"Yeah." Luke clenched his brows, pain slicing through his head. Every throb made him feel like he could barely stand.
He hadn’t planned on telling Madeline any of this. He knew she’d just worry, and honestly, this kind of poison wasn’t something anyone else could cure. Only the woman who gave it to him had the antidote, and all he could do was rely on that.
Madeline frowned, her concern obvious. Toxic stuff like this was way out of her league. Last time she’d been poisoned, Casey was the one who found Jordan to help. She glanced at Luke. "Are you okay to stand up?"
He nodded. "What are you planning, Madeline?"
"I want to take you to someone who can help."
Luke pushed himself to his feet, a bit unsteady but stubborn as ever. "Don't bother. It's pointless. I... I don’t think there’s time."
Madeline’s worry deepened. "What are you saying?"
He tried to give her a small, wry smile. "The poison she makes, it’s not something you can just fix. It’s slow and it goes deep. Only her antidote works, just enough to hold it off."
"And this... is why you keep losing your memory?"
Luke nodded.
Madeline hesitated, watching him. "If that’s true, then how did you even remember to come find me?"
He paused, silent for a moment, then lifted his sleeve to reveal his forearm.
Madeline’s eyes widened. Across his skin were rough, overlapping scars. When she looked closer, she realized each mark formed the words: Find Madeline.
"You did this to yourself? With a knife?" Madeline’s voice shook.
Luke looked away, almost embarrassed. "I was scared I’d forget. There wasn’t any other way. Dumb idea, but I couldn’t risk losing the one thing I needed to remember. The sad part is, by the time I knew my memory was going, I’d already forgotten who sent me to protect you."
Madeline’s chest tightened. She didn’t even know what to say. The scars looked old, faded but still harsh. She could only imagine how much it hurt.
"How long were you trapped by her?"
He shook his head. "No clue. It felt like forever."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Twin Cupids at Work Daddy Come Home