Chapter 9 - The Medical Vault

Two hours later, Daniel stood in the private VIP wing of New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Natalie was sitting on an examination table while a young resident treated the mild second-degree burns on her forearm. She was crying softly, murmuring about Clara's savagery, but Daniel wasn't listening.

He was standing in the corridor, leaning against the cold marble wall, staring at his phone.

His head felt like it was going to split open.

*The scars.*

Those weren't the marks of a brawl. Those were the marks of systematic, sadistic torture. The cigarette burns. The melted skin from caustic chemicals. The twisted, broken wrist that shook uncontrollably.

He pulled up his contacts and dialed a number he hadn't called in years: Dr. Arthur Harrison, the former Chief of Obstetrics at Manhattan Grace Hospital, who had handled Natalie's case six years ago after the fall.

"Daniel?" Dr. Harrison’s voice was frail. The old man had retired to Florida three years ago. "It’s been a long time. Is everything alright?"

"Arthur," Daniel said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. "I need you to answer a question. And I swear on my life, if you lie to me, I will destroy everything you and your children own."

There was a long, terrified pause on the other end of the line. "Daniel... what is this about?"

"Six years ago. The night Natalie fell down the stairs. You told me the trauma caused a catastrophic placental abruption. You told me the fetus was terminated because of the impact."

Silence. Heavy, suffocating silence.

"Arthur," Daniel growled, the animal in him waking up. "Talk to me."

"Daniel... you don't know what you're asking," Dr. Harrison whispered, his voice trembling with old age and terror. "I had debts. My son’s clinic was facing bankruptcy. Miss Reed... she took care of it."

Daniel's heart stopped. A roaring sound, like a freight train, filled his ears. "What did she take care of, Arthur?"

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"There was no miscarriage, Daniel," the old doctor wept quietly into the receiver. "There was never a pregnancy to begin with."

***