Chapter 2 - The Mother at the DoorOlivia opened her eyes beneath the harsh white lights of the emergency room.
For a few seconds, she could not remember where she was.
Then came the pain.
Her throat felt scorched.
Her chest tightened.
A monitor beeped steadily beside her.
“Easy,” the nurse said. “Don't try to sit up.”
Olivia blinked.
“Dad?”
Richard immediately leaned forward.
“I’m here.”
His voice broke.
Olivia stared at him.
“What happened?”
“You had an allergic reaction.”
Her eyebrows drew together.
“To what?”
Richard did not answer immediately.
He wanted to hear it from her first.
“Did you eat anything unusual tonight?”
Olivia thought.
“Dessert.”
“What dessert?”
She closed her eyes.
“I don't remember.”
Richard looked at the nurse.
“Can she have visitors?”
“Only one at a time.”
Richard nodded.
He reached for Olivia's hand.
“Sweetheart, someone served you something containing almonds.”
Olivia's face changed.
“No.”
“You're certain?”
“Yes.”
“I saw the pastry.”
“No,” Olivia whispered. “I don't eat almonds.”
“I know.”
“And I didn't order anything with nuts.”
“I know.”
Her eyes opened wider.
“Dad…”
“What?”
“Where's my bag?”
“Safe.”
“My injector?”
Richard paused.
“We found it.”
“Found it?”
His silence answered for him.
Olivia tried to sit up.
“Someone moved it.”
“Yes.”
The room became quiet.
Then Olivia whispered,
“I knew it.”
Richard leaned closer.
“Knew what?”
She looked toward the door.
“There was something wrong.”
“What?”
“Ethan.”
Richard's jaw tightened.
“What about him?”
Olivia looked terrified.
“He wasn't the one who scared me.”
Richard frowned.
“Then who?”
Olivia's breathing became uneven.
“His mother.”
Before Richard could ask another question, the door opened.
Evelyn Cole walked in.
Perfectly dressed.
Not a strand of hair out of place.
She carried a bouquet of white roses.
“Olivia.”
Olivia recoiled.
Richard immediately stood.
“You're not staying.”
Evelyn ignored him.
“I heard you were awake.”
Olivia stared at her.
“Why did you come?”
Evelyn placed the roses on the table.
“Because you're my daughter now.”
Olivia gave a faint, humorless laugh.
“I don't think you ever wanted that.”
Evelyn's smile disappeared.
“You have no idea what I wanted.”
Richard stepped between them.
“You have five seconds to leave.”
Evelyn looked past him.
“To Olivia.”
“You should know,” she said quietly, “the worst thing you can do right now is accuse the wrong person.”
Richard's eyes hardened.
“Are you threatening my daughter?”
Evelyn's expression remained calm.
“I'm warning her.”
She turned toward the door.
Then stopped.
“And Richard?”
“What?”
“Check the security footage from the east corridor.”
Richard frowned.
“Why?”
Evelyn looked over her shoulder.
“Because whoever moved the injector didn't use the main entrance.”
Then she left.
Richard stared at the closed door.
Olivia whispered,
“She knew.”
“What?”
“She knew someone would move it.”
Richard immediately called the hotel's security manager.
Thirty minutes later, they were watching footage in a private security office.
The first camera showed Olivia entering the bridal suite.
The second showed bridesmaids coming and going.
The third covered the corridor.
At 7:14 p.m., a woman wearing a black service uniform appeared.
She walked toward the bridal suite carrying a laundry cart.
Richard leaned toward the screen.
“Pause.”
The security manager froze the frame.
The woman had her head lowered.
Her face was hidden.
“Who is she?”
“We're checking staff records.”
The footage continued.
The woman entered the bridal suite.
Eight minutes later, she came out.
She pushed the cart toward the east corridor.
Richard watched closely.
Then the woman stopped.
Someone was waiting for her.
A man.
Tall.
Dark suit.
Face hidden from the camera.
Richard's heart pounded.
The man handed her something.
She handed him something else.
Then they separated.
The security manager enlarged the image.
The object in the man's hand looked like a small ivory pouch.
Olivia's injector case.
Richard stood so fast his chair hit the wall.
“Can you identify him?”
“Not from this angle.”
“Zoom in.”
“We're at maximum.”
Richard stared at the screen.
Then he noticed something else.
The man was wearing a silver watch.
A thick watch with a distinctive black face.
Richard had seen it before.
He looked at Olivia.
“You know that watch?”
She stared at the image.
Her face slowly drained of color.
“Yes.”
“Whose is it?”
Olivia whispered,
“My husband’s.”
Richard turned.
Ethan was standing outside the security room.
He had heard everything.
“No,” Ethan said.
Richard stormed toward him.
“Then explain why your watch is in the footage.”
Ethan shook his head.
“That isn't me.”
“You're wearing the same watch tonight.”
“Yes.”
“So?”
“So I lost it.”
Richard stopped.
“When?”
Ethan looked toward Olivia.
“Yesterday.”
“Where?”
Ethan hesitated.
“I don't know.”
Richard laughed bitterly.
“You don't know where you lost a watch connected to a murder attempt against your wife?”
“It wasn't a murder attempt.”
“Then what was it?”
Ethan looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“That's impossible.”
“What?”
Ethan stepped closer.
“That isn't my watch.”
Richard stared.
“You just said it was.”
“No.”
Ethan pointed at the screen.
“Mine has a scratch across the glass.”
The image was blurry.
But when the security manager enhanced it, the tiny mark became visible.
A scratch.
Exactly where Ethan described.
Ethan suddenly looked sick.
Richard's voice became quiet.
“How many people have access to your things?”
Ethan did not answer.
Then the security manager spoke.
“Mr. Hart.”
“What?”
“We found another recording.”
The manager opened a second camera angle.
It showed a different corridor.
At 7:12 p.m., Ethan himself entered the bridal suite.
Richard stared.
Ethan had been lying.
But before anyone could speak, the footage showed something else.
Ethan walked out carrying the ivory pouch.
He looked directly at the camera.
Then he took out his phone.
And called someone.
The number appeared briefly on screen.
Richard knew it instantly.
It was Evelyn Cole.
Olivia whispered,
“Dad…”
Richard's face hardened.
“Play the audio.”
The security manager activated the sound.
Ethan's voice echoed through the room.
“I found it.”
A woman's voice answered.
“Good.”
“Do I still follow the plan?”
A pause.
Then Evelyn said,
“Yes.”
The recording ended.
Richard turned slowly toward Ethan.
“What plan?”
Ethan looked at Olivia.
May you like
And for the first time that night, tears filled his eyes.
“The plan to keep you alive.”
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