Ten Years Later, a Midnight Call from the ER Revealed the Devastating Reason He Let Me Destroy Him.

Julian twisted his neck against the glass, glaring at me with eyes full of pure venom.

"You ruined me, Robert!" he spat, spittle flying from his lips. "You think you're a hero? You threw that boy out into the cold! You spent ten years hating him! You're just as much of a monster as I am! When he looks at you, he’ll always see the man who betrayed him!"

I stood up slowly, brushing the glass shards from my jeans. I walked over until I was standing inches from Julian’s face.

The amber prescription bottle felt heavy and warm in my pocket.

"I made a mistake, Julian," I said, my voice steady, calm, and terrifyingly clear. "A mistake born of grief and stupidity. And I will spend every day of the rest of my life making it right with Ethan."

I leaned in closer, my eyes locking onto his.

"But you? You’re not a mistake. You're a disease. You killed a woman who trusted you. You tried to slaughter a child who never hurt a soul. You will die in a concrete cell, Julian. No bespoke suits. No scotch. No gold watches. Just cold walls and the memory of everything you stole and lost."

Julian’s arrogant mask completely dissolved. His lip trembled. Tears of self-pity welled in his eyes as the realization of his new reality crushed down upon him: the rest of his life behind bars.

"Get him out of my sight," Marlow ordered.

The SWAT officers dragged Julian out into the corridor. His polished shoes dragged limp along the plush carpet, squeaking against the marble as he wept openly, begging for his attorneys.

Marlow walked over and extended his hand to me.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Mr. Hale. Wearing an unauthorized wire into a suspect's office."

I shook his hand firmly. "You knew I was coming, Detective."

Marlow smirked, pulling a half-smoked cigar from his pocket. "Let's just say I kept a patrol unit tailing your Ford from the moment you left the hospital. Nice work, Robert. The DA says with that bottle and the original tape, Julian won't see daylight until he’s ninety. If he doesn't take a plea to avoid the death penalty."

I looked out through the shattered window at the city lights glowing beneath the rain.

"How’s Ethan?" I asked, my heart tight in my chest.