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, her voice sharp and immediate.

Langston turned toward her, his eyebrows raised slightly, as if entertained by her reaction. A smug smile curled on his lips.

“Ah, Miss Bailey. Come to enjoy the show? This syringe has something special—my own formula.”

Katelyn’s frown deepened, suspicion clouding her expression. Langston, making drugs now? Since when did he have that kind of knowledge?

The elderly man on the bed turned his head, his eyes catching Katelyn’s with a look of pure desperation.

His gaze pleaded with her, begging her to step in, his body trembling as he tried to move.

At that moment, Langston slapped him across the face. “I’m the one talking to you, so stay focused!”

Katelyn’s patience snapped. She stepped in without hesitation, placing herself between Langston and the patient, her arm coming up to stop him from delivering another blow.

“He’s barely holding on as it is. One more hit, or whatever’s in that syringe, and you could kill him. If you care at all about him surviving, you need to stop this now.”

Langston’s mouth curled into a mocking grin. He started clapping slowly. “Look at this—Miss Bailey, the saint. So noble, so full of compassion for everyone.” The sarcasm was sharp in his voice.

His tone shifted abruptly, the smile fading as his eyes locked onto hers, cold and hard. “But this is my family, my problem. You have no right to interfere, do you?” There was a warning in his voice. He had once admired Katelyn for her strength, but now her interference was like a thorn in his side, one he had grown to despise.

Katelyn’s gaze shifted between the two men, confusion clouding her thoughts as Vincent’s words about Langston’s abusive past echoed in her mind. Was this his twisted way of getting back at his family now that he was in charge?

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A steely resolve settled in her eyes. Even if she was an outsider, she couldn’t just stand by and watch someone be treated like this.

“I don’t know what happened between you two, but he’s Hades’ patient now. She’s done everything to keep him alive, and if you keep pushing, she won’t stand by either.”

Langston leaned back in his chair, casually spinning the syringe between his fingers, a sly grin forming as he lifted an eyebrow.

“Why do you even care about Hades? I had her save this old man’s life, but when and how it ends—that’s all on him.”

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