Four words written in trembling handwriting:
“Please don’t trust him.”
Lauren’s heart was pounding.
What else was Kiara hiding?
Did he still have time to save her before he realized the truth was slipping away from him?
Security arrived within minutes. Two officers were stationed at the entrance, and Derek Vaughn paced like a caged animal. His face, previously contorted with forced panic, now twisted with impatience. “How much longer?” he barked at the nurse at the front desk. “I need to see my wife.”
“You’ll have to wait, sir,” she replied calmly. “The doctor is still assessing your injuries.”
Derek clenched his fists, but the mask remained in place, at least for now.
In Operating Room 3, Dr. Lauren Hayes opened the note again, feeling the weight of four desperate words: Please don’t trust him.
She slipped the note into Kiara’s chart just as social worker Marissa Cole rushed in. Marissa was a gentle woman with a steely temperament—exactly the kind of person Kiara needed.
“What are we watching?” Marissa asked.
“Years of abuse,” Lauren said. “And she’s terrified of her husband. Her file is full of suspicious stories. It’s more than abuse; it’s control.”
Marissa nodded grimly. “We won’t let him in. If he wakes up, I’ll talk to her.” Kiara stirred, letting out a soft, pained groan. Lauren walked over to her.
“Kiara? Can you hear me?” she asked quietly.
SAY YES IF YOU WANT TO READ THE FULL STORY. That night, the doors of St. Mercy Hospital didn’t just open, they exploded.
They struck the metal rails with such force that the windows shook, and the startled volunteer at the information desk dropped her notebook. The chatter in the waiting room suddenly stopped. Everyone turned at once.
Most people went to the emergency room out of fear.
This man took theater into his own hands.
This could be a picture of a hospital
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
