One was a woman.

One was a little girl.

The third was a man with black hair.

Julian looked at it.

"Who is that?"

Charlotte pointed.

"That's Daddy."

The room seemed to stop moving.

Julian looked at her again.

"Who told you that?"

"Mommy."

His throat tightened.

"Your mommy told you about me?"

Charlotte nodded.

"She said Daddy has a big house and lots of windows."

Julian almost smiled.

"She did?"

"And she said he doesn't like birthday cake."

Arthur looked away.

Julian remembered.

Seven years earlier, Elena had brought a small cake to his office after a difficult board meeting.

He had refused to eat it.

He had been furious about a failed acquisition and had told her he didn't have time for childish celebrations.

Elena had laughed.

She had told him that one day he would regret spending his life being angry.

He had never seen her again.

Julian lowered himself onto one knee.

"What's your name?"

"Charlotte."

"That's a beautiful name."

"I know."

A faint smile touched her lips.

Then she looked at him more seriously.

"Are you really my daddy?"

Julian could not answer immediately.

He reached into his jacket and removed the photograph.

He placed it beside her drawing.

Charlotte stared at it.

Then she pointed to the little girl.

"That's me."

Julian nodded.

"And that's your mommy."

Charlotte touched the photograph.

"Where is my sister?"

Julian froze.

"What?"

Charlotte looked toward Elena.

"Mommy said I had a sister. She said she was waiting for us."

Arthur moved closer.

"Charlotte, do you know your sister's name?"

The girl nodded.

"Emma."

Julian stood.

"Where is Emma?"

Charlotte shook her head.

"I don't know."

Then she lowered her voice.

"Mommy said not to tell the bad people."

Julian crouched again.

"What bad people?"

Charlotte pointed toward the ceiling.

"The men who come at night."

Marcus immediately looked toward the corridor.

"What men?"

Charlotte hugged her drawing against her chest.

"They wear black clothes. They talk to the nurses. Sometimes they take Mommy's pictures."

Julian's eyes narrowed.

"How many?"

"Two."

"Did they ever talk to you?"

She nodded.

"One of them asked me where my sister was."

"And what did you say?"

Charlotte looked directly at him.

"I said I didn't have one."

Julian gently touched her shoulder.

"You did the right thing."

A sudden electronic tone interrupted the conversation.

The heart monitor beside Elena's bed changed rhythm.

The nurse rushed forward.

"Doctor!"

Julian turned.

Elena's fingers moved.

Once.

Then again.

Her eyelids trembled.

The nurse leaned over her.

"Mrs. Cross? Can you hear me?"

Julian stepped closer.

"Elena?"

Her eyes slowly opened.

They were unfocused at first.

Then they found him.

For several seconds, she simply stared.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Her lips moved.

Julian bent closer.

"What?"

Her voice was barely audible.

"Julian..."

He took her hand.

"I'm here."

Elena's fingers tightened weakly around his.

Then she whispered something that made his blood run cold.

"Don't... trust... Vivienne."

Her eyes rolled upward.

The monitor began screaming.

And the room erupted into chaos.

Chapter 7: The First Betrayal

"Get out!"

The nurse pushed Julian away from the bed.

"Give us space!"

Doctors rushed through the doorway.

Marcus immediately moved Charlotte into the adjoining room.

Arthur remained beside the wall, watching the medical team with a deeply troubled expression.

Julian did not move.

He stared at Elena.

Her hand had slipped from his.

The monitor displayed a series of unstable readings.

"She's experiencing an acute neurological response," one physician announced. "Prepare emergency medication."

Julian turned toward the nurse.

"What happened?"

"We need you to leave."

"Answer me."

"Mr. Vance, please!"

Marcus stepped between Julian and the medical team.

"Sir."

Julian looked at him.

"Find out what caused this."

Marcus nodded.

He exited the room immediately.

Arthur approached.

"Julian."

"Not now."

"Listen to me."

Julian turned sharply.

"If she dies, every person involved in this will answer to me."

Arthur's expression remained grave.

"That is exactly what they want."

Julian stared at him.

"What?"

"They want you angry. They want you moving too quickly. They want you to make decisions before you understand the structure of the trap."

Julian looked back toward Elena.

"She warned me not to trust Vivienne."

Arthur nodded.

"Then perhaps we should ask why."

"Because Vivienne is involved."

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

Arthur lowered his voice.

"Vivienne has spent years fighting against her own family. She may be guilty of many things, Julian, but I don't believe she is the architect of this operation."

Julian gave him a cold look.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"No. I expect you to investigate before deciding."

The emergency team continued working.

Finally, the lead physician stepped away from the bed.

"Her condition has stabilized."

Julian released a breath he had not realized he was holding.

"Can I speak to her?"

"Not yet. She needs rest."

"How long?"

"We'll know more in the morning."

Julian nodded.

He walked into the adjoining room.

Charlotte was sitting on a sofa beside Marcus.

She held her drawing tightly.

"Is Mommy okay?"

Julian sat beside her.

"The doctors are helping her."

"Will she wake up?"

He looked at the small girl.

"I promise we'll do everything we can."

Charlotte leaned against him.

For a moment, Julian remained motionless.

Then he carefully wrapped one arm around her.

It was the first time in seven years that he had held a child.

And it was the first time in his life that he had felt terrified of losing someone he had only just found.

His phone vibrated.

A message from Marcus.

WE FOUND SOMETHING IN THE MEDICATION RECORDS.

Julian opened the attachment.

It was a photograph of a prescription.

The drug was a powerful neurological suppressant.

The prescription had been issued under the name of Dr. Samuel Bennett.

But the authorization signature belonged to Vivienne Cross.

Julian stared at the screen.

Arthur looked over his shoulder.

"Interesting."

Julian's jaw tightened.

"Find her."

"Vivienne?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Anywhere."

Arthur studied him.

"Be careful."

Julian put the phone away.

"Why?"

"Because if Elena was conscious long enough to recognize you, someone else may have noticed."

As if answering his words, the lights in the corridor flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then the hospital went dark.

A distant alarm sounded.

Marcus immediately stood.

"Security breach!"

Julian lifted Charlotte into his arms.

"Stay behind me."

The emergency lights came on.

At the far end of the corridor, a figure dressed in black appeared.

He held a small medical case.

Marcus drew his weapon.

"Stop!"

The figure ran.

Two security officers pursued him.

Julian moved Charlotte behind the sofa.

"Don't leave this room."

She nodded, frightened.

A moment later, Marcus returned.

He was holding a small black device.

"We caught him."

"Who is he?"

"Hospital maintenance contractor. But he wasn't carrying maintenance equipment."

Marcus opened the case.

Inside were several medical syringes, a vial of clear liquid, and a folded photograph.

Julian picked it up.

It showed Elena sleeping in her hospital bed.

On the back was a handwritten message.

SHE SHOULD HAVE STAYED SILENT.

Julian slowly folded the photograph.

"Where is the man?"

"Security room."

"Bring him to me."

Marcus hesitated.

"Sir, the police are on their way."

"Then they'll have to wait."

Chapter 8: A Debt Written in Blood

The hospital's private security office was located beneath the emergency department.

It was a narrow room with reinforced doors, two surveillance monitors, and a single metal table.

The captured intruder sat in a chair.

His hands were cuffed.

A fresh cut marked his forehead.

Julian entered without speaking.

Marcus followed.

Arthur remained outside.

The man looked up.

"Mr. Vance."

Julian pulled out the chair opposite him.

"Who sent you?"

The man smiled.

"You're asking the wrong question."

Julian placed the photograph on the table.

"Who sent you?"

The man's eyes flickered toward it.

"Nobody."

Julian leaned forward.

"You entered a hospital carrying medication that could kill a patient. You disabled the surveillance system. You attempted to enter a protected room."

He paused.

"You're either exceptionally stupid or exceptionally confident."

The man said nothing.

Julian opened the medical case and removed the vial.

"What's inside?"

"Saline."

Julian looked at Marcus.

"Have the laboratory test it."

Marcus nodded.

The intruder laughed.

"You think this is about Elena?"

Julian's expression remained unchanged.

"Explain."

The man leaned back.

"Your father made enemies, Mr. Vance. More enemies than you could imagine."

"I know."

"No. You don't."

He lowered his voice.

"Richard Vance wasn't killed by his enemies."

Julian's eyes narrowed.

"Then who killed him?"

The man smiled.

"His family."

Silence.

Julian stared at him.

"Which member?"

The man looked toward the door.

Then back at Julian.

"Ask your mother."

Julian stood so abruptly that the chair scraped across the floor.

"My mother is dead."

"Is she?"

The man's smile widened.

"That's what they told you."

Julian reached across the table and grabbed his collar.

"Tell me what you know."

The man did not resist.

Instead, he whispered:

"She signed the original Meridian agreement."

Julian released him.

The room seemed to tilt.

Arthur had said Margaret Vance was one of the original trustees.

But he had never suggested she was alive.

Julian turned toward Marcus.

"Find every record connected to my mother's death."

Marcus nodded.

"Yes, sir."

The intruder began laughing again.

"You're looking in the wrong place."

Julian turned.

"What's your name?"

The man smiled.

"Daniel."

"Daniel what?"

"Daniel Cross."

Arthur, who had just entered the room, stopped immediately.

Julian noticed.

"You know him?"

Arthur looked at the prisoner.

"Unfortunately."

Daniel smiled.