Chapter 4

"No," Ethan said, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "Moving her again seems extreme. Maybe we should just-"

"Ethan, did you not just see her attack me?" Liam interrupted, his voice rising with feigned desperation. "Did you not hear that doctor? He' s already taking her side. They will let her hurt herself, or worse, hurt someone else. We have to protect her, and we have to protect our family' s reputation."

The mention of family reputation struck a chord with Ethan. He was a Miller, a name synonymous with wealth and respect. A public scandal about his unstable fiancée was the last thing he wanted. He looked at Chloe' s blank face, and his resolve hardened. Liam was right. This was a problem that needed to be contained.

"Fine," Ethan agreed, his voice cold. "Make the arrangements."

Two large orderlies came into the room. Chloe didn' t fight as they lifted her from the bed. She was a doll in their hands, pliant and empty. They led her down a long corridor and out to a waiting van. As they drove through the city, she saw the sign for the new facility: "Thorne Wellness Center." A jolt of terror, the first real emotion she had felt in days, shot through her. This was Liam' s place. The place he had built. This was not a hospital. It was a prison designed just for her.

The thought of going inside, of what awaited her there, was more than she could bear. She had to get out. She had to escape this path to hell.

"I' m sorry," she choked out, looking at Ethan, who sat beside her in the van. "I was wrong. Please, don' t take me there. I' ll do anything. Please, just take me home."

For a moment, Ethan' s cold exterior cracked. He saw a glimmer of the woman he loved, a desperate plea in her eyes. He felt a pang of guilt.

"Okay," he said softly. "We' ll go home."

He told the driver to turn around. But Liam, sitting in the front seat, immediately protested.

"Ethan, don' t fall for it," he said, turning around. "It' s a trick. She' s manipulating you again. We have to get her checked in. Just for an evaluation. For our peace of mind."

When they arrived at the Thorne Wellness Center, Liam insisted on a "routine" check-up. They took Chloe into a small, sterile room. Liam followed them in, a smug look on his face.

"She has manic episodes," Liam told the doctor on duty, using a term that sounded clinical and severe. He then deliberately bumped into a tray of medical instruments, sending them crashing to the floor. He immediately recoiled, clutching his arm as if in pain.

"She pushed me!" he yelled. "She' s having another attack!"

The orderlies grabbed Chloe, their hands like vices on her arms. She screamed, a raw, terrified sound. It was a trap, and she had walked right into it.

"Sedate her!" the doctor ordered.

Ethan watched, frozen, as they held his fiancée down and injected her with a powerful sedative. Her struggles weakened, her eyes rolled back, and she went limp. He had brought her here. He had condemned her.

As he walked out of the facility, leaving Chloe behind, Liam put his arm around him. "You did the right thing," Liam said. "Now, let' s talk about us. About our future."

Ethan pulled away, a rare flash of anger in his eyes. "Not now, Liam. Just... not now." He still loved Chloe, and seeing her like that had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.