Chapter Four: The Man in the Blue Suit
Marcus reached St. Aurelia in six minutes.
His driver broke three traffic laws. Marcus did not notice one.
By the time the car stopped at the private entrance, Marcus was already out, his blue suit jacket open, his face stripped of every public mask he wore so well.
A nurse at the desk stood when she saw him.
“Mr. Cole—”
“VIP maternity room. Khloe Cole.”
The nurse hesitated only because she was afraid.
Marcus did not wait.
He moved down the hallway so fast that Grant, his security chief, struggled to keep up.
As he approached the room, he heard Isabella crying.
Then he heard Khloe.
“Please don’t come closer.”
Marcus stopped breathing.
He shoved the door open.
The scene inside burned itself into him forever.
Khloe was on the floor, one arm wrapped around her belly, her face pale with pain and fear. Isabella stood several feet away, one hand pressed dramatically to her own shoulder, tears already shining on her cheeks.
For one suspended second, no one moved.
Then Khloe looked at him.
Not with accusation.
With relief.
That broke him more than blame would have.
“Marcus,” she whispered.
He crossed the room and dropped to his knees beside her.
“Khloe. Look at me. Are you hurt?”
“My baby,” she breathed. “Please check the baby.”
He turned toward the hallway. “Doctor!”
Isabella sobbed behind him. “Marcus, she pushed me. I tried to help her, but she went crazy.”
Marcus did not look at her.
Grant entered and positioned himself near the door.
“Get a doctor,” Marcus ordered.
Grant left at once.
Isabella took a step forward. “Marcus, listen to me.”
That made him look up.
“Stay away from my wife.”
The room went quiet.
Isabella blinked as if she had not expected the word wife to sound like a verdict.
“She’s lying,” Isabella said quickly. “She was jealous. She accused me of wanting you. I came here because your mother asked me to check on her.”
Khloe closed her eyes.
Marcus saw it.
A flicker of pain that had nothing to do with the fall.
“My mother sent you?”
Isabella hesitated.
Only half a second.
Enough.
“She was worried,” Isabella said. “We all were. Khloe has been emotional lately.”
Marcus slowly rose to his feet.
Khloe reached for him. “Marcus, don’t.”
He looked down at her, and the anger in his face softened immediately.
“I’m here.”
Then he turned back to Isabella.
“What did you do?”
The question was quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
Isabella’s tears thickened. “I told you. She attacked me.”
“Then why was she the one on the floor when I came in?”
“She slipped after pushing me.”
Khloe whispered, “No.”
Isabella pointed at her. “See? She can barely keep her story straight.”
Marcus took one step toward Isabella.
Grant returned with two nurses, but Marcus lifted a hand. Everyone stopped.
“Tell me exactly what happened,” Marcus said.
Isabella inhaled shakily, performing for the room.
“I came in because Vivian was worried. Khloe started yelling that I wanted to steal her baby. I tried to calm her down. She grabbed me. I pulled away. She fell.”
Khloe stared at her in disbelief.
“That’s not true.”
Isabella turned on her. “Stop lying!”
The sharpness of her voice cracked her mask.
Marcus saw it.
So did everyone else.
But Isabella recovered quickly. She pressed a hand to her mouth and whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
Then a new voice entered the room.
“No, Miss Vale. You’re not scared.”
Everyone turned.
Dr. Nathaniel Reed stood in the doorway with hospital security behind him.
He was in his late sixties, tall, silver-haired, and calm in a way that made louder people seem smaller. He wore a white coat, but his presence felt less like a doctor arriving and more like a judge entering court.
In his left hand, he held a tablet.
“You’re cornered,” he said.
Isabella frowned. “Excuse me?”
Dr. Reed walked into the room.
His eyes moved first to Khloe.
For a moment, something deeply personal crossed his face.
Grief.
Recognition.
Regret.
Then he turned to Marcus.
“Your wife needs to be examined immediately. I’ve called obstetrics and fetal monitoring.”
Marcus nodded. “Thank you.”
Isabella tried to step toward him. “Doctor, I’m also injured.”
Dr. Reed looked at her.
“No, you’re not.”
Her mouth opened.
He held up the tablet.
The video began.
There was no sound at first, only Isabella entering the room. Then Dr. Reed tapped the volume.
“You just need to give birth,” Isabella’s recorded voice said, “then disappear.”
Marcus went still.
Khloe’s eyes filled with tears.
The recording continued.
Isabella pushed Khloe.
Khloe fell.
Isabella stood over her.
Then came the call.
“Marcus,” Isabella sobbed on the recording. “I’m at the hospital. Khloe attacked me.”
The room went silent after the clip ended.
Isabella’s fake tears vanished.
“That’s edited.”
Dr. Reed’s expression did not change.
“The original file has already been secured on the hospital server, copied to legal, and sent to law enforcement.”
Isabella looked at Marcus.
“Marcus, please. You know I wouldn’t—”
“I know exactly what you would do,” Marcus said.
She flinched.
But Dr. Reed was not finished.
He tapped the tablet again.
“This is only the last five minutes,” he said. “Would you like to see what she said before your husband arrived?”
Isabella’s face collapsed.
“Don’t.”
Marcus’s eyes sharpened.
Dr. Reed looked at him.
“She mentioned your mother. She mentioned a custody plan. She mentioned removing Mrs. Cole after childbirth.”
Marcus turned slowly toward Isabella.
Every word seemed to strike him physically.
“My mother,” he said.
Isabella shook her head. “I was angry. I didn’t mean—”
“You said it?”
She said nothing.
Marcus looked at Grant.
“Call my attorney. Call the police. And find Vivian.”
Isabella lunged toward him, desperate.
“Marcus, I love you!”
He stepped back as if the words disgusted him.
“No,” he said. “You wanted to own me.”
Security moved in.
Isabella struggled, but the guards held her firmly without violence.
“You can’t do this to me,” she cried. “I made you! I stood by you when everyone thought you would fail!”
Marcus looked at Khloe, still on the floor, being carefully helped by nurses.
“No,” he said. “You stood near power and mistook its shadow for love.”
For the first time, Isabella had no answer.
As security led her out, she turned back and screamed, “Ask your mother what she promised me!”
Marcus froze.
Khloe did too.
May you like
Dr. Reed lowered the tablet.
And in the hallway, somewhere beyond the gathered nurses and security guards, Vivian Cole arrived wearing pearls, black silk, and a face that showed she already knew the night had gone terribly wrong.
