Chapter 100
[ 519 words ]
Chapter 100:
“Hand over your ID badges and your security keycards. Right now,” he demanded. “You are both placed on indefinite paid administrative leave, effective immediately. You will not step foot in this hospital until HR and the legal department conclude their investigation.”
The words “indefinite leave” hit Melanie like a physical blow. She slumped against the desk. She knew her career at Washington United was completely over.
Tammy ripped her plastic ID badge off her scrubs and threw it onto the desk. She shot Melanie a look of pure, toxic hatred, turned around, and ran out of the office crying.
Melanie’s hands shook violently as she unclipped her badge. She dropped it on the wood, then slowly turned her head and looked at Caroline.
Melanie’s eyes were completely dead, filled with a dark, psychotic obsession.
Caroline stared right back. Her gray eyes were like ice. She looked at Melanie the way a person looks at a crushed cockroach. The war was over. Caroline had won.
Dr. Cromwell pressed a button under his desk. Two large security guards stepped into the office.
“Escort her off the property,” Dr. Cromwell ordered.
The guards grabbed Melanie by the arms and dragged her out of the room.
𝘛𝘩𝖾 𝗺𝘰s𝘁 𝗉𝘰𝗉u𝗅𝘢𝗿 n𝗈vе𝗅ѕ 𝘰𝗇 𝘨a𝗹n𝗈𝘃𝗲𝗅𝗌.cо𝗆
Caroline walked out of the administrative wing. The hallway was dead quiet. The nurses who had been glaring at her earlier now stared at the floor, terrified of making eye contact.
Caroline walked into the locker room. She felt completely drained. The adrenaline crash hit her hard, making her muscles ache.
She opened her locker and pulled out the heavy military satellite phone. The screen was completely black. No missed calls. Jarrod had been silent all day.
She stripped off her scrubs, put on her jeans and a tan trench coat, and walked out of the hospital.
She pushed through the main doors. The late afternoon sun hit her face. The air felt incredibly clean. She had fought her own battle and survived.
She walked down the concrete steps and headed toward the street corner to catch a cab.
As she turned the corner, her heart completely stopped.
Parked illegally in the red zone, its massive black engine idling with a low growl, was the armored Escalade.
K.C. Bell was standing on the sidewalk, wearing dark sunglasses. When he saw Caroline, he immediately reached out and pulled the heavy rear door open.
Caroline froze. The brief moment of freedom vanished. The ultimate trial, the Romero family gala, was here.
She took a deep breath, walked over, and climbed into the dark, luxurious cabin. The heavy scent of cedarwood instantly wrapped around her throat.
Jarrod was sitting in the shadows. He had a military laptop open on his knees. The blue light illuminated the sharp, ruthless angles of his face.
He closed the laptop with a sharp snap, turned his head, and looked at her. A dark, possessive smirk touched his lips.
“Bell just received the alert,” Jarrod said, his voice a low, vibrating rumble. “Thorne was escorted off the premises. It seems the trouble has been dealt with. It’s time for business.”
Caroline sat back against the soft leather seat. She let out a long, exhausted sigh.
“Yes, Jarrod,” she said quietly. “I am done.”
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