Chapter 7 7

The crash of the metal bucket was like a starter pistol.

Joseph ripped the IV line out of his hand. Blood welled up, dripping onto the pristine sheets, but he didn't feel it. The adrenaline spiked, momentarily dulling the headache.

He lunged for the door.

"Sir!" Kieran shouted, trying to grab his arm.

Joseph shoved him aside with a growl. He threw the heavy doors open.

The hallway was empty, save for a stunned Jamin standing by a tipped-over cleaning cart.

"Where is she?" Joseph barked.

Jamin pointed a trembling finger toward the stairwell door that was slowly clicking shut. "She ran away."

Joseph didn't wait. He sprinted, his bare feet slapping against the cold floor. He hit the stairwell door with his shoulder, bursting into the concrete echo chamber.

He looked down the spiral of stairs.

Three floors down, he saw a flash of white. A figure moving fast. Too fast for a normal doctor.

"Stop!" he roared. His voice echoed off the concrete walls.

The figure didn't stop. If anything, she sped up.

Joseph gripped the railing, ready to vault over, to chase her down. But then, the pain returned. It hit him like a sledgehammer to the temple. His vision blurred, turning into a kaleidoscope of black spots. His broken ribs screamed in protest, forcing him to double over.

He swayed, his knees buckling. He gripped the railing to keep from falling.

"Dammit," he hissed through gritted teeth.

Kieran and two bodyguards burst into the stairwell behind him. "Mr. Villarreal!"

"Lock it down," Joseph gasped, clutching his head. "Lock down the hospital. No one leaves."

Three floors down.

Giselle heard the order. Lock down.

Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might explode. She reached the ground floor landing. She couldn't go out the main lobby; they would be watching.

She ripped off her white coat and shoved it into a trash chute. She pulled the pins out of her hair, letting the long, honey-brown waves fall over her shoulders. She took off her glasses and shoved them in her pocket.

She stepped out into the busy waiting room near the pharmacy.

"Attention please," the PA system announced. "We are initiating a Code Yellow. All exits are temporarily restricted for a security check."

Panic flared in the crowd. People started murmuring.

Giselle lowered her head. She spotted a service corridor labeled 'Authorized Personnel Only'. She pulled out a sleek, black keycard-a universal pass courtesy of Hines technologies-and swiped it.

The lock clicked green.

"Miss?" a guard called out from across the hall, spotting the movement.

Giselle didn't hesitate. She slipped through the door and let it slam shut. She was in the loading dock.

A black sedan was already idling by the waste disposal units, its engine purring softly. My brother Asher was behind the wheel.

Giselle dove into the back seat. "Go. Now."

Asher floored it. The car screeched away from the curb just as Joseph's head of security burst out the hospital rear doors, scanning the street.

Giselle slumped against the leather seat, her hands shaking uncontrollably.

"Did you see him?" Asher asked, looking in the rearview mirror. His eyes were tight with worry.

"I heard him," she whispered. "He's looking for me."

Back in the stairwell, Joseph sat on the steps, breathing heavily. The pain was receding to a dull throb.

He closed his eyes. That silhouette. The way she ran. The curve of her neck.

It was impossible. She was gone. She was a fraud who had disappeared into the gutter.

But his gut... his gut told him something else.

"Find that woman," Joseph said to Kieran, his voice low and deadly. "I don't care what it takes. Find her."