Chapter 5 Eleanor Makes a Deadly Call
Downstairs in the hospital’s subterranean parking garage, Eleanor slammed her hand against the steering wheel of her black luxury sedan. The horn blared a harsh, echoing note through the concrete pillars.
Her mind raced through a dozen different contingency plans to intercept the DNA results. If that envelope went public, her multi-billion-dollar estate and political influence would vanish overnight.
She whipped out her encrypted smartphone, dialing a private number with trembling nails. The phone rang three times before a cold, raspy voice answered on the other end.
"It’s me," Eleanor hissed into the receiver. "The girl has the original hospital test papers in her possession."
"I thought you handled the records department," the voice on the other end responded with immediate irritation. "How did a copy slip through?"
"An inside job, probably that wretched nurse Sarah," Eleanor snapped, pacing beside her idling vehicle. "Fix it before they leave the building."
"Fixing it means eliminating all variables," the voice replied darkly. "Are you prepared for the ultimate collateral damage?"
Eleanor paused for a fraction of a second, her reflection in the rearview mirror showing a woman consumed by greed and self-preservation. "Just make sure the envelope never sees the light of day."
She disconnected the call, slipping the phone back into her crimson blazer pocket. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she stared up at the hospital windows from the shadows.
Back in Room 402, an ominous drop in atmospheric pressure seemed to settle over the room. Chloe felt a sudden, inexplicable chill run down her spine.
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"Sarah, lock the door right now," Chloe ordered sharply, her maternal instincts screaming in red alert.
Nurse Sarah crossed the room in two swift strides, turning the heavy metal deadbolt with a satisfying click. The silence inside the hospital room suddenly felt fragile, like thin ice over deep water.
