Part 4: The Second Attempt
I don’t remember the drive to the hospital.
I only remember the red lights.
The wet roads.
And one thought repeating over and over:
I almost lost her twice.
When I reached the emergency floor, two officers were already standing outside Elena’s room.
The doctor was there too.
His face looked tense.
“What happened?”
He glanced at the officers.
Then back at me.
“Your wife is safe.”
The words should have relieved me.
They didn’t.
“Tell me everything.”
The doctor took a breath.
“Your mother entered the room claiming she was a family member.”
My hands curled.
“She was escorted?”
“No.”
His expression darkened.
“She had help.”
I already knew.
“Who?”
The doctor hesitated.
Then:
“A nurse.”
My eyes narrowed.
“A nurse?”
“Yes.”
“She disabled the camera outside the room for exactly four minutes.”
Four minutes.
That was not random.
That was planned.
“What did she do?”
The doctor looked toward Elena’s room.
“She tried to inject something into your wife’s IV line.”
The world went silent.
“She tried to kill her again.”
The doctor nodded.
“But Elena woke up before she could.”
My chest tightened.
“She fought her?”
The doctor’s expression changed.
A strange mix of sadness and admiration.
“Yes.”
“Your wife woke up and pulled the emergency cord.”
“She saved herself.”
My eyes burned.
That was Elena.
Even after everything.
Even after being betrayed.
She fought.
When I entered the room, Elena was awake.
Pale.
Weak.
But alive.
The second she saw me, her eyes filled.
“Daniel.”
I rushed to her side.
“I’m here.”
She grabbed my hand.
“She came.”
“I know.”
“She looked at me like…”
Elena swallowed.
“Like she hated me.”
I sat beside her.
“She almost killed you.”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Her voice was quiet.
“She didn’t hate me.”
I frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“She was scared.”
That surprised me.
“Scared?”
Elena nodded.
“She kept saying one thing.”
“What?”
She looked at me.
“She said, ‘You don’t understand what you found.’”
A chill went through me.
“What else?”
Elena’s fingers tightened around mine.
“She said if the truth came out, everyone would lose everything.”
I thought about the documents.
My father’s letter.
The secret.
The lies.
“Did she say anything about my father?”
Elena went silent.
Then nodded.
“Yes.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“She said…”
Elena looked away.
“She said your father deserved what happened to him.”
The room became cold.
My father.
My childhood hero.
The man who raised me.
My mother knew something.
Something bigger.
The police recovered the nurse who helped her.
She confessed within an hour.
Her name was Sandra.
She had worked at the hospital for six years.
A clean record.
No complaints.
No history.
Until my mother paid her.
“How much?” I asked the detective.
He looked uncomfortable.
“Enough to change her life.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Money.”
“Always money.”
The detective placed a folder on the table.
“There’s more.”
I opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Surveillance images.
My mother meeting people.
My brother.
Company executives.
A lawyer.
And one person I didn’t recognize.
“Who is that?”
The detective looked at me.
“That’s the person we’re trying to identify.”
“Why?”
He pointed to the photo.
“Because every major event connects back to him.”
I stared.
“What events?”
The detective lowered his voice.
“Your father’s death.”
“Elena’s attack.”
“The company transfers.”
“And your mother’s plan.”
My stomach tightened.
“Who is he?”
The detective looked at the image again.
“We believe…”
He paused.
“He’s your father’s former business partner.”
I frowned.
“My father had no partner.”
The detective didn’t blink.
“Are you sure?”
I looked away.
Because suddenly…
I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
That night, Elena and I were moved to a private security room.
The hospital became our fortress.
Police outside.
Security cameras.
Locked doors.
But I still couldn’t sleep.
Because every time I closed my eyes…
I saw the coffin.
I saw Elena lying there.
I saw my mother standing beside her.
Calm.
Cold.
Waiting.
Around 3 a.m., Elena whispered:
“Daniel.”
I turned.
“You awake?”
“Yes.”
She looked at me.
“There’s something I didn’t tell you.”
My body immediately tensed.
“What?”
“When your mother attacked me…”
She swallowed.
“She said your father left something behind.”
“What?”
“She said…”
Elena hesitated.
“She said the inheritance wasn’t the real reason your grandfather chose us.”
I sat up.
“What was the real reason?”
Elena looked toward the window.
“She said your grandfather knew someone in the family was dangerous.”
My heart sank.
“And?”
“She said he left everything to us because he knew…”
She stopped.
“Knew what?”
Her voice dropped.
“He knew your mother would try to take it.”
Silence.
That changed everything.
My grandfather wasn’t just protecting the company.
He was protecting us.
But why?
Why would he suspect his own daughter?
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I picked it up.
A message.
No words.
Just a photo.
My father.
Alive.
The picture was old.
Very old.
But the location tag underneath made my blood run cold.
Because it was taken…
Three days after his supposed death.
I looked at Elena.
She saw my face.
“What is it?”
I couldn’t speak.
I handed her the phone.
Her eyes widened.
Then she whispered:
“Daniel…”
“Your father didn’t die.”
May you like
A pause.
“He disappeared.”
