Chapter 1 - The Echo of a Single Word
The phone remained pressed against my ear, the dial tone replaced by the heavy, rhythmic breathing of Calvin Rhodes on the other end of the line.
Derek was still recovering from the shock of the slap, his palm pressed to his reddened cheek, his eyes wide with a sudden, flickering panic. Beside him, Vanessa stepped back, her hand instinctively shielding her swollen belly as if she expected me to strike her next.
"Marissa," Derek stammered, his voice losing its mocking edge, replaced by a jittery, defensive pitch. "You're making a scene. In a hospital. Think about Holly—"
"You lost the right to say her name the moment you called her life a 'good run,'" I said, my voice dangerously steady.
I didn't take my eyes off him. Calvin's voice cut through the background hum of the hospital room, sharp and decisive.
"Where are you?" Calvin asked.
"St. Jude’s. Room 412," I replied.
"Don't move," Calvin instructed. "Lock the door. Do not let Derek, Vanessa, or anyone they call near those medical files or the laptop on the bedside table. I'm dispatching my legal team right now. We are locking down every corporate asset, trust, and account tied to his name before he realizes what hit him."
"What are you talking about?" Derek snapped, stepping closer, though he kept his distance after the slap. He pointed a shaking finger at me. "Who are you talking to? You think some old timer can touch me? I’m a senior partner at Vanguard Holdings. My salary keeps this room paid for!"
I lowered the phone slowly, staring at him with a coldness that seemed to finally pierce his arrogance.
"Your salary?" I asked softly. "Derek, you haven't been a partner at Vanguard Holdings for three weeks. They demoted you when the embezzlement audit started. You've been burning through my mother's inheritance just to keep up your country club dues and pay for Vanessa’s apartment."
Vanessa let out a sharp gasp, spinning to face Derek. "What? You told me you were making partner! You said the firm was paying for the nursery!"
Derek's face turned the color of ash. He lunged toward me, his hands outstretched. "Give me that phone—"
Before his fingers could graze my wrist, the heavy hospital door swung open with a sharp click.
Two broad-shouldered men in tailored dark suits stepped into the room, their expressions completely unreadable. Behind them stood Dr. Patel, looking grim, holding a clipboard against his chest.
"Mr. and Mrs. Miller," Dr. Patel said, his voice cutting through the rising tension. "Or... whatever your current domestic arrangement is. We need to speak in the hallway immediately. There's been a critical development with Holly's treatment eligibility."
Derek froze, his hand still suspended in the air. He looked from Dr. Patel to the two men in suits who had calmly positioned themselves between him and the hospital bed.
"Treatment?" Derek muttered, his voice dropping. "What development? The Boston clinic denied us—they said the deposit didn't clear."
Dr. Patel looked straight at Derek, his eyes cold. "The deposit didn't clear because your bank account was frozen ten minutes ago by order of the Vanguard Trust. But that's not why I called you out here."
The doctor paused, taking a slow breath. "Holly’s latest lab results just came back. And someone intentionally altered her nutrition IV with a compound that suppressed her immune response."
The room went dead silent. The only sound was the steady, mechanical beep of the monitor.
I turned slowly, my gaze locking onto Vanessa, whose face had gone completely white.
May you like
"Altered?" I whispered. "What do you mean, altered?"
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