Chapter 6 - The Visitor Trap
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On the third morning following the attack, the trap was fully bailed and set.
Diane called the main hospital switchboard from her landline, pretending to be a deeply concerned mother-in-law inquiring about my discharge status.
“She shouldn't be alone in her fragile condition,” Diane cooed to the operator. “We are coming to pick her up and bring her home.”
The head floor nurse, following strict instructions from James and the hospital legal team, provided zero information about my relocation. She simply confirmed that the family was free to visit the floor.
Twenty minutes later, Diane, Richard, and Evan strode through the double doors of my former hospital corridor like a delegation of victorious kings.
Through a secure live video feed piped directly from the corridor security cameras to the tablet in my new private room, I watched them arrive.
Diane was wearing a bright pastel skirt suit, carrying a massive bouquet of yellow lilies—my least favorite flowers.
Richard walked beside her, carrying a leather file folder under his arm containing the share transfer papers.
Evan brought up the rear, casually carrying my favorite leather weekend bag, fully expecting that I would meekly put on my clothes, sign their documents, and crawl back into their car like a beaten dog.
They marched down the hallway and pushed open the door to Room 412 without knocking.
I watched their faces on the high-definition tablet screen.
The bed was stripped completely bare. The IV poles were empty. The bedside table was cleared of personal items.
Evan stopped dead in his tracks, his arrogant smirk instantly evaporating.
“What the hell?” Evan snapped, stepping into the empty room and pulling open the bathroom door. “Where is she?”
Richard slammed his folder down on the bare mattress. “Did the staff discharge her without telling us?”
A senior attending physician, Dr. Harrison, stepped into the doorway, accompanied by two heavy-set hospital security officers standing quietly behind him in the corridor.
Evan rounded on the doctor, his face flushing with rapid anger. “Where is my wife? I’m Evan Mercer, CEO of Mercer Logistics! Where was she taken?”
Dr. Harrison adjusted his glasses, looking at Evan with a cold, unblinking glare. He knew every detail of the video footage James had provided to the board of directors.
“Mrs. Mercer is no longer under your family’s physical or legal access, Mr. Mercer,” Dr. Harrison stated flatly.
Diane scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. “Don't be ridiculous, Doctor! She broke her leg falling down our stairs! She can barely walk! Where could she possibly go?”
Richard let out a harsh, mocking laugh. “She’s playing games. She’s trying to frighten us into backing off.”
Evan stepped up to the doctor, attempting to use his physical stature to intimidate the older man. “Tell Claire she has until tonight to sign those papers, or I will file for immediate legal guardianship due to mental instability!”
Dr. Harrison didn't back down an inch. He looked at the three of them with profound disgust.
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Then he uttered the single sentence that brought their entire world crashing down.
“You should save those arguments,” Dr. Harrison said calmly, “for the federal financial crimes investigators waiting for you downstairs in the main lobby.”
