CHAPTER 2 — THE WOMAN BEHIND THE HOSPITAL DOOR
CHAPTER 2 — THE WOMAN BEHIND THE HOSPITAL DOOR
The first thing Marcus heard was the monitor.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Slow.
Steady.
Alive.
He stood outside Khloe's hospital room with one hand pressed against the glass.
On the other side, doctors moved around her bed.
A nurse adjusted an IV.
Another checked the fetal monitor.
Khloe's face was pale.
Her eyes were closed.
One hand rested over the curve of her stomach.
Marcus had never been so afraid in his life.
Not when his company nearly collapsed.
Not when the stock market erased billions from his fortune overnight.
Not even when his father died.
Because those things could be replaced.
Khloe couldn't.
Neither could their son.
The door opened.
A doctor stepped outside.
Marcus immediately turned.
“How is she?”
The doctor removed his mask.
“Her condition is stable.”
Marcus exhaled.
“And the baby?”
“The heartbeat is strong.”
For the first time in nearly an hour, Marcus allowed himself to breathe.
“But…”
His relief vanished.
“But what?”
“She has significant bruising along her abdomen and ribs. We are monitoring for internal bleeding.”
Marcus nodded.
“Do whatever you need.”
The doctor studied him.
“Mr. Thorne, I need you to understand something.”
“What?”
“Your wife was assaulted while pregnant. We cannot treat this as a simple accident.”
Marcus looked through the glass.
“I know.”
“No,” the doctor said quietly.
“I don't think you do.”
Marcus turned.
“What are you saying?”
“The injuries are consistent with deliberate force.”
His jaw tightened.
“She was kicked.”
“I know.”
The doctor lowered his voice.
“There is something else.”
“What?”
“Before she was attacked, she had already received medication that was not documented in her chart.”
Marcus's eyes hardened.
“The medication.”
“Yes.”
“What was it?”
“We're still testing it.”
“And who gave it to her?”
The doctor hesitated.
“That is the problem.”
“What problem?”
“The order appears legitimate.”
Marcus frowned.
“Then why are you concerned?”
“Because the physician who supposedly authorized it says he never ordered it.”
Silence.
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
“Dr. Hale?”
“Yes.”
The name confirmed what Daniel had already told him.
Marcus looked back through the glass.
“Someone forged the medical order.”
The doctor nodded.
“And they knew exactly what they were doing.”
Two hours earlier, Khloe had been smiling.
Marcus remembered that now.
She had stood beneath the chandelier at the gala wearing a white maternity gown.
One hand on her stomach.
The other holding his arm.
She had whispered:
“I can't wait to go home.”
He had kissed her forehead.
“I'll take you home after the speeches.”
She had smiled.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
Then he had left her.
Just for twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes.
That was all it took.
Marcus closed his eyes.
He could still hear her voice.
You promise?
He had promised.
And he had failed.
Daniel arrived at the hospital at 3:07 a.m.
He carried three folders.
Marcus looked at him.
“What did you find?”
Daniel placed the folders on the table.
“Everything connected to tonight.”
Marcus opened the first.
Security logs.
“The hospital security system was tampered with.”
“How?”
“Three cameras were disabled.”
“Which ones?”
“The hallway outside Khloe's suite.”
“The service elevator.”
“And the underground parking entrance.”
Marcus looked up.
“Why those three?”
Daniel met his eyes.
“Because whoever planned this needed a private route.”
Marcus opened the second folder.
“What's this?”
“Visitor records.”
He scanned them.
Hundreds of names.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Staff.
Guests.
Then one name caught his attention.
Lydia Mercer.
Marcus frowned.
“Who is she?”
“That's the problem.”
Daniel pulled out another sheet.
“There is no Lydia Mercer employed by this hospital.”
“Then why is her name here?”
“She entered at 9:58 p.m.”
Marcus checked the security timestamp.
“That was before the gala.”
“Yes.”
“What did she do?”
“We don't know.”
“Find her.”
“We're trying.”
Marcus flipped through the pages.
“She entered through the VIP entrance.”
“Yes.”
“Who authorized her?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Isabella.”
Marcus stopped.
His eyes moved slowly upward.
“Isabella authorized her?”
“Yes.”
Marcus closed the folder.
“Where is Isabella?”
“Security has her in a private conference room.”
“Keep her there.”
“She requested a lawyer.”
“Give her one.”
Daniel looked surprised.
Marcus continued:
“But don't let her leave the hospital.”
Across the building, Isabella sat alone.
Her makeup had begun to run.
The red dress that had looked elegant beneath the gala lights now looked grotesque.
She stared at her phone.
One message.
Then another.
No response.
Finally, she typed:
I did what you asked.
She waited.
Nothing.
She typed again.
Where are you?
Still nothing.
Her hands began to shake.
Then her phone vibrated.
One sentence appeared.
You were not supposed to hurt the baby.
Isabella stared at the screen.
Her face went white.
She typed:
You said he wouldn't find out.
The response came immediately.
I said Marcus wouldn't find out about us.
A pause.
Then:
I never said he wouldn't see the footage.
Isabella's breathing became shallow.
She looked toward the door.
Someone was standing in the hallway.
A shadow.
Tall.
Motionless.
Then it disappeared.
Marcus entered Khloe's room at 4:12 a.m.
The lights were dim.
The machines made quiet sounds.
Khloe was awake.
Barely.
Her eyes moved toward him.
“Marcus?”
He walked to her immediately.
“I'm here.”
Her lips trembled.
“The baby?”
“He's okay.”
She closed her eyes.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Marcus gently took her hand.
“You scared me.”
She tried to smile.
“I was scared too.”
“I know.”
Khloe looked at him.
“Is Isabella gone?”
“No.”
Her expression changed.
“She did this.”
“I know.”
“She wasn't alone.”
Marcus froze.
“What?”
Khloe's breathing became uneven.
“There was someone outside the door.”
“Did you see him?”
“Not clearly.”
“What did he look like?”
She closed her eyes.
“I don't know.”
“Khloe, think.”
“I heard his voice.”
“What did he say?”
She swallowed.
“He asked Isabella if I had signed.”
Marcus's heart stopped.
“Signed what?”
“I don't know.”
“Did Isabella answer?”
Khloe nodded weakly.
“She said…”
Her voice broke.
“She said you had already agreed.”
Marcus stared at her.
“I never agreed to anything.”
“I know.”
Khloe's fingers tightened around his.
“That's what scared me.”
“What?”
“She said your father had arranged everything.”
Marcus went completely still.
“My father?”
Khloe nodded.
“She said…”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“She said I was never supposed to become your wife.”
Marcus felt his chest tighten.
“What?”
“She said I was supposed to be temporary.”
He stared at her.
“Temporary?”
“She said once the baby was born, you would leave me.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
Khloe looked at him.
“I didn't believe her.”
“You were right.”
“I know.”
She swallowed.
“But then she said something else.”
Marcus leaned closer.
“What?”
Khloe whispered:
“She said the baby wasn't really yours.”
Marcus froze.
The monitor continued.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
He stared at his wife.
“What did she mean?”
“I don't know.”
Khloe's eyes closed.
“I swear.”
Marcus stood there, stunned.
Then the fetal monitor suddenly changed.
The baby's heartbeat accelerated.
A nurse rushed inside.
“Sir, you need to step back.”
Marcus moved away.
Doctors gathered around Khloe.
He watched helplessly.
Then the door closed between them.
For the second time that night, Marcus was forced to stand outside while the woman he loved fought to keep their child safe.
And this time, he wasn't angry.
He was terrified.
At 5:03 a.m., the doctor finally came out.
“The baby is stable.”
Marcus nodded.
“And Khloe?”
“She needs rest.”
“Can I see her?”
“In a few minutes.”
Marcus turned toward Daniel.
“Find everything.”
Daniel nodded.
“About the baby's paternity?”
“About everything.”
He looked toward the closed door.
“Someone wants me to doubt my own child.”
“Yes.”
“Someone wants Khloe frightened.”
“Yes.”
“And someone has access to my family.”
Daniel hesitated.
“Yes.”
Marcus's eyes hardened.
“Then start with everyone.”
By sunrise, Marcus had ordered a complete internal investigation.
Every member of his family's staff was questioned.
Every financial transfer was reviewed.
Every phone call connected to the gala was traced.
Every employee with access to the hospital was investigated.
At 7:45 a.m., Daniel returned with another file.
“This came from the hospital archives.”
Marcus opened it.
Inside was an admission form.
Khloe's name.
The date was three months earlier.
Marcus frowned.
“She wasn't admitted.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Exactly.”
The form listed a private examination.
Pregnancy consultation.
Authorized physician:
Dr. Vincent Hale.
Marcus's face hardened.
“Why didn't I know about this?”
“We checked.”
“And?”
“Your insurance records were altered.”
Marcus stared at him.
“By whom?”
Daniel placed another document on the table.
A signature.
Marcus recognized it.
His own.
But he had never signed it.
The document authorized Dr. Hale to access Khloe's medical information.
Marcus stared at the forged signature.
Then he remembered something.
Three months earlier, he had been overseas.
Tokyo.
A business trip.
He had been there for six days.
The document had been signed in San Francisco.
He couldn't have signed it.
Someone had forged his name.
Someone had been monitoring Khloe's pregnancy before the gala.
Someone had access to his private records.
Someone knew about the baby.
And someone had been preparing for this night long before Isabella entered that hospital room.
At 8:20 a.m., Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
Marcus immediately noticed.
“What?”
Daniel covered the receiver.
“Sir…”
“What?”
“They found Dr. Hale.”
“Where?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Dead.”
Marcus closed his eyes.
Again.
Another witness.
Another death.
“How?”
“His car was found outside the city.”
“Was it an accident?”
“No.”
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“What did they find?”
Daniel hesitated.
“A suitcase.”
“What's inside?”
“Medical records.”
Marcus stared.
“Whose?”
Daniel looked down at the folder in his hand.
“Khloe's.”
Marcus's blood ran cold.
“All of them?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
“Only the records from the seven months before her pregnancy.”
Marcus frowned.
“Before she was pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“Why would someone want those?”
Daniel didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Because Marcus had just realized something.
The person behind the attack wasn't interested only in Khloe's unborn child.
They were interested in Khloe herself.
Her past.
Her identity.
Her family.
And perhaps something she didn't even know about herself.
That afternoon, Marcus entered the hospital's restricted archive.
Daniel stood beside him.
The hospital administrator reluctantly opened the secure database.
Marcus searched Khloe's name.
One result.
Then another.
Then a third.
He frowned.
“Why are there three patient profiles?”
The administrator looked confused.
“There shouldn't be.”
Marcus opened the oldest record.
The birth date matched.
The name didn't.
Katherine Vale.
Marcus stared.
“Who is Katherine Vale?”
The administrator shook his head.
“I don't know.”
Daniel opened another file.
It contained a photograph.
Marcus stared at it.
The woman in the photograph looked almost identical to Khloe.
Same eyes.
Same jaw.
Same expression.
But she was older.
Much older.
On the back of the photograph was a handwritten note:
Daughter of Elena Vale.
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“Elena?”
Daniel's eyes widened.
“Khloe's mother's name is Elena.”
Marcus felt the world tilt.
He opened the file.
There were records dating back twenty-nine years.
Medical records.
Adoption documents.
Travel records.
And one sealed document.
Marcus opened it.
His face went pale.
Khloe had not been born under the name Khloe Thorne.
She had been born Katherine Elena Vale.
And the person listed as her biological father was not the man who had raised her.
It was a name Marcus knew.
A name that had appeared in his family's history for decades.
Victor Thorne.
His grandfather.
Marcus stepped back.
“No.”
Daniel stared at the document.
“Sir…”
Marcus shook his head.
“My grandfather died before Khloe was born.”
“Yes.”
“Then how could he be her father?”
Daniel didn't answer.
The hospital administrator slowly backed away.
Marcus looked at him.
“You knew.”
“No.”
“You knew this file existed.”
“I swear I didn't.”
Marcus stared at the document again.
Suddenly, the entire conspiracy looked different.
Maybe the baby wasn't the only secret.
Maybe Khloe herself was the inheritance.
Maybe Marcus's marriage had never been accidental.
And maybe Isabella hadn't been trying to steal Marcus from Khloe.
Maybe she had been trying to stop Khloe from discovering who she really was.
That night, Marcus returned to Khloe's room.
She was awake.
He sat beside her.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he took her hand.
“Khloe.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“There is something I need to tell you.”
Her expression tightened.
“What happened?”
Marcus looked into her eyes.
“I found another name connected to you.”
She frowned.
“What name?”
“Katherine Vale.”
Khloe went completely still.
Her lips parted.
“How do you know that name?”
Marcus's heart stopped.
“You know it?”
She looked away.
“I've heard it before.”
“From whom?”
“My mother.”
“What did she say?”
Khloe's eyes filled with tears.
“She told me never to ask about it.”
Marcus stared at her.
“Why?”
Khloe whispered:
“Because she said the day I learned who Katherine Vale was…”
She looked at him.
“…the Thorne family would come for me.”
Marcus felt a chill.
Outside the hospital window, a black sedan slowly pulled away from the curb.
Neither of them saw it.
Inside the car, a man watched the hospital through binoculars.
He lowered them.
Then made a phone call.
“She knows.”
A pause.
“Yes.”
Another pause.
“The husband knows too.”
He listened.
Then smiled.
“Then we're out of time.”
He ended the call.
On the hospital floor above him, Marcus held Khloe's hand.
Neither of them yet understood that the attack at the gala had only been the first move.
The real battle had started years before Khloe ever met Marcus.
May you like
And now someone was terrified that she was finally about to remember why.
TO BE CONTINUED…
