Chapter 2 - THE MEDICAL WING
Dr. Sofia Navarro arrived within twelve minutes.
She had treated Victor’s family for years.
She knew better than to ask why the Blackwood mansion contained a fully equipped medical room beneath the east wing.
She examined Ethan first.
The child’s upper arm had been fractured.
His shoulder was badly bruised.
His breathing had become irregular because of pain and shock.
“He needs imaging and immediate treatment,” Sofia said.
Victor stood beside the table.
“Will he recover?”
“Yes.”
“But the next hour matters.”
Lily lay on another bed behind a divider.
Her ribs were bruised.
She had a deep abdominal contusion.
Nothing appeared broken.
Sofia looked at her.
“You protected the child?”
Lily nodded.
“I tried.”
Victor heard her.
He stepped toward the divider.
“You did protect him.”
Lily looked at Ethan.
“Not fast enough.”
Victor’s face tightened.
“This is not your fault.”
The words sounded strange coming from him.
Lily had worked in the mansion for six months.
Victor was polite but distant.
He asked about Ethan’s meals.
He checked the nursery at night.
He never stayed long enough to learn what happened after he left.
Serena made sure of that.
When Victor traveled, Serena took control of the household.
She dismissed staff members who questioned her.
She changed Ethan’s schedule.
She ordered Lily to keep the nursery door closed.
Victor believed she was preparing to become Ethan’s mother.
Lily had begun to suspect she wanted something else.
The security director entered the medical room.
His name was Cole Barrett.
He had worked for Victor since they were teenagers.
Cole carried a tablet and a black memory drive.
“The main camera file was damaged,” he said.
“But the backup server kept a copy.”
Serena’s voice sounded from the hallway.
“You cannot show him that.”
Two guards stood between her and the medical room.
Victor looked toward Cole.
“Play it.”
The footage began at 4:16 p.m.
Ethan sat on the nursery rug stacking wooden blocks.
Lily folded clothes near the crib.
Serena entered holding a silver case.
She ordered Lily to leave.
Lily refused because Ethan had not eaten.
Serena smiled.
Then she opened the case.
Inside was a syringe.
Victor’s gaze became fixed on the screen.
Lily saw the object and stepped between Serena and the child.
Serena told her it was a vitamin injection.
Lily said Dr. Navarro had prescribed nothing.
The argument moved into the foyer.
Ethan followed them.
Serena grabbed his arm when he reached for Lily.
The child cried.
Serena pulled harder.
Then she pushed him onto the marble.
Victor stopped the video.
“What was in the syringe?”
Serena answered from the doorway.
“A harmless sedative.”
Every person in the medical wing turned toward her.
Victor’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“Why did you bring a sedative into my son’s nursery?”
Serena looked at Lily.
“Because she was planning to kidnap him.”
Lily stared at her.
“That is a lie.”
Serena lifted her chin.
“Search the nanny’s room.”
“You will find passports, money, and a train ticket issued in Ethan’s name.”
Cole looked toward Victor.
“We already searched it.”
Serena smiled.
Then Cole continued.
“We found the documents.”
Lily’s face went white.
Victor looked at her.
For one terrible second, doubt appeared in his eyes.
Then Cole placed the passports on the table.
May you like
“The ink is still fresh.”
“And the photographs were printed inside Serena’s private office.”
