Chapter 2 - Echoes in the WardBy midnight, security personnel quietly took positions at the wing's entrance. Mason refused to leave Clara’s bedside. He pulled a vinyl chair close, holding her limp, cool hand between his palms, desperately willing his warmth into her veins. Her fingertips were tipped with a faint purplish hue, an alarming sign of peripheral shutdown.
Helena lingered near the doorway, arms crossed, watching the hallway monitors. "You need rest, Mason. Think of the babies. If you collapse from exhaustion, who protects them?"
"I am protecting them," Mason replied flatly. "By staying exactly where I am."
A soft tap sounded at the door. Detective Sarah Vance stepped inside, dressed in a sharp charcoal coat, rain droplets glistening on her shoulders. She flashed a badge toward Dr. Daniel before casting a searching glance at Helena. "Mr. Thorne? We received an emergency flag from pathology regarding Mrs. Thorne’s samples. We’ve locked down the floor’s security logs for the past eighteen hours."
Helena took an involuntary half-step back, her posture stiffening. "Is this really necessary right now? Clara needs peace, not an interrogation squad."
"It is standard procedure when an attempted homicide occurs on hospital grounds, ma'am," Vance said, her eyes pinning Helena with practiced neutrality. "I assume you are family?"
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"She is my late business partner’s sister," Mason answered before Helena could speak. "A guest in our home. Nothing more."
The words landed like a physical blow. Helena’s eyes flared briefly with suppressed malice before settling back into a mask of mournful piety.
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