Chapter 9 - The Hospital Corridor Trap
Evelyn pressed herself flat against the paper-lined wall of the examination cubicle, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Clara’s chilling smile lingered in her mind, a clear warning that the rules of engagement had entirely shifted. They hadn't just tracked her down; they had anticipated her every move.
“Ms. Vance? You shouldn’t be walking on that ankle,” a nurse said, stepping into the cubicle with a pair of crutches. “A man out at the desk just signed your discharge papers. He said he’s taking you home.”
Evelyn snatched the crutches away, her eyes wide with panic. “I didn’t sign any discharge papers! Who was the man?”
“He called himself your cousin, Marcus,” the nurse replied, frowning at the sudden tension in the room. “He said it was a family emergency.”
Evelyn backed toward the heavy emergency exit door at the back of the ward, the red neon sign casting a bloody glow over her bruised arms. “Listen to me very carefully. If that man comes through this curtain, I am in mortal danger. Call the actual police department—not county dispatch, the direct line.”
Before the nurse could process the warning, the heavy privacy curtain was ripped aside.
Marcus stood there, his dark suit immaculate, the scar on his jaw twitching slightly as he offered a tight, polite smile. “There you are, Evelyn. Playing hide-and-seek in a hospital is terribly unbecoming for a woman of your standing.”
“Stay back, Marcus,” Evelyn hissed, lifting one of her crutches like a weapon. “I know what you and Clara did to the foundation accounts. I know why my father changed his will.”
Marcus let out a low, patronizing sigh, taking a slow step forward despite the crutch pointed at his chest. “Your father was an old man, Evelyn. His mind was slipping. He imagined conspiracies where there were only standard financial transactions. Now, be a good girl, drop the crutch, and let’s go home before this gets embarrassing for the family name.”
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At the end of the hallway, Richard appeared, flanked by two burly private security guards in plainclothes. The exit door behind Evelyn was locked from the outside. She was completely cornered.
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