Chapter 3 - The Sterile Corridor
The sterile white corridor of St. Jude Memorial Hospital smelled of bleach and impending disaster. The heavy double doors of the trauma unit had slammed shut twenty minutes ago, leaving Marcus alone on an unpadded vinyl bench, Leo sitting silently beside him with his knees pulled up to his chest.
Marcus stared at his trembling hands. The phone on his lap vibrated relentlessly. Calls from business associates, texts from family group chats. He ignored them all until a notification popped up from his home security application: Motion detected in Master Bedroom.
A cold rush swept through his veins.
He tapped the screen instantly, pulling up the hidden feed installed behind the bookshelf. The screen flickered to life in night-vision monochrome. Two figures were inside his private suite. Arthur was standing by the door, acting as a lookout, while Vanessa knelt before the wall safe concealed behind the large canvas painting.
Marcus watched in absolute horror as Vanessa punched in a six-digit code without hesitation.
The heavy steel door swung open on the first attempt.
She knew the code. Marcus had never shared that combination with anyone except his late mother before she passed away three months ago. That safe contained the deed to the family estate, the shares of his grandfather’s logistics conglomerate, and Elena’s personal journal.
On the screen, Vanessa pulled out a thick manila envelope and slid it directly into her coat. But as she moved to close the door, Arthur reached inside and pulled out a small, velvet-lined mahogany box—a box Marcus had never seen before.
Arthur opened it, inspected the contents under the dim light, and a chilling smile spread across the older man's face.
Before Marcus could even scream into his phone, the emergency doors swung open. A doctor walked out, removing his surgical mask, his expression grave and unreadable.
""Marcus Vance?"" the doctor asked.
May you like
Marcus stood up, pocketing his phone, the world shrinking into the doctor’s grim eyes.
""We have to make an emergency decision,"" the doctor said. ""Her heart is failing.""
