Chapter 3 - THE TICKING CLOCK
🚨 MEDICAL EMERGENCY! NATHANIEL’S CONSPIRACY UNRAVELS AS THE CHIEF OF MEDICINE REVEALS A DARK SECRET!The intensive care unit of Manhattan Presbyterian was a sterile labyrinth of beeping monitors, rushing nurses, and the distinct, metallic smell of antiseptic.
Nathaniel lay in the center of the room, looking incredibly fragile beneath a web of wires and tubes. The powerful billionaire who had once ruled Wall Street now looked like a ghost of himself.
When the door clicked open, his head turned slowly. His eyes, sunken and tired, lit up with a faint spark when he saw Lily.
"Lily..." he whispered, his voice barely a breath.
Lily broke away from Elena’s grip and ran to the side of the bed. She didn't look afraid of the tubes or the terrifying machines. She gently took his limp hand.
"I brought your yellow chalk," Lily whispered, placing the broken piece of plaster on his bedside table. "So you can color your room."
A tear slipped down Nathaniel’s temple. "Thank you, sweetheart."
Elena stood at the foot of the bed, her arms crossed, her eyes guarded. Nathaniel noticed her coldness. He looked at her, then down at the pocket of her coat, where the corner of the faded photograph was sticking out.
A bitter, understanding smile touched his lips.
"You found it," Nathaniel said quietly. "You know who I am now."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elena’s voice was a harsh whisper, trying to keep her emotions in check for Lily’s sake. "Why did you let me work for you, knowing who my sister was?"
"I didn't know at first," Nathaniel confessed, his chest rising and falling shallowly. "When Mrs. Whitmore hired you, I didn't look at your file. But then I saw your face in the hallway one afternoon. You have Sofia’s smile, Elena. And when I looked into your background, I realized who you were. I wanted to tell you. I wanted to beg for your forgiveness. But how do you tell someone that your cowardice cost them their sister?"
He closed his eyes, a grimace of pain crossing his face. "I kept you close because... you and Lily are the only connection I have left to the only time I was ever truly happy. I wanted to make sure you were taken care of. I’ve set up a trust fund for Lily. Ten million dollars. It’s in my will. It will be released the moment I..."
"I don't want your money, Nathaniel," Elena said, her voice cracking. "I wanted my sister."
"I know," Nathaniel whispered. "And I would give my entire fortune, every cent, to bring her back. But I can't. The only thing I can do now is die, and leave you with enough so that you never have to struggle again."
Before Elena could reply, the door to the ICU suite burst open.
Dr. Andrew Cole walked in, accompanied by two security guards and a stern-looking man in a tailored suit. The suited man was Marcus Vance, the Chief Operating Officer of Cross Meridian Investments—and Nathaniel’s chief rival.
"Nathaniel," Dr. Cole said, his face grim. "We have a massive problem."
Nathaniel frowned, his business instincts instantly kicking in despite his physical weakness. "What is it, Andrew?"
Marcus Vance stepped forward, a smug, venomous smile on his face. "What Dr. Cole is trying to say, Nathaniel, is that your medical records have been leaked. The board knows your heart is failing. They know you have less than three months to live."
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed. "You leaked them, Vance."
"It doesn't matter who leaked them," Vance sneered. "The fact is, a dying man cannot run a multi-billion-dollar investment firm. The board is calling an emergency vote tomorrow morning to strip you of your CEO title and place me in charge. And that's not all."
Vance leaned over the bed, his voice dripping with malice. "We’ve also discovered your little... charity case. We know you’ve altered your will to leave a massive chunk of Cross Meridian shares to a cleaning lady’s daughter. We are contesting the will on the grounds of mental incompetence. We will argue that your failing heart has deprived your brain of oxygen, making you unfit to make legal decisions."
Elena gasped, pulling Lily closer to her. "You can't do that!"
"Watch me," Vance laughed. "By this time tomorrow, Nathaniel, you will be broke, jobless, and dying in a public ward. Enjoy your final days."
With a dramatic sweep, Vance turned and walked out of the room, leaving a heavy, suffocating silence in his wake.
Nathaniel closed his eyes, his breathing growing rapid and shallow. The heart monitor beside his bed began to beep frantically, signaling a dangerously high heart rate.
"Nathaniel!" Dr. Cole rushed forward, adjusting the IV drip. "You need to calm down. Your heart can't take this stress."
"He’s going to ruin everything, Andrew," Nathaniel gasped, clutching his chest. "Everything I built to destroy my father’s legacy... Vance will take it and rebuild it. He’ll leave Elena and Lily with nothing."
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Elena looked at the dying man. She saw the genuine terror in his eyes—not for his own life, but for her and Lily. In that moment, the last remnants of her anger melted away, replaced by a fierce, protective instinct.
"No, he won't," Elena said, stepping forward, her eyes flashing with determination. "We are going to fight him."
