Chapter 5 - THE CHILD HE WAS AFTER
We left through a private elevator.
My father refused to explain anything until we reached a secure apartment across town.
Adrian stayed behind with Maren.
I hated leaving her there.
But my father insisted.
“Graham wants the drive.”
“What does it contain?”
“Enough to destroy him.”
“Then why hasn't he already found it?”
“Because he doesn't know Maren has it.”
I looked at him.
“You do.”
“Yes.”
“Adrian does.”
“Yes.”
“Who else?”
He hesitated.
“Someone inside your family.”
I felt my stomach drop.
“My family is tiny.”
“That's why it was easy.”
He handed me another photograph.
It showed Adrian and my aunt, Rebecca.
They were standing outside a bank.
“What is this?”
“Rebecca helped Graham access your mother's accounts.”
I stared.
“My aunt?”
“She believed Graham would make her rich.”
“Did she know about my mother?”
“She knew enough.”
My phone rang.
It was Adrian.
“Hannah.”
“Is Maren okay?”
“She delivered.”
I stopped breathing.
“What?”
“She had the baby.”
A strange mixture of relief and fear rushed through me.
“Is the baby healthy?”
“Yes.”
“And Maren?”
“She’s exhausted, but okay.”
“Where are you?”
Silence.
“Adrian?”
“I found something.”
“What?”
“Come back to the hospital.”
My father immediately shook his head.
“No.”
I ignored him.
“What did you find?”
“Graham wasn't trying to get into Maren's room.”
“Then what?”
“He was trying to access the hospital records.”
“Why?”
Adrian's voice dropped.
“Because someone changed your medical records.”
I froze.
“What records?”
“Your pregnancy records.”
My father went pale.
“What does that mean?”
Adrian continued.
“Your blood type is listed incorrectly.”
I stared at my father.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It gets worse.”
“What?”
“Your emergency contact isn't Adrian.”
“Who is it?”
He hesitated.
“Rebecca.”
My aunt.
The same woman my father had just accused of helping Graham.
I felt dizzy.
“Why would my aunt be listed as my emergency contact?”
“I don't know.”
“Check who changed it.”
“I did.”
Silence.
“Adrian?”
“It was changed three months ago.”
“By whom?”
He whispered:
“Your doctor.”
My heart began pounding.
“What?”
“I checked the authorization.”
He stopped.
“Your doctor didn't change it.”
“Then who did?”
Adrian's voice became almost inaudible.
“Someone used your doctor's credentials.”
I felt a cold wave pass through me.
My father grabbed my shoulder.
“We need to move.”
“Why?”
“Because if someone has access to your medical records, they know where you are.”
A loud knock came from the apartment door.
We froze.
Another knock.
Then a voice.
“Ms. Cole?”
My father whispered:
“Don't answer.”
The person outside knocked again.
“I’m from the hospital.”
I looked at my father.
“How did they find us?”
He shook his head.
Then my phone buzzed.
A text from Adrian.
Don't open the door.
A second message arrived.
The person outside isn't hospital staff.
And then a third.
Graham knows about the baby.
I looked at my father.
For the first time, he looked truly terrified.
May you like
Because Graham wasn't simply hunting Maren anymore.
He was hunting both unborn children.
