Chapter 1 - The Desperate Grab
Marcus descended the stairs like a starving predator cornering its prey.
His eyes were locked entirely on my closed fist.
I knew I had less than ten seconds before he reached me.
Despite the blinding pain in my ribs, I curled my fingers tighter around the silver flash drive.
“Give me that,” Marcus hissed, his voice dropping the facade of the concerned husband.
He lunged forward, his manicured hands reaching for my throat.
But Arthur, the veteran security chief, stepped directly into his path.
Arthur did not flinch as my husband slammed into his solid frame.
“Sir, you need to step back from the patient immediately,” Arthur commanded with a booming voice.
Marcus glared at him, his face twisting into an ugly mask of rage.
“You are fired, Arthur!” Marcus spat, pointing a trembling finger at the older man.
“You are absolutely done in this city!”
Arthur simply crossed his arms over his chest.
“My employment status is irrelevant right now, Mr. Vance,” Arthur replied calmly.
“What matters is that the police have just pulled into the ambulance bay.”
Through the heavy glass doors, the flashing red and blue lights of three patrol cars illuminated the atrium.
Evelyn, still standing at the top of the stairs, let out a dramatic gasp.
She quickly wiped her fake tears and adjusted her expensive designer coat.
I could see her hand trembling as she clutched the tote bag containing my stolen files.
Clara, the brave orderly, kept her hands firmly pressed against my bleeding cheek.
“Hold on, honey, the authorities are here,” Clara whispered to me.
I looked up at Marcus, who was now sweating profusely under the harsh lobby lights.
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He realized he was losing control of the narrative he had so carefully crafted.
The automatic doors slid open, and four uniformed police officers rushed into the chaos.
