Chapter 6: The Secret Pursuit
Meanwhile, Clara’s compact sedan navigated the congested downtown streets, dodging delivery trucks and aggressive taxis. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel, her eyes locked on the glowing GPS route that tracked the transponder signal she had covertly slipped into the lining of the baby carrier while pretending to adjust the cloth sling in the nursery.
She pulled into the underground parking garage of Vance Tower ten minutes after the town car had vanished into the private sector. The garage was dimly lit, echoing with the distant sounds of dripping water and revving engines. Clara parked in a visitor slot near the exit stairwell, keeping her head down as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
She reached into her coat pocket, feeling the reassuring contour of the small black drive. She knew security would be tight, but she also knew that corporate fortresses were designed to keep people out from the outside, while administrative blind spots often existed near the service elevators.
Clara slipped through the heavy metal fire door, entering a concrete stairwell that smelled of fresh paint and industrial cleaner. She began climbing, her light blue scrubs hidden beneath a dark trench coat she had grabbed from her locker. Every step upward felt like a march toward a cliff, but the image of the crying babies in the nursery kept her moving.
On the seventieth floor, the heavy fire door clicked open with a faint metallic latch. Clara peeked through the narrow crack, finding herself in a quiet service corridor lined with utility panels and laundry chutes. Down the hall, through a set of frosted glass double doors, she could hear the muffled sound of voices arguing.
She crept forward, pressing her back against the cool drywall. The voices grew clearer. One was sharp, demanding, and unmistakably female—Elena Vance. The other was deeper, laced with exhaustion and frustration—Julian Vance.
"You lied to me about the surrogate, you lied to me about the hospital, and now you want me to parade these infants in front of the board like stock animals?" Julian’s voice echoed down the corridor, cracking with strain.
May you like
Clara held her breath, sliding her hand into her pocket to ensure the drive was still secure. She was closer than she had ever imagined, standing just feet away from the epicenter of the deception.
***
