Chapter 244
[ 454 words ]
Chapter 244:
Across the city, the atmosphere in the Washington United Medical Center Emergency Department was chaotic.
Nurses huddled near the supply closet, whispering furiously about Caroline’s unexplained absence.
Dr. Finchley, the Chief of the ER, marched out of his office. His face was pale and sweating. He had just received a terrifying phone call from the Romero Family Foundation — specifically, from Jarrod’s ruthless executive assistant.
Finchley clapped his hands loudly.
“Listen up!” Finchley barked, silencing the nurses. “Caroline Thompson is on a fully authorized, paid administrative leave approved by the board. If I hear one single word of gossip about her absence, the person speaking will be fired immediately. Do you understand?”
The nurses stared at him in stunned silence. The message was clear: Caroline had a protector so powerful that even the hospital director was terrified.
Standing near the trauma bay, Dr. Julian Croft frowned.
He didn’t care about the politics. He cared about Caroline. He knew she would never skip an evaluation shift voluntarily. He was deeply worried she was in trouble.
W𝘦e𝗸ly 𝘳𝗲𝘭𝗲𝖺s𝘦ѕ 𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘯𝗈vе𝗅𝘀.𝖼o𝗆
Julian pulled out his phone and walked into the quiet stairwell. He dialed her number.
In the penthouse kitchen, Caroline was pouring a glass of cold water when her phone buzzed.
She saw Julian’s name. She hesitated, knowing Jarrod’s paranoia, but she swiped to answer.
“Caroline? Where are you?” Julian’s voice was tight with anxiety.
“I’m fine, Julian,” Caroline lied, her voice flat. “I just felt sick this morning. I took a sick day.”
Julian let out a frustrated breath. “Caroline, the rumors here are insane. People are saying you’re involved with some high-level VIP who is threatening the board. Please tell me you aren’t in trouble.”
“My personal life is none of their business,” Caroline replied coldly.
“It’s my business,” Julian said, his voice suddenly dropping, becoming soft and desperate. “Caroline, I don’t care what kind of mess you’re in. I want to help you. I… I really like you.”
Caroline froze.
As Julian spoke, Caroline’s eyes drifted up to the ceiling corner above the kitchen island. She knew, with a chilling certainty, that a high-resolution lens was watching her from the shadows.
There were no flashing lights, no visible wires — just the invisible, suffocating presence of the Code Black system. Always watching.
Pure terror gripped Caroline’s heart. She had to save him.
“Dr. Croft, stop,” Caroline snapped. Her voice was brutally loud and completely devoid of emotion. “You are making me extremely uncomfortable.”
Silence fell over the line.
“I view you as a colleague and a mentor,” Caroline continued, forcing every ounce of coldness she possessed into her words. “Nothing more. Do not call me about personal matters again.”
She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end.
“I… I understand. I apologize for bothering you,” Julian whispered, his voice completely crushed.
The line went dead.
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