Zoe withdrew her hand hastily, her face cold and determined. She reached for the phone on the bedside table, only for Barrett to intercept it and place it on the nearby desk.

With the hospital room door closed and Penelope having just left, Zoe knew it might be a while before anyone else came in. Since her depression relapse, she dreaded facing Barrett, especially at such close quarters.

For reasons she couldn't quite articulate, there was an innate sense of aversion and fear whenever she was near him.

Her hands clenched the bedsheets tightly as she fought the urge to retreat, forcing herself to remain composed as she glared at...