Chương 5
“Someone called me.”
His face changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
“Who?”
“Daniel Foster.”
The reaction was immediate.
Adrian stopped moving.
“You know him.”
It was not a question.
“Yes.”
“Who is he?”
Adrian walked farther into the room but did not sit.
“He was the chief financial analyst at Mercer Holdings.”
“And?”
“And he was fired six months ago.”
“Why?”
Adrian looked at the floor.
“Officially?”
“Yes.”
“Performance issues.”
“And unofficially?”
His jaw tightened.
“He found something.”
I felt my heartbeat increase.
“What?”
Adrian looked at me.
“I do not know.”
I stared at him.
“You are lying.”
The words surprised both of us.
Adrian did not become angry.
He just looked tired.
“That is a serious accusation.”
“You just told me he found something.”
“I said he found something.”
“You know more.”
He was quiet.
That was enough.
“What are you not telling me?”
Adrian pulled a chair closer but did not sit immediately.
“I need you to understand something.”
“That usually means you are about to say something I will hate.”
A small, unexpected smile appeared on his face.
“There she is.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“The person who argues with me.”
“I am not sure that is a compliment.”
“It is.”
He sat down.
“Most people either want something from me or want to avoid me.”
“And what do you think I want?”
“I think you want the truth.”
I looked away.
The answer bothered me because it sounded accurate.
“Then give it to me.”
Adrian folded his hands.
“Ethan and I were not just business rivals.”
I waited.
“We used to be partners.”
That was not what I expected.
“What?”
“Years ago.”
“How many years?”
“Before you met him.”
I looked at him.
“Why did you never mention this?”
“Because Ethan never told you.”
“How do you know?”
“Because if he had, you would have known the story.”
The certainty in his voice bothered me.
“What story?”
Adrian looked toward the window.
“Mercer Holdings was not built by Ethan alone.”
The room became quiet.
“He had help.”
“From you?”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
His fingers moved slightly against each other.
“Then he made a decision that changed everything.”
“What decision?”
Adrian looked back at me.
“One that cost me my company.”
I waited for more.
He did not give it.
“And you hate him because of that?”
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
That surprised me.
“I hate what happened.”
He looked at the monitors.
“But hate is not why I helped you.”
“Then why?”
His eyes moved back to mine.
“Because when I saw you on that bus, I saw someone being abandoned at the exact moment they needed someone to stay.”
I did not know what to say.
Because that answer felt too human.
And human answers were always harder to fight.
A knock came from the door.
The hospital administrator stepped inside.
“Claire?”
“Yes?”
“There is a problem.”
My body immediately tensed.
“What kind of problem?”
She looked between Adrian and me.
“The insurance review has been challenged.”
“By who?”
She hesitated.
“Mercer Holdings.”
The room went silent.
Adrian stood.
And for the first time since I met him, I saw something dangerous in his expression.
Not anger.
Not panic.
Calculation.
“What did they challenge?” he asked.
The administrator looked at the papers in her hand.
“They are claiming the coverage termination was a mistake caused by an internal dispute.”
I looked at Adrian.
“What does that mean?”
He did not answer immediately.
Because he already knew.
And whatever the answer was, I could see from his face that it was worse than I imagined.
The administrator placed the papers on the small table beside my bed.
The movement was careful, almost apologetic.
I hated that.
I hated when people handled my life like something fragile.
“I need you to explain this,” I said.
She nodded.
“The original coverage termination was submitted through a routine marital status update.”
I looked at her.
“Routine?”
She avoided my eyes.
“Your account was linked to Mercer Holdings’ executive benefits program.”
“I know.”
“When the separation paperwork was processed, your status changed in their system.”
I stared at the documents.
“But the divorce is not final.”
“Correct.”
“So why was my coverage removed?”
The administrator pressed her lips together.
“That is what the review is trying to determine.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Who filed the challenge?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“Mercer Holdings’ legal department.”
His expression changed.
“And who signed the request?”
The administrator hesitated.
“I cannot disclose that.”
Adrian looked at the paperwork.
“You can.”
She looked at him.
Not because he was intimidating.
Because she knew he was right.
Hospitals dealt with powerful people every day.
They knew the difference between someone who demanded attention and someone who understood systems.
She turned the page.
“Ethan Mercer.”
The room became silent.
I stared at the signature.
For several seconds, I could not make sense of it.
“He challenged his own termination request?”
The administrator nodded.
“That is what the record shows.”
Adrian picked up the paper.
“That makes no sense.”
I looked at him.
“You said you did not know.”
“I did not.”
The answer came too quickly.
I watched his face.
Not his words.
His face.
Something had shifted.
“You are worried.”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
The honesty surprised me.
“Why?”
“Because this means he is reacting.”
“To what?”
Adrian looked down at the signature.
“To something he did not expect.”
I felt a cold feeling move through me.
“What does that mean?”
Before Adrian could answer, my phone rang.
Daniel Foster.
I answered immediately.
“Daniel?”
His voice sounded rushed.
“You spoke to Adrian Vale.”
It was not a question.
“How do you know?”
“Because you mentioned my name.”
I looked at Adrian.
“Are you watching me?”
“No.”
The answer was immediate.
“Claire, listen carefully.”
Something in his voice made me sit straighter.
“You cannot trust anyone connected to Mercer Holdings right now.”
“Are you connected?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
The honesty made me stop.
May you like
“I worked there.”
“That is not what I asked.”
