Chapter 36\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened? Did she damage her brain?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick frowned at the phrasing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says she has amnesia. Only remembers the days before\u00a0<\/p>\n
she turned eighteen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAmnesia\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s brow furrowed. \u201cIt happens, usually short\u2013term, from\u00a0<\/p>\n
trauma. How long?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA few days.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo way,\u201d Bradley muttered, skepticism written all over his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing Roderick\u2019s genuine concern, he gripped his arm. \u201cListen,\u00a0<\/p>\n
man, has it occurred to you she might be playing you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Roderick\u2019s expression darkened, Bradley pressed on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, it\u2019s not that I\u2019m biased against her. I get why you had a\u00a0<\/p>\n
thing for the old Madeleine. She was beautiful, smart, came\u00a0<\/p>\n
from a good family, basically everyone\u2019s campus crush back\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 36\u00a0<\/p>\n
then. But you\u2019ve seen how she\u2019s been acting these years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He put his hands on his hips, exasperated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s been throwing herself at someone else. How much\u00a0<\/p>\n
clearer does she need to make it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an act. She\u2019s pretending to be the girl you fell for so\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u2019ll let her get away with everything again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s rant continued, but Roderick barely heard him,\u00a0<\/p>\n
latching onto one thing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLots of people liked her at school?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, yeah\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s gaze turned to ice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley stared, dumbfounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you for real? Now?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust answer. Did you like her back then?\u201d Roderick\u2019s voice was\u00a0<\/p>\n
dangerously calm. \u201cIt\u2019s a simple question.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 36\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley was speechless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d given up his day off for her check\u2013up, only to get dragged\u00a0<\/p>\n
into their drama.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He threw his hands up in defeat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine. If so, I\u2019ll give a simple answer. That dance she did at the junior high opening ceremony, remember? Yeah, I found her lovely back then.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBradley!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s shout cut through the air, his eyes blazing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley jumped back, startled, patting his chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cChrist, man! Keep it down! That was a lifetime ago. It\u2019s a sore\u00a0<\/p>\n
spot for me now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Across the room, Madeleine looked up from her conversation\u00a0<\/p>\n
with the intern, her expression now one of awe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBradley, this is incredible! Direct entry PhD, all these papers\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did your family stumble upon some incredible luck after you\u00a0<\/p>\n
switched schools?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley\u2019s mouth twitched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 36\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell was that supposed to mean?\u201d he wondered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under Roderick\u2019s unrelenting glare, he coughed and called\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine over for the consultation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She sat down obediently, explaining her complete lack of\u00a0<\/p>\n
memory of the past eight years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley remained silent, his disbelief plain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But as he watched her animatedly recount her fainting spell, he\u00a0<\/p>\n
hesitated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She did seem different.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s get some scans. Maybe you head hit something when\u00a0<\/p>\n
you fell. We\u2019ll start with a CT.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He scribbled the orders and sent her off with the intern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once she was gone, Bradley turned back to Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t serious. We were kids. I just thought she was cute\u00a0<\/p>\n
and could dance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave a hollow laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at the women I date now. Nothing like your Madeleine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 36\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was true.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley had been with plenty of women over the years. Now\u00a0<\/p>\n
successful in his career, by all accounts, he should have settled\u00a0<\/p>\n
down long ago, yet he never stayed with anyone for long.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was just one thing all those women had in common: they\u00a0<\/p>\n
all looked strikingly similar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s focus.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley cleared his throat and steered the conversation back on\u00a0<\/p>\n
track.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe scans aren\u2019t back, but traumatic amnesia is unlikely.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused and lowered his voice. \u201cMy money\u2019s on \u2026 she\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
faking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s brow furrowed tighter, his knuckles unconsciously\u00a0<\/p>\n
tapping the desk. \u201cYour reasons?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst, traumatic amnesia comes with brain injury. She has\u00a0<\/p>\n
none.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley flipped through the medical record, jotting something\u00a0<\/p>\n
down quickly. \u201cBesides, clinically speaking, selective amnesia\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 36\u00a0<\/p>\n
lasting exactly eight years is almost unheard of.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s face was thunderous. Bradley, familiar with his temper, recognized the warning signs. He was about to\u00a0<\/p>\n
explode.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rubbed his nose.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s not impossible. The mysteries of the human body are far from fully understood. There\u2019s a chance, however small. I\u2019m\u00a0<\/p>\n
just saying this so you\u2019re mentally prepared.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick lowered his gaze, his voice deep. \u201cIf she is pretending,\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hope she can keep it up for a lifetime.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTch\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bradley rested his hands behind his head, sighing in frustration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRoddy, I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re a hopeless romantic or just\u00a0<\/p>\n
hopeless.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He shook his head, his tone half\u2013teasing, half\u2013serious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThink it through. If she is faking, what\u2019s her goal now? Regret?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or does she have another scheme?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 36\u00a0<\/p>\n
laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He lifted his gaze, his eyes burning with a fierce, stubborn light. \u201cAs long as she keeps performing, I\u2019ll be her audience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine felt lightheaded after the series of tests, her\u00a0<\/p>\n
complexion pale from low blood sugar following the blood\u00a0<\/p>\n
draw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEat this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick handed her the lunchbox like a lifeline. She opened it\u00a0<\/p>\n
and gulped down the custard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 37\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash 36 Chapter 36\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened? Did she damage her brain?\u201d\u00a0 Roderick frowned […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29290\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}