Chapter 3 - The Secret Lifeline
I spent four agonizing days in the private maternity ward under Julian's constant, suffocating surveillance.
He made sure the doctors restricted my visitors, claiming I needed absolute peace and quiet to prevent a premature labor.
My phone had conveniently gone missing during the "accident," effectively cutting off my only lifeline to the outside world.
I was completely isolated, trapped in a luxurious medical prison with a guard who pretended to love me.
On the third night, a new nurse named Elena came into my room to check my blood pressure.
She was an older woman with sharp, observant eyes and a quiet, no-nonsense demeanor.
Julian had finally stepped out to the hallway to take a high-profile business call, leaving us alone for the very first time.
Elena closed the door firmly behind her and walked over to my bedside with a blood pressure cuff.
Instead of wrapping it around my arm, she leaned in close, her voice dropping to a barely audible whisper.
"I have been a trauma nurse for twenty years, Mrs. Vance, and I know what a defensive injury looks like."
My heart hammered wildly against my ribs as I looked up into her steady, compassionate face.
"The bruising on your upper arms wasn't caused by a simple fall down the stairs," she stated factually.
Tears immediately pricked my eyes, but I bit my lip hard to stop myself from completely breaking down.
"He took my phone, and he won't let anyone see me," I whispered frantically, watching the door handle.
Elena nodded once, quickly pulling a small, cheap prepaid cell phone from the deep pocket of her scrubs.
She slid it smoothly under my pillow just as the heavy door creaked open behind her.
"Everything looks perfectly normal with her vitals, Mr. Vance," Elena announced loudly, wrapping the cuff around my arm.
Julian walked back in, completely oblivious to the massive lifeline I was now hiding beneath my head.
"Excellent, I want her in perfect condition for when we go home tomorrow," he replied smoothly.
May you like
I closed my eyes and let out a soft sigh, my fingers desperately brushing against the plastic casing of the secret phone.
I finally had a weapon, and I knew exactly who I was going to call the second I was alone.
