Ethan lay perfectly still.

His eyes were shut, his breathing shallow and even, his jaw relaxed.

Only I knew the immense effort it took for him to play dead in this moment.

“He looks the same,” Jason muttered, his voice dripping with impatience.

He reached out and pressed two fingers against Ethan’s neck.

I held my breath, watching Jason’s knuckles whiten slightly as he searched for the pulse.

“The doctor said the new sedative should have kept him completely under,” Jason said, looking up at me.

His eyes narrowed in the dim light of the bedside lamp.

“Did you give him the dose I left for you?”

“Yes,” I lied, looking him straight in the eyes.

“Just as we agreed.”

Jason let go of Ethan’s neck and pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his fingers.

“Good,” he said, turning his back to the bed.

“We cannot afford any complications now.”

“The board is meeting tomorrow, and they are demanding answers about his condition.”

Before I could answer, a phone vibrated in Jason’s trouser pocket.

He pulled it out, glanced at the glowing screen, and hissed a curse under his breath.