Lise’s eyes were locked on Langston, and a wave of dread washed over her. Her instincts warned her that this was someone they couldn’t afford to anger. She said urgently, “Mom, I suddenly feel some discomfort in my chest. Let’s go find me a doctor, quickly.” Her voice shook with increasing fear. For the sake of both the Bailey and Wheeler families, they couldn’t afford any more mistakes.

Her words instantly grabbed Sharon’s attention again. “I’ll take you to the doctor right now,” Sharon said.

Katelyn ignored her and opened the door to the next room. When she saw the patient’s condition, disbelief washed over her.

The ward was thick with the smell of disinfectant, sharp and clinical. But it wasn’t enough to drown out the foul odor rolling off the man lying in front of her. It was a nauseating stench, the kind that reminded Katelyn of something dead and left to decay.

She stepped closer, a mix of worry and confusion crossing her face. On the bed lay an old man, his hair graying and his body worn with age. His teeth were shattered, and someone had hammered nails into each of his fingers. When he saw Katelyn, he seemed to be bursting to say something, sounds struggling to escape his mouth. He wanted to speak, but his words were trapped, as if cut short.

Then she saw why—his tongue had been severed, leaving him unable to voice his pain. The old man had been made silent.

Katelyn’s eyes drifted to his leg, and she spotted the source of the awful smell: a deep wound, the flesh inside blackened and crawling with tiny white maggots. Only something long and brutal could have left him in such a state. A chill ran through her as she turned, her eyes blazing with anger.

“Did you do this?” Her voice was sharp and unwavering.

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In all her years as a healer, there was one thing she couldn’t stand—the abuse of the helpless, especially the elderly and children. What kind of person could do this? What difference was there between them and a wild animal?

Langston’s face held a slight smile as he replied, calm and unfazed, “I have no idea where he got those injuries.”

When Langston spoke, the old man stirred, his frail body shifting as he tried, with visible strain, to sit up in the bed.

But his limbs, thin and weakened, refused to cooperate. His hands, curled and stiff, could no longer support him. All he managed was a string of slurred words, mumbling something that was hard to understand. It felt as if he wanted to point a finger at Langston.

Katelyn’s eyes narrowed, her fists clenched as a cold determination set in. “You brought him here yourself. So, explain to me—how can you not know how he ended up like this in the first place? This is a crime!” Anger simmered in her voice, growing with each word.

A disturbing detail had caught her attention—the old man, even without teeth, still had visible roots left on his gums. It suggested his teeth hadn’t fallen out naturally; they’d been knocked out. Langston was a complete lunatic.

He spread his hands in mock innocence. “Do you have any proof I abused him? I didn’t harm him—I saved him. Without my help, he wouldn’t even be here.” His tone was bold, almost taunting.

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