Chapter 2 - The Red Eye in the Ceiling
Marcus Thorne took a slow step into the luxury hospital suite, his leather dress shoes crunching against the shattered crystal on the floor.
Isabella rushed toward him, her hands trembling as she tried to grab the lapels of his tuxedo jacket.
“Marcus, look at my arm, she went completely crazy and tried to throw the champagne glass at my face!” she sobbed, her fake tears flowing perfectly down her contoured cheeks.
Marcus didn't look at her; his eyes were fixed on the pool of deep red staining the hem of Khloe’s white maternity dress.
“Get away from her, Isabella,” Marcus whispered, a dark, primal rage vibrating through his chest as he dropped to his knees beside his wife.
Khloe choked out a soft groan, her small fingers clutching Marcus's hand with the last ounce of strength she had left.
The door banged open a second time, and Dr. Harrison Vance—the chief of surgery and Khloe’s maternal uncle—rushed into the room with two emergency nurses.
“Get the gurney in here right now, her heart rate is dropping!” Dr. Vance roared, his medical uniform already moving with clinical precision.
Isabella stepped back toward the window, her face losing its pale mask of innocence as she realized who the surgeon was.
“Dr. Vance, your niece initiated the altercation, I was simply defending myself!” Isabella stammered, her voice rising in a frantic pitch.
Dr. Vance didn't even look up from checking Khloe’s pulse; instead, he pointed his surgical scissor directly toward the dome camera on the ceiling.
“The red light is active, Isabella,” Dr. Vance said, his voice dropping into a freezing, calculated register.
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“This entire wing is monitored by a private server that runs directly into my office downstairs, and I’ve been watching the live feed since you entered the room.”
Isabella looked up at the black glass bubble on the ceiling, the tiny red indicator light flashing like a countdown timer for her entire social life.
