Chapter 23 The Unwitting Poisoner

• The revelation hung in the antiseptic air, a toxic cloud more contaminating than any prion. Alexander’s hand, where it had brushed against mine, felt like a brand. The gesture hadn’t been one of connection, but of transfer. He had passed the weight of this monstrous truth to me, and now it was mine to carry.
• BioVortex. The green laser. The bottle of Scotch. Vivian.
• The pieces clicked into a horrifying mosaic. Vivian, in her desperate, grasping love for Alexander and her own spiraling addiction, had become the delivery system for his death sentence. She had stolen the poison meant for him, sipping it like nectar, all while believing she was protecting him, caring for him. The irony was so vicious it stole my breath.