Chapter 45

• The moment Winona had walked into the hospital, I knew she was just another pawn in the game. A replacement, filling a gap left by others who’d chosen better opportunities. She hadn’t earned her spot, not like the others who had worked their way up. No, she had simply lucked into it.
• At first, she was eager. Hungry for knowledge, asking questions every chance she got, like a starved animal. I could tell she admired me, even looked up to me in those first weeks. I didn’t mind—it was a part of the job. I was patient with her, always ready to guide her when she asked. But there was something in her eyes that started to shift. Her curiosity, at first innocent, began to darken.
• I could feel it, the way she would sidle closer when I spoke about my research. The questions started to dig deeper. More pointed, more insistent. I couldn’t blame her for being curious; I’d built something valuable. But I also knew that if she got her hands on that data, if she cracked the code behind my work, it would all be exposed. The blood, the sweat, the late nights—it would all be for nothing. And I wouldn’t let that happen.