Chapter 24

In his office, James's eyelids kept twitching. He rubbed his temples, exhaustion written all over his face. Three straight days without sleep, buried in work—he was forcing himself not to go back to see her. He'd wanted to push her to the edge, but it turned out he was the first one to break. Thinking of her injuries, James hesitated with his phone in hand. The family doctor was there; she should be in good hands… He'd even asked Sophie and Ethan to leave just so she could rest without distractions. Trying to snap out of it, James stared at the documents again. The words might as well have been floating; not a single thing made it into his head. That whole day, his thoughts were a mess. His hand drifted to his chest—it felt hollow, like something had been ripped right out. Just then, a rapid knock sounded at the door. James replied, and Lucas came rushing in, looking panicked. “Mr. Carter, it's bad! Madam—she slit her wrists at home!” The papers slipped from his hands as James shot to