Chapter 9 - The Hospital
The person behind Andrew was Marcus.
I stared at the photograph.
“He's alive.”
Julian leaned closer.
“Where?”
Elena recognized the hallway.
“St. Catherine's.”
Gabriel accelerated.
The hospital was twenty minutes away.
We arrived in eight.
Inside, the building was nearly empty.
Too empty.
Julian's security team spread out.
Claire stayed beside him.
They reached the third floor.
Room 317.
The door was open.
Andrew was inside.
Alive.
He looked older than the brother I remembered.
Thinner.
A scar ran along his jaw.
He stared at me.
“Claire.”
I ran to him.
He held me tightly.
For a moment, nothing else mattered.
Then Julian entered.
Andrew looked at him.
“I knew you'd come.”
Julian stopped.
“You pushed me?”
Andrew's face collapsed.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Andrew looked toward Elena.
She nodded.
“Tell him.”
Andrew took a breath.
“Your father ordered the original investigation.”
Julian stared.
“But Marcus took control.”
“Why?”
“Money.”
Andrew pointed toward a cabinet.
Inside were files.
“Marcus created fake patients.”
Julian frowned.
“Why?”
“To hide the transfers.”
“And the medical experiments?”
Andrew nodded.
“Some patients were used without consent.”
Julian's jaw tightened.
“Was I one of them?”
“No.”
Andrew looked at him.
“You were investigating it.”
“And the accident?”
Andrew lowered his voice.
“Marcus arranged it.”
Claire felt relief.
Then Andrew continued.
“But he didn't act alone.”
Julian stared.
“Who helped him?”
Andrew looked at Victoria.
Everyone turned.
Victoria had entered the room.
Her face was devastated.
“I helped.”
Julian stared at his sister.
Victoria began crying.
“I didn't know he planned to hurt you.”
“You knew about the bridge.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about the doctor.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me suffer.”
“I thought I could stop him.”
Julian's voice became cold.
“You failed.”
Victoria nodded.
“I did.”
Andrew interrupted.
“There was another person.”
Everyone turned.
“Who?”
Andrew pointed at the files.
A name appeared.
Dr. Samuel Reed.
Julian frowned.
“Who is he?”
Andrew answered:
“The doctor who treated you after the accident.”
Julian's face changed.
“He's dead.”
Andrew shook his head.
“No.”
A sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Andrew looked toward the door.
“That's him.”
The door opened.
An older man stood outside.
Dr. Samuel Reed.
He smiled.
May you like
Then he said:
“Julian, you finally remember.”
