Four years. He had secretly tested their daughter four years ago and kept her in the dark the entire time. It was unforgivable. Despicable.


    The line went silent for a moment, filled only by the sound of his heavy breathing.


    "I''m sorry,"n''s voice came back, low and hoarse. "It was my fault."


    More apologies. She hated it.


    "Ian, what gave you the right?" she demanded, her voice shaking with fury. "What gave you the right to strip me of my parental right to know? Who are you to make these decisions about Evelyn on your own? In your eyes, am I just some burden who gets in your way whenever there''s a problem?"


    "No," he denied sharply, then repeated, "I''m sorry. I never should have hidden it from you."


    His passive eptance of her tirade only fueled her rage. "Sorry? Is ''sorry'' supposed to fix everything? You''re always like this,n—high-handed and self- righteous, acting like you''re some kind of savior! What else have you been hiding from me? Do you think you''re so incredibly noble?" The words tumbled out, and she felt hot tears welling in her eyes.


    The overwhelming emotion sent a sharp, stabbing pain through her chest. Her breath caught, and she instinctively clutched her heart as she stumbled and sank to her knees.


    Joel, who had been watching her with concern, saw her copse. His face paled, and he rushed to her side in an instant, grabbing her shoulders. "Eleanor, what''s wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with rm.


    Eleanor leaned against him, gasping for breath.


    His brow furrowed, Joel didn''t hesitate. He took the phone from her hand. "Mr. Goodwin, this is Joel. I''m going to have to ask you to stop upsetting Eleanor."


    "What''s wrong with her?"n''s voice was urgent.


    "She''s extremely agitated and experiencing chest pains. If you have any concern for her well-being, you''ll stop now Whatevert is, it can Wort until she''s calm


    "Joel, take care of her. If she''s having heart trouble, get her to a hospital immediately,"n urged. "Her heart-"


    Worried about Eleanor''s condition, Joel ended the call beforen could finish. He pocketed the phone and helped Eleanor to a lounge chair. "Are you feeling any better? Is your chest still hurting


    Eleanor closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. The sharp pain slowly subsided into a dull ache.


    "Joel, could you get me a ss of water?" she asked, looking up at him.


    He quickly brought her a ss of warm water. "Breathe slowly. Nothing is worth getting this worked up over."


    After a few sips, she felt a little


    better and leaned back against the cushions. She didn''t exin that the argument wasn''t about work. A new thought had taken foot in ber mind-a desire to keep this secret from the world. If word ever got out and reached her daughter''s ears, the knowledge that she might one day get sick could be devastating, even at her young age.


    As her breathing steadied, she reflected on the intense pain she had felt in her chest. Was it because she had pulled an all-nighter?