Chapter 31
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A week later, the clinic was operating at maximum capacity. Sovereign Physical Therapy had just received a massive influx of referrals from a local orthopedic surgeon, and the lobby was bustling with patients. Chloe had started helping Sarah behind the reception desk, organizing files and answering the phones with a shy, polite efficiency. It was good for her to have a simple, structured task to keep her mind occupied.
I was in the middle of a complex shoulder alignment in room two when Sarah gently knocked on the door.
"Excuse me, Maya," Sarah said, her voice unusually tight. "Can I speak with you in the hallway for just a moment?"
I apologized to my patient and stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind me.
"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing the pale, alarmed look on Sarah's face.
"There is a woman in the lobby," Sarah whispered urgently, glancing toward the front desk. "She matches the description you gave me of your mother. She is currently screaming at Chloe, demanding that she pack her things and leave with her immediately."
My heart hammered against my ribs, an old, primal fear threatening to rise in my throat. Eleanor had found us.
"Where is Chloe?" I asked, my voice dropping into a lethal, defensive calm.
"I pulled her behind the secure glass partition and locked the door," Sarah confirmed. "The woman is causing a massive scene, Maya. Should I call the police?"
"Not yet," I said, squaring my shoulders and pulling my white clinical coat tight. "I will handle this. Call Lucas and tell him what's happening. Keep Chloe completely out of sight."
I turned on my heel and marched down the long hallway toward the reception area. The sound of Eleanor's shrill, demanding voice echoed off the pristine walls, a toxic poison attempting to infiltrate my sanctuary.
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"I demand to see my daughter!" Eleanor shrieked, slamming her expensive designer handbag against the reception counter. "You cannot keep her from me! This is illegal!"
"Eleanor," I said, stepping directly into the center of the lobby. "That is quite enough."
