Chapter 4

Ava POV:

The guards dragged me down the sterile hospital corridor, my head throbbing, a thin stream of blood trickling down my temple. My father. They had left him there, a silent, damning testament to their cruelty. My legs felt like lead, my body a dead weight, but I fought them, every ounce of my remaining strength fueled by a desperate, burning need to get back to him.

"Chris!" I screamed, my voice raw and hoarse, echoing uselessly in the empty hallway. "Please! Don't do this! He's my father!"

He stood at the end of the corridor, near the elevators, with Kimberli clinging to his arm. He turned, his gaze falling on my bloodied face. A flicker of something – concern? surprise? – crossed his features. He took a step forward, his hand subconsciously reaching out.

"Don't touch me," I spat, recoiling from his gesture, the mere thought of his touch making my skin crawl. "Don't you dare touch me, you murderer."

His hand dropped, and the fleeting spark of emotion vanished, replaced by the familiar, chilling mask. "Ava, you're being hysterical. Look at you. You're bleeding."

"I'm bleeding because of you!" I shrieked, no longer caring who heard. "My father is dead because of you! Because of your precious Kimberli! How can you stand there, so calm, after what you've done?" Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the blood.

He sighed, a sound of profound weariness, as if I were merely an inconvenient child. "Your father's passing was regrettable, Ava. But it was a complication of a pre-existing condition, exacerbated by your refusal to sign the waiver. Kimberli did her best." He spoke with such practiced ease, such calculated detachment, it was sickening.

"Complication?" I choked out a laugh, a harsh, broken sound. "She sabotaged him! And you stood by and watched! You even helped! And now you're worried about her 'unfortunate incident'?" I pointed a trembling finger at Kimberli, who was now hiding her face in Chris's shoulder. "She's a doctor! A doctor who deliberately harmed a patient! How can you defend that?"

Chris' s eyes narrowed, his gaze hardening. "Kimberli is under immense stress. You attacked her. She's fragile, Ava. Unlike you, she feels things deeply."

The words were like a physical blow, designed to cut, to wound. "She feels things deeply?" I echoed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "She's a sociopath! A medical professional who uses her skills to torture and kill! There's nothing fragile about that, Chris. That's pure evil."

His face flushed with color, a rare crack in his composure. His eyes blazed with a cold fury. "Don't you dare speak about Kimberli like that!" He took a step towards me, his hand reaching for my throat. The guards tightened their grip, holding me back. "She means more to me than you ever did, Ava. You'll regret those words."

"I regret loving you!" I screamed, my voice breaking. "I regret every single second I wasted on you!" I struggled against the guards, desperate to break free, to run back to my father. "Let me go! I need to go back to him!"

Chris turned to the guards, his voice low and menacing. "She's clearly unstable. Take her to room 3B in the isolation wing. Sedate her if necessary. And ensure she doesn't leave until further notice."

The words hit me like a physical punch. Isolation. Sedate. He was locking me away, just like before. My head reeled. "No! Chris, please! My father! I need to be with my father!" I begged, tears streaming down my face, my voice choked with raw despair.

He watched me, his face impassive, as the guards tightened their hold, forcing me down the corridor. My head throbbed, the blood from my wound was drying on my skin. I could feel the cold, sterile air on my skin, the overwhelming sense of dread.

"Consider this a necessary measure for your own good, Ava," he called after me, his voice distantly cold. "It's for your protection. And for Kimberli's."

My vision blurred. "You demon! You'll pay for this! You'll pay for everything!" I cursed him, my voice cracking, as they dragged me into a dark, confined space. The door slammed shut, plunging me into darkness. The last thing I heard was the click of a lock, and Chris's words echoing in my mind. Then, the piercing pain in my head became too much, and the darkness consumed me.