Chapter 4 - Dr. Lena’s Warning
Claire met Dr. Lena Ortiz by accident.
She went to St. Catherine’s Hospital seeking copies of the records Dr. Wells had cited. The records department found no official admission under Claire’s name, but a clerk mentioned that one electronic file had been created and deleted from an emergency-room terminal.
That terminal belonged to Dr. Lena.
Lena was a respected emergency physician known for remembering details other people missed. When Claire introduced herself, Lena’s expression changed.
“I have seen your name,” she said.
“On a patient file?”
“No. On an incident correction request.”
Lena led Claire into a small consultation room and closed the door.
Two months earlier, someone had used Lena’s credentials to create a report stating that Claire had arrived confused, combative, and unable to recognize her husband. Lena had discovered the entry during a routine review and reported it to hospital administration.
“The request was marked resolved,” Lena said. “I assumed the record had been removed.”
“It was copied before removal.”
Claire showed her the board documents.
Lena’s face tightened.
“This signature is not mine.”
“Will you testify?”
“Yes.”
The answer came without hesitation.
For the first time in days, Claire felt hope.
Lena printed the hospital audit trail, signed a sworn statement, and contacted the compliance director. Together, they discovered that the false report had been entered from a temporary administrator account created by a contractor.
The contractor’s payment came from one of Daniel’s shell companies.
“We need direct evidence,” Lena said.
Claire told her about the evening tea, the missing samples, and the strange memory gaps.
Lena advised her not to eat or drink anything prepared by Daniel or Evelyn. She also gave Claire a set of medical evidence seals and explained how to preserve anything suspicious for testing.
“Do not confront them alone,” Lena said.
Claire almost smiled.
“I live with them.”
“Then leave.”
“I cannot yet. Daniel controls the house security, and the company files I need are inside.”
Lena wrote her private number on a card.
“If you feel unsafe, call me or the police.”
That evening, Claire returned home and found Daniel waiting with two glasses of wine.
“To starting over,” he said.
Claire lifted her glass but did not drink.
Daniel watched the rim of the glass instead of her face.
Later, she poured the wine into a sealed vial and hid it inside the lining of an old travel bag.
The laboratory results arrived the next day.
The wine contained a sedative strong enough to cause confusion and memory loss.
Claire now had proof that someone in her home had been drugging her.
But when she called Lena, a man answered Lena’s phone.
May you like
He said nothing.
Then the line went dead.
