It wasn’t phrased as a question.
“No.”
“Nurse?”
“No.”
“Paramedic?”
His eyes moved toward the window.
“Something like that.”
Victoria studied him.
She had spent thirty years reading people.
Investors who wanted something.
Executives hiding mistakes.
Politicians pretending certainty.
Competitors pretending weakness.
Ethan Carter was different.
He wasn’t hiding because he wanted leverage.
He was hiding because the thing behind the door hurt.
“What happened?” she asked.
His expression hardened.
“Your heart stopped. That’s what happened.”
“I meant to you.”
Silence.
Victoria understood.
Boundary reached.
She let it go.
For now.
—
The emergency landing was rough enough to wake half the cabin.
Paramedics boarded immediately.
Ethan gave the lead medic a concise handoff.
“Female, approximately early fifties, reported recent arrhythmia diagnosis. Became unresponsive and pulseless approximately thirty minutes ago. CPR initiated immediately.
