Chapter 1 - The Ward of Shadows
Adrian looked at the little girl sitting quietly in the back seat of his armored car.
Her small hands were still tightly gripping the plastic spray bottle.
She looked entirely out of place in a vehicle designed to withstand military-grade gunfire.
Marcus pulled the heavy sedan up to the emergency entrance of St. Catherine’s Hospital.
The hospital was a massive, crumbling brick building that served the poorest citizens of the city.
Adrian stepped out into the freezing rain and opened Mia’s door himself.
He held a massive black umbrella over her tiny head as they walked toward the sliding glass doors.
The emergency waiting room was a chaotic nightmare of crying children and exhausted patients.
The smell of cheap bleach and despair hung heavily in the stale air.
Mia walked confidently toward the front desk, completely unfazed by the chaos around her.
"I am here to see Sarah Carter," Mia told the exhausted triage nurse.
The nurse did not even look up from her glowing computer screen.
"Visiting hours for the public wards are completely over for the day," the nurse snapped.
Adrian stepped forward, allowing his expensive cashmere coat to fall open just enough to reveal his tailored suit.
He placed both of his hands firmly on the edge of the reception desk.
"You will find Sarah Carter's room right now," Adrian said, his voice deadly quiet.
The nurse finally looked up, ready to argue, but the words completely died in her throat.
She recognized the terrifying man standing in front of her immediately.
"R-room 412, in the overflow ward," the nurse stuttered, her face turning pale white.
Adrian took Mia’s small hand in his own and led her toward the crowded elevators.
When they reached the fourth floor, Adrian’s jaw clenched in absolute fury.
The overflow ward was nothing more than a damp hallway lined with uncomfortable metal cots.
Sarah Carter was lying on a bed near a drafty window, shivering violently under a paper-thin blanket.
She was incredibly pale, and her breathing was a shallow, painful rattle.
Mia immediately broke free from Adrian’s grip and ran to her mother's side.
"Mommy, I finished the cleaning for you," Mia whispered, pressing her small face against her mother's arm.
Sarah slowly opened her feverish eyes, panic instantly washing over her sick face.
"Mia, what are you doing here?" Sarah gasped, struggling to sit up.
Adrian stepped out of the shadows, towering over the miserable hospital cot.
"She was taking care of your responsibilities," Adrian said softly.
Sarah looked at the terrifying billionaire, and sheer terror completely consumed her.
"Mr. Moretti, please, I swear I will be back to work tomorrow," Sarah begged, tears streaming down her face.
"You are not going to work tomorrow, or the next day," Adrian replied firmly.
Before Sarah could panic further, Adrian turned to Marcus.
May you like
"Buy the entire top floor VIP wing of this hospital right now."
"And get this woman a private doctor immediately."
