Chapter 12

Adeline was worried that Williams was beginning to lose her grasp on reality.
But as a professional, her duty was not to panic. It was to help Williams find her own way out of the labyrinth she had built around herself. Despite being well paid by Williams’s mother, it wasn’t a luxury; it was a burden. Adifficult promise she had made to Williams’ mother, Miss Kai Malee.

As Confidentiality was sacred. There was no way Adeline could reveal those private interactions to Miss Kai, other than providing a monthly summary of the progress of her special patients’ improvement. Over the years, that arrangement had created a deep bond between her and Miss Kai. She had become part of the family, and whatever she needed, Miss Kai was always quick to provide.

Lost in thought, Adeline was startled when Williams’s voice called from the living room, asking for more coffee. She hurried out of the kitchen, cup in hand.

“Aren’t you drinking too much coffee, Dr. Williams?” she asked

“Well, I’ve got work to do.”

“How about offering yourself a holiday?”

Williams raised an eyebrow. “Do you want us to have holidays?”

Adeline flushed. “Oh no, not together! I mean, you alone.”

“I never said both of us would be on holiday together,” Williams teased with a faint smile. “But if I do take one, that means no sessions for a while. You would be free, right?”

“Oh, yes. For a while. But I’d strongly suggest you take some rest. It’s important,” Adeline replied.

She could tell that Williams had said it intentionally, as if trying to play with her mind. That confirmed her suspicion that something was slipping in Williams’s psyche. From years of observation, she had learned that Williams acted out of control whenever she could not be in control. It was a self-preservation tactic. But what Adeline feared the most was the day Williams would face something she truly could not manage, because that day, the outcome would be catastrophic.

“Williams,” she began carefully, “have you ever met someone who truly captured your admiration, someone you could crave for?”

For a long moment, silence filled the room. Williams slowly turned her coffee cup between her fingers. The question had touched something deep within her. Her expression stayed composed, but her body betrayed the struggle beneath.

How could she answer that? She had never seen anyone beyond what she wanted them to see. There was always a wall between her and whoever tried to reach her. The few who came close, like Emilio, were barely holding on to something that resembled friendship.

Before the silence became unbearable, Williams’s phone rang. She seized the opportunity like a lifeline.

“I have an emergency,” she said abruptly, grabbing her things.

Adeline did not insist. But as Williams reached the door, Adeline suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to give her the usual monthly prescription.

“Wait,” she called out, hurrying after her. She caught Williams by the arm, almost stumbling into her.

Williams froze. Her face went pale, as if Adeline’s touch had burned her. Then her expression hardened into something sharp and intimidating.

Realizing her mistake, Adeline quickly let go. “I’m sorry, you forgot this.” She handed her the folded paper. “Please take it as prescribed.”

Williams took the paper without a word and walked out. If Adeline had not known her well, she would have taken that look as a sign of someone ready to deliver a solid slap. The echo of that cold reaction replayed in her mind long after the door closed. That strange moment of contact gave her an idea, a method she would test in their next session.

Back at her villa, Williams indulged in the one moment she truly enjoyed: soaking in a hot bath with a glass of whiskey in her hand.
She knew the devil would eventually slip between moments of peace, strangling her with thoughts she did not want to face. For now, she let the heat soothe her body and the alcohol calm her mind.

Her thoughts drifted to the young woman who had abruptly left the hospital with her friend. That unfinished business gnawed at her. Emilio also crossed her mind; his silence was becoming suspicious. Mr. Polo had given her partial answers, but not enough to quiet her doubts.

Fatigue settled over her before she realized she had not eaten all day. Sometimes she simply forgot she had a body to care for. With a sigh, she called her house staff to prepare dinner.

Tomorrow would be a heavy day. It was time to intervene directly, since neither Polo nor Emilio was giving her what she wanted.

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