Chapter 3 - The Shadow in the HospitalBefore Roman could speak, a frantic young man burst into the suite. It was the heavy-set guard from earlier, breathing hard, his suit jacket unbuttoned.
"Boss," the man panted, casting a wary glance at Claire. "We have a situation at Lakeview General."
Roman’s eyes narrowed instantly, his gaze tearing away from Claire. "Speak."
"The primary medical file for Ethan we keep mirrored off-site just flagged an unauthorized access attempt from an internal terminal. Someone inside the hospital tried to pull his complete genetic and medical history using administrative credentials."
The room went dead silent. Claire watched the transition in Roman’s face—from calculated suspicion to a terrifying, razor-sharp focus.
"Whose credentials?" Roman asked.
"Dr. Aris Vance."
Roman slowly turned his head back to Claire. The air in the room felt electric, heavy with a sudden, violent realization. "Dr. Vance is downstairs in my guest wing. He administered your antibiotics twenty minutes ago."
"I've never met him before tonight!" Claire protested, standing up so fast her chair scraped loudly against the floor. "I work in emergency triage, he's in private diagnostics or administration—our paths literally never cross!"
"And yet," Roman said, his voice dangerously soft, "someone using his secure login token just attempted to breach my son's most sensitive files from a terminal registered to the emergency intake desk. Your desk, Ms. Bennett."
Claire stared at him, her mind spinning wildly. "Someone cloned my access badge. Or... or someone on the hospital staff is involved in whatever is happening to your family."
Roman didn't answer her. He pulled out his phone, tapping the screen with blinding speed. "Get the tactical team downstairs. Isolate Vance. And clear the hospital's database before the firewall lockdown fails."
He looked up at Claire, and the last shred of human warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by an absolute, terrifying predator.
"If you're playing a double game, Ms. Bennett," Roman whispered, stepping past her toward the door, "you picked the wrong family to betray. You're staying in this room. Try to leave, and my men won't bother asking questions next time."
The heavy oak door slammed shut. The deadbolt slid home with a heavy, final thud.
Claire stood alone in the luxurious cage, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the dark, mist-laden lake. She was trapped in the middle of a mafia war she didn't understand, framed for a crime she didn't commit, and hunted by people who viewed human life as collateral damage.
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And yet, as she touched the cold glass, a fierce surge of anger replaced her fear.
They think I'm a pawn, she thought, her jaw tightening. Let's see what happens when the pawn decides to flip the board.
