Chapter 2 - The Woman Who Knew Too Much
By 2:00 a.m., Sarah was inside Declan's private medical suite.
The doctor examined her while Declan stood behind the glass wall, watching every movement.
He had called Dr. Marcus Reed, one of the few physicians he trusted completely.
Marcus reviewed Sarah's reports.
"She's been exposed for several weeks," he said quietly.
"Can you treat her?"
"Yes."
Declan's eyes sharpened.
"Her and the baby?"
Marcus hesitated.
"We'll need monitoring. The exposure is concerning, but we don't know the exact dose or duration."
Declan looked toward Sarah.
She sat on the examination bed, exhausted.
Marcus lowered his voice.
"There is something else."
"What?"
"The levels aren't consistent with a single accidental exposure."
Declan's expression changed.
"Meaning?"
"Someone likely administered small amounts repeatedly."
Silence.
Declan's hands curled into fists.
Marcus continued.
"If this was intentional, whoever did it understood toxicology."
"How sophisticated?"
"Enough to make it look like natural illness."
Declan looked at Sarah through the glass.
Someone had studied her.
Watched her.
Planned this.
And had been doing it inside his own company.
His phone rang.
Declan answered.
"Speak."
His chief security officer, Victor Hale, spoke from the other end.
"Sir, we've checked the executive floor."
"And?"
"Nothing obvious."
"Check the cameras."
"We already did."
"All of them?"
A pause.
"No."
Declan's voice became colder.
"Then you haven't checked."
He hung up.
Minutes later, Victor entered.
"There's a problem."
Declan turned.
"The camera outside Sarah's office has been overwritten every night for the last seven weeks."
"By whom?"
"We're tracing it."
Declan stared at him.
"Trace faster."
Victor nodded.
"There's another issue."
"What?"
"Someone accessed Sarah's employee medical file three weeks ago."
Declan's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
"Your brother."
Silence.
Declan's younger half-brother, Julian Hayes, was the chief financial officer of Hayes Global Logistics.
Julian was charming.
Polished.
Popular.
Everything Declan wasn't.
Their relationship had always been complicated.
Julian had spent years complaining that Declan treated the company like a dictatorship.
Declan had never considered him dangerous.
Now he wasn't sure.
"Bring me the access log."
Victor left.
Sarah watched Declan carefully.
"Do you suspect Julian?"
"I suspect everyone."
"Even me?"
Declan looked at her.
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Sarah looked surprised.
"Why?"
"Because if you were working against me, you wouldn't have stayed awake every night trying to keep my company alive."
She looked down.
"I cared about the work."
"I know."
A faint silence passed between them.
Then Sarah whispered:
"I cared about you too."
Declan froze.
She immediately looked away.
"I shouldn't have said that."
"Sarah."
"No."
She shook her head.
"You don't need to answer."
Declan wanted to.
But he had spent his entire life believing emotions were vulnerabilities.
He didn't know how to handle this.
Before he could speak, Victor returned.
He placed a tablet on the table.
"Someone entered the break room every morning at 7:40."
Declan watched the footage.
A woman appeared.
She was carrying a silver thermos.
Sarah stared at the screen.
"That's Rebecca."
"Who is Rebecca?"
"My assistant."
Declan looked at Victor.
"Find everything."
Rebecca's employment history.
Her financial records.
Her family.
Her phone.
Her movements.
Everything.
An hour later, Victor returned with something unexpected.
Rebecca had received three large payments over the previous two months.
All from a shell company.
The shell company was connected to a private investment fund.
And that fund belonged to—
Julian Hayes.
Declan's face became unreadable.
Sarah whispered:
"Why would your brother want to hurt me?"
Declan didn't answer.
Because there was another possibility.
Maybe Julian wasn't trying to kill Sarah.
May you like
Maybe Sarah was simply standing between Julian and something else.
Something worth killing for.
