Chapter 72
[ 521 words ]
Chapter 72:
Caroline’s jaw locked. Her gray eyes fixed on the empty vial with a cold, lethal stillness. She had known the vial on her tray was poison. That was why she had smashed it. But seeing the container that had held the toxin, the physical proof that Melanie had brought a murder weapon into this hospital, ignited something far colder inside her.
If she had not noticed the swap. If she had hesitated for even one second. The patient’s heart would have cramped into a violent, unbreakable spasm. They would have flatlined instantly. And the autopsy would have shown a simple heart attack.
She would have been framed for murder.
Julian pushed his glasses back onto his face. His expression was perfectly composed.
“I was heading to the pharmacy when I saw the cart crash,” Julian continued smoothly, not missing a single beat. “I went over to help, and in the chaos, I saw Melanie break away from the group. She slipped into the supply closet for less than thirty seconds. It was the wrong reflex. It set off alarm bells. When the hallway cleared, I checked the bin myself.”
Caroline’s mind flashed back to the hallway. Melanie’s exaggerated fall. Tammy blocking her view. Melanie’s face turning white at the nurses’ station just minutes ago.
The entire trap clicked into place.
A hot, violent rage exploded in Caroline’s chest. It burned away the cold fear, leaving nothing but pure, destructive fury. Her teeth ground together so hard her jaw ached. Her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands until the skin nearly broke.
Those two idiots. They were willing to murder an innocent patient just to get her fired.
Julian watched the violent tremor in her shoulders. The hard lines around his mouth softened. He reached his hand out, instinctively wanting to touch her arm to ground her, but he stopped himself, pulling his hand back and keeping the professional distance.
𝖱оmа𝘯𝖼𝖾 n𝗼𝗏е𝗅s 𝘰𝗻 𝗴a𝗅𝗻𝗈v𝖾𝘭s.𝖼𝘰𝘮
He turned and walked over to the secure, temperature-controlled drug cabinet on the wall.
He punched in his override code. The heavy door clicked open. He reached inside and pulled out a fresh, sealed vial of the correct cardiac medication, then walked back and pressed the cold glass into Caroline’s palm.
His warm fingers brushed against her freezing skin. The brief contact sent a grounding shock through her system, pulling her back from the edge of her rage.
“Take this,” Julian said softly. “Go treat your patient. I will submit this evidence to security through proper channels. Quietly.”
Caroline gripped the real medication. She looked up at the man standing in front of her.
As a former intelligence officer, she despised owing anyone a debt. Debts were leverage. But Julian Croft had just handed her the weapon she needed to end this war.
She pulled in a deep breath.
“Thank you,” Caroline said. The word was heavy, stripped of all fake politeness. It was the genuine gratitude of a soldier.
Julian’s lips curved into a soft, handsome smile.
“If you really want to thank me,” Julian murmured, a serious edge bleeding into his voice, “just promise me you’ll let me know if anything like this happens again. Not everyone in this hospital has your back.”
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