Chapter 10 - THE LOCKED FLOOR
Elena woke beneath fluorescent lights.
Her wrists were bruised.
Her mouth tasted like metal.
She sat up.
Hospital room.
Locked door.
No phone.
No Marcus.
Her heart raced.
“Hello?”
A nurse appeared behind the small window.
“Mrs. Hale, lie down.”
“Where’s my husband?”
“He’s been asked to leave.”
“No. He wouldn’t leave.”
“Lie down.”
“Where is Marcus?”
No answer.
Elena looked at the IV in her arm.
“What are you giving me?”
“Fluids.”
“Take it out.”
“You need to stay calm.”
Elena ripped it free.
Blood spotted the sheet.
The nurse hit a button.
Two orderlies entered.
Elena backed into the wall.
“Don’t touch me.”
One man spoke gently.
“We’re not going to hurt you.”
“That’s what everybody keeps saying.”
The door opened again.
Victoria walked in.
No red dress.
No smile.
Just a gray suit.
Controlled.
Professional.
“Elena.”
Elena laughed.
“You have some nerve.”
Victoria dismissed the staff with a nod.
They left.
Elena stared.
“You own this place too?”
“No.”
“But they listen to you.”
“They listen to Dr. Avery.”
“Same thing.”
Victoria sat.
“You could have made this easy.”
“You poisoned me.”
Victoria’s expression barely changed.
“You were already fragile.”
“So you admit it.”
“I admit you’ve never handled pressure well.”
Elena stepped closer.
“I have video.”
“You had video.”
Elena stopped.
Victoria smiled faintly.
“The fire was unfortunate.”
“You tried to kill me.”
“No.”
“My baby?”
“I would never hurt that child.”
“That’s the first honest thing you’ve said.”
Victoria’s eyes sharpened.
Elena understood.
Victoria wanted the baby.
Not dead.
Hers.
“You want Marcus’s child.”
“I want the Hale heir protected.”
“From me.”
“From instability.”
“You caused the instability!”
Victoria stood.
“No one will believe that.”
“They will when Daniel talks.”
A pause.
Too long.
Elena’s stomach tightened.
“What did you do?”
Victoria walked toward the door.
“Elena, Daniel is dead.”
The room went silent.
“No.”
“Car accident.”
“You’re lying.”
“An hour ago.”
“No.”
“He lost control on the interstate.”
“You killed him.”
Victoria turned.
“Can you prove it?”
Then she left.
Elena stood alone.
Shaking.
She looked around the room.
Camera in the corner.
Window sealed.
Door locked.
Nothing useful.
Then she heard three soft knocks from inside the wall.
Elena froze.
Three more.
She stepped closer.
A whisper came through the air vent.
“Elena?”
Her knees nearly gave out.
Marcus.
“Marcus?”
“Quiet.”
She covered her mouth.
“How—”
“I’m in the service hallway.”
Of course.
Even the hospital had old maintenance corridors.
Marcus whispered, “Daniel isn’t dead.”
Elena shut her eyes.
Thank God.
“He got away before the crash.”
“What crash?”
“Someone ran his car off the road.”
“Marcus—”
“I found something else.”
“What?”
“Your toxicology report came back.”
Elena pressed closer to the vent.
Marcus’s next words were barely audible.
May you like
“There’s something in your blood that shouldn’t exist.”
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