Chapter 8 - THE SECRET INSIDE THE BULLET
The MRI changed everything.
Diamond sat in the rehabilitation specialist's office with Caprice beside him.
Dr. Rachel Monroe studied the scans.
"The original diagnosis wasn't necessarily wrong," she explained. "But your injury appears incomplete."
Diamond stared.
"English."
"Some neurological pathways survived."
"Can I walk?"
"I don't know."
Diamond hated those words.
Dr. Monroe continued.
"But the muscle response you experienced wasn't imaginary."
Caprice squeezed his hand.
The doctor looked directly at Diamond.
"With intensive rehabilitation, we may recover function. Maybe limited. Maybe significant. There are no promises."
Diamond nodded.
"When do we start?"
Caprice turned toward him.
The old Diamond would have thrown something.
This Diamond asked when.
That mattered more than either of them said.
But the medical discovery created another question.
Diamond's original physicians had described his injury as complete.
Levi investigated.
Forty-eight hours later, he entered Diamond's hospital room carrying records.
"One of your original surgeons was paid."
Diamond's face hardened.
"By Damian?"
"Shell company."
The same network used to buy Evelyn's debt.
Damian had not merely arranged the shooting.
He had manipulated Diamond's treatment afterward.
A specialist who wanted to attempt a different surgical approach had been removed from the case.
Rehabilitation reports had been altered.
Diamond had been encouraged to believe further effort was useless.
Caprice read the documents twice.
"He didn't only injure you."
"No."
Diamond's voice was quiet.
"He convinced me to finish the job myself."
For once, he did not become angry.
He became determined.
Physical therapy began the next morning.
It was brutal.
Diamond hated every second.
Caprice attended the first session.
"Again," the therapist said.
Diamond gripped the parallel bars.
His arms shook.
His right foot moved less than an inch.
He collapsed back into the harness.
"Again."
Thirty minutes later, sweat soaked his shirt.
"Again."
Forty-five minutes.
"Again."
Finally Diamond snarled, "Say that one more time."
The therapist stepped back.
Caprice leaned against the wall.
"Again."
Diamond glared.
She smiled sweetly.
"You are enjoying this."
"Immensely."
He tried again.
Weeks passed.
Caprice stopped working at the diner after Diamond discovered she was still doing double shifts.
Their argument lasted forty minutes.
"I don't need charity."
"It's not charity."
"You paid my mother's facility."
"I purchased the facility."
Caprice stared.
"You what?"
"It was badly managed."
"You bought an entire medical facility because you didn't like the billing department?"
"I was irritated."
She put both hands over her face.
"Normal men send flowers."
"I sent flowers."
"You bought the florist too, didn't you?"
Diamond said nothing.
Caprice lowered her hands.
"Oh my God."
Eventually, they compromised.
Caprice accepted a paid administrative role helping rebuild the estate's legitimate charitable foundation, which had previously existed mostly for tax and public-relations purposes.
She insisted on earning every dollar.
Diamond secretly loved that.
Their relationship grew in awkward increments.
Breakfast.
Arguments.
Therapy.
Late-night books.
Caprice sometimes fell asleep beside him.
Now Diamond kept a blanket ready.
Three months after the mill, he crossed the therapy room using parallel bars.
Twelve steps.
Caprice cried on step seven.
Diamond pretended not to notice until step twelve.
Then he turned.
"Come here."
She did.
He kissed her forehead.
"I couldn't have done this without you."
"Yes, you could."
"No."
His answer was immediate.
"I could have physically done it."
He touched her cheek.
"But I wouldn't have tried."
Caprice's eyes filled again.
Diamond smiled.
"Stop crying."
"Shut up."
Then Levi appeared at the doorway.
His timing remained terrible.
"We've got Damian's trial date."
Diamond's expression changed.
"And?"
"He's offering evidence on everyone in exchange for a deal."
Diamond understood what that meant.
Everyone included Diamond.
Caprice saw the answer in his face.
"What did you do?"
Diamond looked away.
His empire had not been built with contracts and polite negotiations.
There was blood beneath it.
He had spent months becoming someone different.
But becoming different did not erase what he had been.
Caprice approached.
"Tell me."
Diamond met her eyes.
"If Damian talks, I may lose everything."
"The house?"
"More."
"Money?"
"More."
She understood.
"Freedom."
Diamond nodded.
Caprice took his hand.
"What are you going to do?"
May you like
For the first time in his adult life, Diamond Kelly answered without thinking about power.
"The right thing."
