The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 1901

"Add to that the shock of your disappearance and faked death, and the hypnosis he previously underwent has started to unravel. Right now, the only way to treat him is to put him under again."

Laurel paused, a hint of mockery lacing her tone.

"Joshua Gardner is brilliant. He probably knew about his condition long before you or I did, which is exactly why he chose to hide it.

Stella, never assume a patient is entirely in the dark about their own illness.

On the contrary, he understands his situation far better than we do.

Because there are certain things only he can truly feel.

The Gardner family's genetic condition has never been a secret. Every head of the family has thoroughly and systematically studied their own illness, desperately trying to find a cure or a way to slow its progression.

From the moment Joshua decided to keep it a secret, he knew perfectly well that the only viable treatment was hypnosis.

But he didn't want to go through with it. He didn't want to forget you, so he chose to lie to everyone."

Stella furrowed her brows. "But hiding it doesn't do him any good. It will only make things worse.

Joshua is too smart not to realize that."

Laurel replied, "Exactly. Since he wants to be with you, he can't just let the illness run rampant.

So, he found another way to manage it."

"What way?" Stella asked.

Instead of answering directly, Laurel asked a question of her own. "Haven't you noticed that Joshua's methods have changed recently?"

Stella froze.

In an instant, she grasped exactly what Laurel meant.

Laurel's next words perfectly mirrored the chilling realization dawning in Stella's mind.

"Joshua knows he can't afford to be triggered anymore. Therefore, he's taking preemptive action to eliminate any person or situation that might set him off.

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