Chapter 97

The door to Grace’s room swung open, and Dr. Everett stepped inside, his expression already grim. His eyes immediately landed on the unconscious woman lying on the bed—her face was swollen, bruises already darkening against her pale skin, and her breathing was far too shallow for his liking. But what caught his attention next was Marco.

The man was seated at the edge of the bed, his fingers wrapped tightly around Grace’s limp hand as if letting go would shatter her completely. His usually composed face was etched with something the doctor rarely saw in him—worry. A raw, unfiltered kind of worry that made his grip tremble ever so slightly. He knew who this man was to Grace.

And the thought of it only made Dr. Everett sigh. He had been the Blackwood family’s doctor since Grace was just a baby, and he had witnessed every dark secret hidden behind these walls—including the tragedy that was her existence.

Although Grace was not an illegitimate child, she had always been