Chapter 3
Caroline
3 AM. The hospital administration building was dead silent. I swiped into Michael's office, my heart pounding like a war drum.
'Tonight, I'm going to destroy these bastards completely!'
Moonlight streamed across the desk, casting an eerie glow. I pulled out the micro recording devices I'd prepared, my fingers trembling as I pried open the phone's base.
"Shit, why is this thing so tight!" I muttered through gritted teeth, nearly breaking my nails.
Finally, I managed to stuff the tiny device inside the phone. Next was the computer tower—I crawled under the desk and installed the second bug in the ventilation slot.
That's when I noticed the safe behind the desk.
The safe was half-open! That idiot Michael had forgotten to lock it!
I yanked the door wide, and what I saw made me gasp—
Stacks of check stubs from Nexus Corporation, amounts ranging from fifty thousand to two hundred thousand! Plus a thick pile of experimental reports with "NX-47 Pediatric Clinical Trial Data" on the cover!
"Jesus Christ..." I opened the first report, my hands shaking violently.
[Test Subject #001, Male, 6 years old, died day 15 from cardiac failure]
[Test Subject #002, Female, 8 years old, died day 22 from kidney failure]
[Test Subject #003, Male, 7 years old, died day 18 from multiple organ failure]
My blood turned to ice! Three children! Three innocent kids had already been murdered by these monsters!
I frantically photographed every page of the reports, every check stub. These bastards weren't just selling lives for money—they were systematically covering up murder!
Footsteps in the hallway!
I instantly killed my phone's flashlight, quickly stuffed the documents back, and gently closed the safe.
The footsteps were getting closer, and a flashlight beam crept under the door!
"Fuck!" My heart was about to explode as I dove behind the desk.
'Creak—' The door swung open.
"Why is there light in this office?" The night security guard swept his flashlight around the room.
I held my breath, curled up under the desk. The guard's footsteps echoed around the room, his flashlight beam passing over my head several times.
"Who's there! Come out!" the guard suddenly shouted.
Shit! I'd been caught!
I slowly stood up from behind the desk, trying to stay calm: "It's me, Dr. Emily."
"Dr. Emily?" The guard looked confused. "What are you doing in the chief's office in the middle of the night? This isn't normal!"
My brain raced—I needed a plausible excuse: "I was looking for my son's medical files. Chief Clarke said some important documents were in his office and told me to pick them up."
"Picking up files at 3 AM?" The guard's eyes were full of suspicion. "Dr. Emily, your behavior has been very strange lately. I think I need to report this."
OMG! If he reported this, I was screwed!
"No need to report anything, I'm leaving now," I said, forcing calm as I headed for the door. "I couldn't find what I needed anyway. I'll try again tomorrow."
"Wait!" The guard suddenly blocked my path. "Dr. Emily, to be honest, people around the hospital are already saying your mental state is unstable. Sneaking into the chief's office in the middle of the night to go through things—that sounds like a psychotic episode!"
Cold sweat broke out on my back! I'd almost been labeled mentally ill and shipped off to psych!
"I'm perfectly fine!" I said through clenched teeth. "Now please move aside, I need to get back to my son!"
The guard hesitated for a few seconds, then finally stepped aside: "Alright, but I have to document this incident."
I rushed out of the office, my heart still racing. In the elevator, I leaned against the wall, gasping for air.
That was too close! But tonight's haul was worth the risk!
The next morning, I sat in the on-call room wearing headphones, listening to the audio from my bugs.
At 9 AM sharp, Michael's office phone rang.
"Hello, Michael, it's me." An unfamiliar male voice—must be a Nexus executive.
"Dwayne, how's the experiment progressing?" Michael's voice was full of anxiety.
"We need to speed things up! Family members are starting to get suspicious!" Dwayne's voice was ice-cold and ruthless. "The board is putting pressure on us—the investors can't wait much longer!"
My fists clenched tight! These monsters thought they weren't killing fast enough!
"How are we handling the death records for those three children?" Michael asked.
"All cleaned up—no one will ever find out!" Dwayne laughed coldly. "Officially, they were all natural deaths. The families received 'reasonable' compensation, and the hospital's reputation is completely intact."
Compensation! Blood money to silence grieving parents!
Then Sarah's voice joined the conversation: "This is Head Nurse Sarah, Mr. Dwayne."
"Sarah, how are things on your end?"
"Emily's behavior last night was very abnormal," Sarah's voice carried vicious satisfaction. "Honestly, I deliberately increased Noah's dosage, hoping he'd die accidentally so we could write it off as medical malpractice. I didn't expect Emily to suddenly get smart and discover the drug problem!"
I nearly dropped my phone! This poisonous bitch just admitted to trying to kill my son!
"What? You changed the dosage on your own?" Michael's voice became sharp.
"Don't play innocent, Michael!" Sarah laughed coldly. "You think I don't know your plan? Emily dies, Noah's guardianship goes to you, along with the insurance money and property! I was just helping speed up the process!"
"You crazy bitch!" Michael roared.
"Crazy bitch?" Sarah's voice became hysterical. "You're the one who started planning murder! Don't think I don't know you contacted the psych department to have Emily committed! We're in this together!"
My blood was boiling! This pair of scumbags not only wanted to kill my son but also wanted to lock me up in a mental institution!
The conversation continued, Dwayne's voice cutting in: "Enough! Stop fighting! The key issue now is how to handle the Emily problem!"
"I already have arrangements," Michael said viciously. "The board is no problem—Chairman Dwayne took two million, Vice Chairman Williams took one-point-five million, Medical Oversight Committee's Green took one million. Seven board members, four in our pocket!"
Systematic corruption! The entire hospital board had been bought!
Sarah continued: "Since Emily won't cooperate, we execute Plan B—involuntary psychiatric commitment!"
"Exactly!" Michael sneered.
"Once she's in the psych ward," Dwayne added, "Noah's guardianship automatically transfers to Michael, the experiment can continue without any interference!"
All three burst into demonic laughter.
I trembled as I removed the headphones, my entire body shaking violently. Not from fear—from rage!
Boundless, consuming rage!
This wasn't simple medical malpractice—this was an organized crime syndicate! They were systematically murdering children, bribing the board, controlling the entire hospital!
I slowly stood up, dangerous light flashing in my eyes.
Want to have me committed? You're playing with fire!
I opened my phone's recording app—every conversation had been captured completely. Combined with last night's document photos, I had enough evidence!
But they were moving tonight! Time was running out!
I smiled coldly as I pocketed my phone and strode toward Noah's room.