"Add to that the shock of your disappearance and faked death, and the hypnosis he previously underwent has started to unravel. Right now, the only way to treat him is to put him under again."


    Laurel paused, a hint of mockerycing her tone.


    "Joshua Gardner is brilliant. He probably knew about his condition long before you


    or I did, which is exactly why he chose to hide it.


    Ste, never assume a patient is entirely in the dark about their own illness.


    On the contrary, he understands his situation far better than we do.


    Because there are certain things only he can truly feel.


    The Gardner family''s gic condition has never been a secret. Every head of the family has thoroughly and systematically studied their own illness, desperately trying to find a cure or a way to slow its progression.


    From the moment Joshua decided to keep it a secret, he knew perfectly well that the only viable treatment was hypnosis.


    But he didn''t want to go through with it. He didn''t want to forget you, so he chose to lie to everyone."


    Ste furrowed her brows. "But hiding it doesn''t do him any good. It will only make things worse.


    Joshua is too smart not to realize that."


    Laurel replied, "Exactly. Since he wants to be with you, he can''t just let the illness run rampant.


    So, he found another way to manage it."


    "What way?" Ste asked.


    Instead of answering directly, Laurel asked a question of her own. "Haven''t you noticed that Joshua''s methods have changed recently?"


    Ste froze.


    In an instant, she grasped exactly what Laurel meant.


    Laurel''s next words perfectly mirrored the chilling realization dawning in Ste''s mind.


    "Joshua knows he can''t afford to be triggered anymore. Therefore, he''s taking preemptive action to eliminate any person or situation that might set him off.


    First it was Foreman Richards, then Jonathan Williams, and Sellers Burton.


    I heard McCoy Chapman and Aurora Williams just got engaged. McCoy will be next."


    Ste blurted out instinctively, "But Joshua promised he wouldn''ty a hand on McCoy..."


    "Ste," Laurel cut in sharply, "the Joshua you''re dealing with right now is not your Joshua.


    He''s sick. He''s changed. You can''t trust a word he says anymore.


    You think he''s a good man because you met him when he was at his absolute best.


    He felt your warmth, so he put his demons on a leash.


    If things could have stayed that way forever, maybe he would have kept getting better.


    But life doesn''t run on ''maybe''s.


    He is now obsessively convinced


    that as long as he destroys any obstacles in your path beforehand," he won''t be triggered, and he won''t lose control.


    In the short term, maybe that actually stabilizes his condition.


    But if he keeps going down this path, he''s going to be more and more extreme.


    Once he decides someone is a threat, he won''t hesitate to start a bloodbath.


    You think he''s harmless because he deliberately hides his true nature when he''s around you.


    Joshua has been my partner for


    years, and even though


    know I


    shouldn''t be talking about himulike


    this, have to tell you the truth: he has never been a saint.


    Or rather, his kindness is reserved solely for you.


    All that ying the hero and delivering justice you think he''s doing? That''s just for your benefit.


    If it were anyone else, even if they died right in front of him, he wouldn''t bat an eye.


    And finally..."


    Laurel let out a self-deprecating


    other for years, but if I ever got in his way, he''d kill me without a second thought. Though, to be fair, whatever he does to me, I''d have iting. Because I could never repay what I owe him in a million lifetimes."