Chapter 2 - The Whisper in the Dark
I stopped two feet away from Grace. My heart beat against my ribs like a trapped beast.
"What did you just say?" I rasped, my hands clenching into tight fists at my sides.
"Two years ago, I was a pediatric surgical nurse at St. Jude’s," Grace said, her hazel eyes locking onto mine with a desperate sincerity. "I was on night duty in the private wing when your daughter was admitted for observation. I watched over her."
"The hospital records said Lily vanished during a security blackout," I countered, every instinct honed by years in the underworld telling me to analyze her for lies. "They said a rogue hit squad breached the east wing."
"That was the official cover story paid for by your family's inner circle," Grace revealed, stepping closer despite the terrifying energy radiating off me. "There was no blackout. There was no hit squad. A senior surgeon signed a false death certificate, and two men in custom suits carried Lily out through the private doctor's lounge."
"Why would you keep this from me for two years?" I demanded, towering over her. "Why come into my home as a housekeeper now?"
"Because if I had walked up to your syndicate gates two years ago, your lieutenant would have put a bullet in my head before I reached the front door!" Grace snapped back, tears finally overflowing her lashes. "I tried to call your private line three times. Every call was intercepted by your uncle, Marcus Hale!"
The mention of Marcus made my skin turn ice cold.
Marcus Hale was my father's younger brother. He managed our offshore accounts and held thirty percent of the voting power on the syndicate executive board. He was the man who had sat beside me at Lily's empty memorial service, patting my shoulder while telling me to stay strong for the business.
"Marcus told the hospital board that you ordered Lily removed to a private sanctuary in Switzerland because of security threats," Grace continued, pulling a small USB thumb drive from her pocket and holding it out to me. "He paid the staff to sign non-disclosure agreements. But I knew something was wrong when I saw the medication they loaded into her transport bag. It wasn't life-support medicine, Julian. It was a long-term sedative."
I took the metal drive from her trembling palm. Her skin was warm, contrasting sharply with the icy chill in my veins.
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"Why risk bringing Amara here?" I asked softly, looking down at the drive.
"Because six weeks ago, I found out where they are keeping her," Grace whispered, looking straight into my eyes. "Lily is alive, Julian. She is eight miles from here, locked inside the private residential wing of the Hale Medical Foundation. And Marcus is planning to move her overseas permanently at the end of this month."
