I shiver from the way he moves the gun along my forehead, then retracts it entirely.

“Very well then,” he concludes and pulls out a white hand chief. I can see the tiny pink bunny embroidered at the edge—its red eyes only looking as radiant as Matteo’s vibrant ones. “Then you’ll do what I asked and retrieve the records.”

“Do you have the condition?” I dare to ask.

“I do,” he announces far too calmly.

I’m looking at him in confusion because if that’s the case…

It is hereditary…

“You’re not asking me to check,” I mutter in understanding as it clicks in. “Eva has it.” The silence is deafening as I come to another understanding. “And so does Domino.”

He smirks then.

Shit…

“You don’t show the same signs as Leighton,” I voice confidently due to my analysis.

“Because I’ve slowed the process to a minimal pace,” he reveals.

“For someone willing to put a gun to another’s head, it doesn’t seem like it’s ‘minimal,’ as you declare.”

“That’s because I’m not attempting to fight who I’m meant to become,” he notes like this is so easy to understand. “The person standing before you who can easily put a gun to your head is my true personality. I don’t hide behind a mask or fear the disapproval of my peers. This is who I am in the flesh.”

I feel like he’s taking jabs at Zander and Ares with his references.

“I certainly don’t hide behind a position that allows me to be close to my target that I have a dangerous obsession for but not the guts to act upon the urge to love her the way she deserves.”

My grimace validates his words as he laughs mockingly my way.

“I won’t see an imbalance in personalities for another ten years at best,” he vows. “That’s because the specific electroconvulsive therapy aids in slowing the progressive phase of these ‘other’ personality traits from developing into characters that disturb the host.”

“Then what’s your haste in Eva’s case if you have a cure?”

“It’s not a cure,” he grumbles, looking dissatisfied with my response. I realize I need to think carefully about how I react now because this seems to be a triggering subject. “Prevention at best.”

“If that’s so…” I trail off because I need a moment to think. My eyes scan our surroundings, trying to decipher the hidden purpose of coming to this specific spot. It’s not the wonderful night sky that’s decorated with plentiful stars or the fountain that continues to spray various streams of water to appease our presence, despite our lack of attention.

The perennials then catch my attention, triggering a thought that flourishes to life.

“You can’t prevent something that’s already in full bloom.”

“Ding, ding, ding,” he hums the word three times. “We have a winner.”

Shit…

“How far… how bad…”

“That’s what I need you to find out,” Matteo emphasizes. “I know you have access to the database. You also have connections to get the exact records needed.”

“And why can’t you?”

“I lost that privilege when I bought out the medical institution shareholder’s entire Empire,” Matteo dryly notes. “I thought about buying the medical institution as well, but I have enough investment in the medical department. I will reconsider it if they have better progress in aiding with thisspecific condition that only plagues one percent of the world’s population, but if not, I see no need.”

“Your concern revolves around the condition’s pace of growth.”

“As I should,” he announces as he admires his metallic-red gun before sliding it into the holster on his left side.Is he dominantly left-handed?“How many seizures has Eva had in the last six months?”