She Was a Doctor Who Became a Mail-Order Bride — The Cowboy Who Had No Idea What He Was Getting
Chapter 12
The letter came from Samuel.
He had escaped custody.
He wanted revenge.
But he didn’t attack the ranch.
He attacked the clinic.
A week later, the medical station’s pharmacy was broken into.
Nothing was stolen.
Only one thing had been left behind.
A syringe.
Clara recognized the markings.
The same compound.
Someone wanted people to believe the poisoning had returned.
She refused to panic.
Instead, she tested everything.
The syringe was fake.
A warning.
Samuel wanted her afraid.
He wanted Ethan angry.
He wanted them to make a mistake.
They didn’t.
They built stronger security.
They contacted federal investigators.
They traced the syringe to a warehouse.
Inside, they found documents.
Samuel’s plans.
Names.
Addresses.
The final target.
Clara’s mother.
He wanted her dead because she was the last witness to the original conspiracy.
Clara’s mother refused to hide.
She testified.
The case against Samuel became overwhelming.
He was arrested at the border.
This time, there was no escape.
The legal case lasted nearly a year.
Hundreds of victims testified.
The hospital that had framed Clara admitted its wrongdoing.
Dr. Miller lost his license permanently.
Victor Kane received a long prison sentence.
Samuel received more.
The empire he had tried to build collapsed.
The Walker Ranch remained.
The water rights remained.
The clinic remained.
And Clara’s family finally had peace.
One evening, Clara sat beside Ethan on the porch.
“It’s really over.”
“Yes.”
“How does that feel?”
“Strange.”
She laughed.
“I know.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
“I spent years running from my life.”
“And now?”
“Now I don’t want to run.”
She rested her head against him.
“I never expected this.”
“Neither did I.”
“You thought you were ordering a mail-order bride.”
He laughed.
“That was the worst decision I ever made.”
She looked offended.
“Excuse me?”
He smiled.
“Because I ended up marrying someone much more expensive.”
She laughed.
“I’ll make you regret that.”
“You already do.”
She kissed him.
Then Rose shouted from the yard.
“Mom! Dad!”
They turned.
She was holding a letter.
“Again?”
Rose nodded.
“Another strange letter.”
Ethan stood.
“Give it to me.”
The envelope was old.
Inside was a photograph.
Clara’s biological father.
Ethan’s father.
And a third man.
Ethan recognized him.
His face went pale.
“Who?”
Clara asked.
“Your father.”
She stared.
“My father?”
“No.”
Ethan shook his head.
The man standing beside them was younger.
But identical.
Clara’s father had a twin.
A twin nobody had ever mentioned.
And on the back of the photograph:
He never died.
