Chapter 5 - The Web of Lies
The silence of the hospital corridor was absolute, shattered only by the distant, rhythmic cycling of an HVAC unit. Evan stood under the flickering overhead light, the syringe in his hand glinting with a predatory sheen. He didn't look like a grieving, concerned husband anymore. The mask had completely dissolved, replaced by a cold, clinical precision that was far more terrifying.
"You’re a clever doctor," Evan said, his voice dropping to a low, conversational tone that didn't match the violence of the situation. "But you’re looking at this as a medical problem. It’s not. It’s an asset management problem."
"You’re poisoning your wife, and now you’re targeting a newborn," I retorted, keeping my hand near the emergency call button on the wall. "Do you think you’ll actually get away with this? The police will be here in minutes."
Evan laughed, a short, sharp sound. "The police? You mean the ones who already have a file on Claire’s 'history'? The ones who have already been notified that she is a recovering addict who suffered a mental break during childbirth? I’ve spent years building that file. You’re just a rogue doctor with a grudge against a grieving husband. Who do you think they’ll believe?"
My heart hammered. He was right. He had been playing a long game, layering lies upon lies. He didn’t just want to control Claire; he wanted to destroy her existence, potentially to gain access to her inheritance or to keep a dark secret she had stumbled upon.
"Mia saw you," I said, gambling on the girl’s silence. "She knows about the blue caps."
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Evan’s expression darkened. For the first time, a flicker of genuine irritation crossed his face. "Mia is a child. A child who has been traumatized by her mother’s 'behavior.' She’s impressionable. She’ll say whatever I tell her to say."
Before I could move, he lunged. I shoved a heavy rolling cart between us, the sound of metal screeching against the floor echoing like a gunshot. I sprinted toward the NICU, knowing I needed to reach the security desk before he cornered me in the maze of hallways.
