Chapter 6 - EllieI couldn't move.
“Your daughter?”
Ethan nodded.
“Her name was Ellie.”
“You never told me.”
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“I don't know.”
My chest tightened.
“You've been married to me for three years.”
“I know.”
“And you never told me you had a child?”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
He looked at the floor.
“Because I believed she died because of me.”
Detective Morgan remained silent.
I turned toward her.
“Did you know about this?”
“No.”
Ethan finally spoke.
“Ellie was born premature.”
“Why?”
“She was perfectly healthy until the final months.”
My heart sank.
“What happened?”
“She suddenly began experiencing fetal distress.”
My mouth went dry.
“Just like our baby.”
“Yes.”
“Then what?”
“She died before they could deliver her.”
I stared at him.
“Was anyone investigated?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because we were told it was natural.”
I felt tears building.
“What does this have to do with my family?”
Ethan looked at me.
“Ellie's mother was my first wife.”
I froze.
“You were married?”
“Yes.”
“And she died?”
“No.”
“Then where is she?”
Silence.
Ethan swallowed.
“She disappeared.”
My skin prickled.
“What?”
“After Ellie died, she blamed me.”
“Why?”
“She believed someone had caused the pregnancy complications.”
“Who?”
“She said Bellhaven.”
Detective Morgan's eyes narrowed.
“Why didn't you tell me this before?”
“Because I spent three years trying to bury it.”
I looked away.
“You should have trusted me.”
“I know.”
The door opened.
A doctor entered.
“We have something.”
Everyone turned.
The doctor held a file.
“We reviewed Claire's previous prenatal records.”
“And?”
“There’s something unusual.”
He showed us the scans.
“Your baby's placenta has abnormal vascular development.”
“Is she going to be okay?”
“Right now, yes.”
“But this pattern resembles a case from an archived Bellhaven study.”
Ethan stood.
“Ellie.”
“Yes.”
The doctor nodded.
“Your daughter's records may show the same pattern.”
I felt dizzy.
“Who has access to my records?”
“Your obstetrician.”
“Anyone else?”
The doctor hesitated.
“We discovered someone accessed your file last week.”
“Who?”
“A hospital administrator.”
“Name?”
“Dr. Adrian Vale.”
Detective Morgan's face became serious.
“Where is he?”
“He was scheduled to work tonight.”
“Is he here?”
The doctor checked his phone.
“He just left.”
Detective Morgan immediately called security.
“Don't let him off the property.”
The hospital lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then everything went dark.
Emergency lights came on.
The monitor beside me beeped.
Then stopped.
My baby’s heartbeat disappeared.
“No!”
The doctor shouted.
“Manual monitoring!”
Someone ran toward the generator.
Another nurse screamed.
“Security alert!”
Ethan grabbed my hand.
“Claire, stay calm.”
“I can't hear her.”
The doctor pressed a portable monitor against my stomach.
Nothing.
Then a tiny sound.
A heartbeat.
Weak.
But present.
Everyone exhaled.
The lights returned.
The doctor checked the monitor.
“She's stable.”
Then Detective Morgan walked toward the window.
She looked outside.
“There.”
“What?”
A vehicle was leaving the hospital garage.
Black SUV.
Same vehicle from my mother's photograph.
Detective Morgan turned.
“I'm going after them.”
Then Ethan stopped her.
“Wait.”
“What?”
He pointed at the floor.
Near the bed.
A hospital access card.
It belonged to Dr. Adrian Vale.
May you like
On the back was handwritten one sentence.
ELLIE WASN'T THE FIRST.
