The drug was supposed to be a miracle. The side effects were murder.Dr. Rhys Morgan believes in the system. As a methodical data verification analyst for Aethelgard Pharmaceuticals, he checks the numbers to keep patients safe. But when checks the data for *Solace*-a revolutionary new pain medication launched by charismatic star scientist Dr. Ian Black-the numbers don't add up.When Rhys tries to raise the alarm, the system turns on him. His access is revoked, his reputation destroyed, and he is threatened with professional ruin. Isolated and watched, Rhys realizes that playing by the rules will only get more people killed.Desperate, he turns to Finn, a cynical investigative journalist with a beat-up car, a chaotic apartment, and a grudge against corporate corruption. Finn initially sees Rhys as just another nervous source, but as they peel back the layers of Aethelgard's deception, they uncover "Protocol B"-a secret classification used to bury seventy-three patient deaths.From a harrowing break-in at corporate headquarters to a high-speed chase through the wilderness to find a missing witness, Rhys and Finn are forced to rely on each other to survive. As the net closes in and Aethelgard's security teams turn lethal, the professional distance between the cautious scientist and the rough-around-the-edges reporter dissolves into an undeniable attraction.With a billion-dollar company hunting them and a deadline looming, Rhys and Finn must risk everything to broadcast the truth-before they become the next casualties.Placebo Effect is a taut, pulse-pounding medical thriller featuring a high-stakes corporate conspiracy, a reluctant alliance turned slow-burn romance, and a race against time to save lives.