Chapter 8: The Hospital Room
The hospital corridor smelled of antiseptic and burnt coffee.
Jayden walked between Mrs. Parker and Evelyn, holding both their hands.
He hadn't released Evelyn's hand since leaving the underground chamber.
Every few steps, he looked up to make sure she was still there.
She noticed.
“I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart.””
“Promise?””
“I promise.””
David led them toward the intensive care unit.
Two security officers stood outside Danielle's room.
One of them recognized him.
“Mr. Whitmore.””
“Has anyone entered?””
“No. We've been here since your call.””
David looked through the glass.
Danielle was awake.
Her face was pale, and a thin oxygen tube rested beneath her nose.
When she saw Jayden, she immediately began crying.
“Baby!””
Jayden rushed inside.
“Mommy!””
He climbed carefully onto the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her.
“Are you better?””
Danielle kissed his forehead.
“I'm getting better, sweetheart.””
“I got Amara milk.””
Danielle looked toward the carrier.
“Thank you for taking care of your sister.””
Jayden shook his head.
“Grandma helped.””
Danielle froze.
Then she looked toward the doorway.
Evelyn stood there.
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
Then Danielle whispered:
“Evelyn?””
Her mother-in-law approached slowly.
“Hello, darling.””
Danielle began sobbing.
“You're alive.””
Evelyn took her hand.
“Yes.””
“You let me believe you were dead.””
“I know.””
“You let my son grow up without you!””
Evelyn lowered her head.
“I thought I was protecting you.””
Danielle pulled her hand away.
“Do you know what Jayden went through? He thought he had to become a man because nobody else was there to help us.””
Evelyn looked at the boy.
“I know.””
“No, you don't. He walked across town with his baby sister because I was lying on a hospital floor. He stood in a bank and begged for money while strangers watched him.””
Evelyn's eyes filled.
“I am sorry.””
Danielle wiped her cheeks.
“Sorry doesn't give him those years back.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Jayden climbed down from the bed.
“Mommy?””
Danielle turned.
“Yes, baby?””
“Can Grandma stay?””
Danielle looked at Evelyn.
The older woman was trembling.
Danielle closed her eyes.
Then she nodded.
“For Jayden, yes.””
Evelyn covered her mouth.
David stepped forward.
“Danielle, we need to discuss what happened this morning.””
Her expression immediately changed.
“Thomas came here.””
“What did he do?””
“He told the nurse he was my legal guardian. He said I had agreed to transfer custody of the children.””
David's jaw tightened.
“Did he bring the documents?””
Danielle nodded.
“He brought a folder. He told me if I signed, he would pay all the hospital bills and make sure Jayden never wanted for anything.””
“And when you refused?””
“He showed me a photograph.””
She reached toward the bedside drawer.
Inside was a printed picture of Mrs. Parker's apartment building.
A red circle had been drawn around one of the windows.
Danielle's voice shook.
“He told me he knew where the children were staying.””
Mrs. Parker stepped closer.
“He knows my address?””
Danielle nodded.
“He said he could make you disappear too.””
Evelyn took the photograph.
Her expression turned cold.
“Thomas always did confuse fear with power.””
David looked at Danielle.
“Did he threaten you physically?””
“He grabbed my wrist. When I tried to call for help, he took my phone.””
She looked at the bruising near her arm.
“He told me something else.””
“What?””
“He said the second book doesn't matter anymore because the original documents have already been destroyed.””
David shook his head.
“That isn't true.””
Danielle looked at him.
“Are you sure?””
David opened the black book.
“These are copies of the original trust records. Evelyn has three complete sets.””
Evelyn nodded.
“And the original ownership documents are stored somewhere Thomas cannot reach.””
Margaret, who had been examining the papers, looked up.
“Where?””
Evelyn hesitated.
“In the bank's central vault.””
David frowned.
“The central vault was renovated last year.””
“The public vault was renovated,” Evelyn corrected.
“Not the founders' vault.””
Margaret looked confused.
“There's another vault?””
Evelyn smiled faintly.
“Every bank has places its customers never see.””
Before anyone could ask more, Danielle's monitor began beeping.
A nurse rushed into the room.
“Mrs. Bennett, I need everyone to step outside.””
David helped Jayden move away from the bed.
“What's happening?””
The nurse checked Danielle's readings.
“Her blood pressure is rising. She needs to rest.””
Jayden's face crumpled.
“Is Mommy dying?””
Evelyn immediately knelt.
“No, sweetheart.””
“But the machine is making noises.””
“That's why the doctors are helping her.””
Jayden held her hand tightly.
“I don't want anyone else to disappear.””
Evelyn pulled him close.
“Neither do I.””
Outside the room, David received a call from the bank's board chairman.
“David, we have a problem.””
“What now?””
“The board has convened an emergency meeting.””
“Why?””
“Thomas submitted a motion to suspend Evelyn Bennett's trust authority on grounds of fraud and incapacity.””
David stopped walking.
“Evelyn is alive.””
“I know. That's why this is urgent.””
“Who is supporting the motion?””
The chairman paused.
“Seven of the nine board members.””
David stared down the corridor.
“Seven?””
“Thomas claims the trust was established through forged documents. He says Evelyn manipulated the original shareholders.””
David's voice hardened.
“That's absurd. I have the original trust papers.””
“Then bring them to the board meeting.””
“When?””
“Tomorrow morning.””
David ended the call.
Margaret approached.
“What happened?””
“Thomas is trying to remove Evelyn's trust authority.””
Evelyn had heard enough to understand.
She stood.
“Let him try.””
David looked at her.
“You know what this means?””
“Yes. It means he has finally become desperate.””
She reached into her coat and removed a small envelope.
Inside was a photograph of nine men and women standing around a conference table.
Evelyn pointed to one of them.
“That's the original board.””
David recognized the chairman.
Then he noticed something else.
A handwritten note on the back.
Only one of these people knows where the missing $48 million went.
David looked up.
“Who?””
Evelyn pointed to a woman standing at the far end of the photograph.
Margaret gasped.
It was Patricia Collins.
The teller who had refused to serve Jayden.
David stared.
“Patricia?””
Evelyn nodded.
“She wasn't always a teller. She used to work in the executive accounting division.””
Margaret looked horrified.
“Why would she be working at a branch counter?””
“Because she was demoted after the first investigation,” Evelyn replied.
David's mind raced.
“Do you think she was involved?””
Evelyn shook her head.
“I think she knows something. And I think Thomas has been keeping an eye on her.””
At that moment, David's phone rang.
A text message appeared from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph of Patricia sitting alone in her car.
Beneath it was a single sentence:
Ask your teller what happened to the money.
David immediately called the Madison Avenue branch.
Linda answered.
“Mr. Whitmore?””
“Where is Patricia Collins?””
“She left about an hour ago.””
“Did she say where she was going?””
“No.””
David looked at Evelyn.
Then another message arrived.
This one contained a photograph of Patricia's car parked outside an abandoned office building.
The message read:
She's the last witness. If you want the truth, come alone.
David stared at the screen.
Evelyn shook her head.
“It's a trap.””
David nodded.
“Probably.””
He looked at Margaret.
“Can you stay here with Danielle and the children?””
“Of course.””
Evelyn stepped forward.
“I'm coming with you.””
“No.””
“David—”
“Thomas wants the two of us in the same room. That's exactly what he expects.””
Evelyn studied him.
Then she gave him a small nod.
“Be careful.””
David turned toward the exit.
But before he could leave, Jayden called after him.
“Mr. David?””
He turned.
“Yes, son?””
“Please find out why Grandma had to hide.””
David looked at the boy.
“I will.””
Jayden hugged Amara closer.
“And please bring Patricia back.””
David smiled faintly.
“I'll try.””
Then he walked into the night.
May you like
He had no idea that Patricia Collins was already waiting for him.
Or that the confession she was about to make would change everything he believed about Evelyn Bennett.
