Chapter 415
Chapter 415:
“He’s gone, Eliza,” Vance whispered. “Even if they restart his heart, the damage is done p>
But Eliza didn’t move. She stared at the empty street, her hand pressed over her own heart. She remembered the way he had looked at her in the clinic — the way he had fought to stand in his office. He hadn’t pushed her away because he hated her. He had pushed her away because he loved her too much to let her watch him die.
“No,” Eliza said, her voice trembling but gathering strength. She turned to Vance, her eyes blazing with fierce, terrifying resolve. “He’s not gone. He’s Dallas Koch. He doesn’t die until he says so. And I’m not letting him go without a fight.” She grabbed Vance’s arm. “Get your car. We’re following that ambulance. If he dies tonight, he dies knowing I’m right there beside him. I’m done being protected, Vance. I’m his wife. And I’m going to save him p>
The red light above the emergency room doors was a bleeding eye—unblinking and cruel.
Dіѕ𝖼ov𝘦𝘳 𝘩i𝗱𝖽𝖾𝘯 g𝘦𝗺ѕ 𝘰ո
Vinnie Sharpe paced the sterile linoleum of the VIP wing hallway, his designer loafers squeaking with every pivot. He looked like a man who had just watched a car crash he had caused. His hands were shaking so violently that he couldn’t clasp them together.
“He was fine,” Vinnie muttered, wiping sweat from his upper lip. “It was just a sedative. Just a drop. To help him sleep p>
Serena sat on the hard plastic chair against the wall, her face the color of ash. She was still clutching the empty amber vial Vinnie had dropped, her knuckles white, as if squeezing it could force the liquid back inside and reverse time.
“Shut up, Vinnie,” she whispered. Her voice was devoid of inflection. “Just shut up p>
At the end of the corridor, Simmons stood like a monolith. His suit jacket was buttoned, his earpiece in place, his face a mask of granite. He blocked the double doors that led to the elevators, effectively sealing off the floor.
Faintly, through the heavy fire doors, they could hear screaming.
“Dallas! Let me in! He’s my husband p>
It was Eliza. Her voice was raw, tearing at her throat. It sounded less like a demand and more like an animal caught in a trap.
Vinnie flinched at the sound. He took a step toward Simmons. “Maybe we should let her p>
“No,” Simmons said. He didn’t even blink. “Mr. Koch’s orders stand. No access. Especially not her p>
The screaming stopped abruptly, replaced by the scuffle of security guards moving a body. Then, silence—a heavy, suffocating silence that pressed against their eardrums.
The red light turned off. The doors hissed open.
Dr. Vance stepped out. He pulled his surgical mask down, revealing a face that had aged ten years in the last hour. A dark, almost rusty stain bloomed on the crisp white of his scrubs, a stark contrast that made Vinnie’s stomach churn.
Vinnie lunged at him, grabbing the lapels of his white coat.