Chapter 6: The Enemy Inside The Hospital
The hospital suddenly felt different.
Same walls.
Same lights.
Same machines.
But nothing felt safe anymore.
Everyone had a face.
Everyone had a story.
And now I knew some stories were lies.
I looked at the woman standing near the entrance.
Laura Bennett.
My former friend.
My former coworker.
The woman who had cried with me after Daniel disappeared.
The woman who had helped me survive the years after his “death.””
The woman who was supposedly buried fifteen years ago.
She slowly walked toward us.
“Samantha.””
Her voice was soft.
Too soft.
I stepped between her and Daniel.
“You’re dead.””
Laura smiled sadly.
“That’s what everyone needed to believe.””
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“How are you here?””
She ignored him.
Her eyes stayed on me.
“I came because Chloe is in danger.””
I laughed quietly.
“Funny.””
“What?””
“The people who say they’re protecting my daughter keep being connected to the people hurting her.””
Laura’s face changed.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
Guilt.
Fear.
Something.
“Samantha, listen to me.””
“No.””
I pointed toward Chloe’s room.
“My daughter almost died.””
Laura looked down.
“I know.””
“You knew?””
Silence.
That was her mistake.
A single second of silence.
Enough.
My voice dropped.
“How long have you known?””
Laura swallowed.
“Longer than you think.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“You were working with them.””
Laura looked at him.
“You don’t understand.””
“No,” I said.
“I think I understand perfectly.””
The three of us stood there.
A triangle of secrets.
Twenty years of lies.
Finally, Laura whispered:
“I was never working for the Harringtons.””
“Then who?””
She looked at Chloe’s room.
“The person who truly controls them.””
I frowned.
“Richard Harrington is dead.””
Laura nodded.
“Yes.””
“Then who?””
She opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, every light in the hallway flickered.
The ICU alarms suddenly screamed.
I turned around.
Chloe’s room was flashing red.
Doctors rushed inside.
“No!””
I ran.
A nurse grabbed my arm.
“You can’t go in!””
“That’s my daughter!””
Through the glass, I saw doctors surrounding Chloe.
Someone had disconnected one of her monitors.
Someone had entered her room.
Someone had tried to silence her.
Detective Harris arrived moments later.
“What happened?””
I looked at the chaos inside.
Then at Laura.
Then at Daniel.
My voice shook.
“Someone tried to kill her again.””
Security reviewed the cameras.
Five minutes later, Detective Harris returned.
His face was pale.
“Mrs. Reed.””
I stood.
“What?””
He held up a tablet.
“We found who entered Chloe’s room.””
My stomach tightened.
“Who?””
He turned the screen toward me.
The footage showed a person walking into the ICU.
A person wearing a doctor’s coat.
A person whose face was hidden.
Then the camera caught the reflection in the glass.
Just for one second.
Enough to recognize them.
I felt the blood drain from my body.
Because the person who tried to kill my daughter wasn’t a stranger.
It was someone Chloe trusted.
Someone who had been beside her for months.
Detective Harris whispered:
“Mrs. Reed…”
I couldn’t look away.
The person on the screen was Garrett Harrington’s closest ally.
The one person everyone believed was helping Chloe escape him.
May you like
And beneath the doctor’s coat…
Was the wedding ring of a Harrington family member.
