Chapter 3
Concealed Truths
The late-night hum of the hospital was a strange mix of comfort and dread as Mae flipped through the files she had managed to sneak from a sympathetic nurse. The harsh glare of her phone screen illuminated the pages, casting unsettling shadows that danced across the sterile walls. Each flick of the paper revealed a disturbing pattern,the ICU records for Elias were incomplete.
Her fingers trembled as she scrutinized the dates. Some entries were conspicuously absent, while others bore signs of tampering. "This doesn’t make any sense," she whispered, her heart pounding. The implications of altered medical records sent prickles of fear racing down her spine.
“What are you doing?” The voice cut through the stillness like a knife. Samira Lin, Mae’s older sister, stood framed in the doorway, arms crossed tightly over her chest, brows knitted in disapproval. “You shouldn’t be here. This isn’t just a story; it’s dangerous.”
“Samira, you need to look at these,” Mae replied, frustration bubbling beneath her skin. She gestured toward the scattered documents, her voice low and urgent. “There’s something seriously wrong with these records.”
Samira stepped closer, her skepticism giving way to concern as she peered at the papers scattered on the table. “You’re not seriously suggesting that someone’s trying to sabotage the Vale family, are you?”
“I think they might be,” Mae said, her voice dropping as she flipped to a page that caught her eye. A name stood out among the entries,Gideon Vale. “Look at this,he was admitted around the same time as Elias.”
“Gideon Vale? Elias’s cousin?” Samira’s skepticism began to shift to intrigue. “Why would he be here?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Mae said, adrenaline coursing through her veins at the potential connection. “Gideon has always been a rival in the family business. What if he had a motive to push Elias aside?”
“Or to eliminate him altogether,” Samira added, a shadow passing over her face.
Before Mae could respond, a thunderous crash echoed down the hallway, shattering their tense moment. The sisters exchanged alarmed glances just as a figure stumbled into view,Elias, disheveled and pale, his clothing askew as if he had thrown it on in a panic. His eyes were wide, brimming with fear.
“There’s something you need to see,” he gasped, gripping the wall for support, his breath ragged.
“Elias!” Mae rushed to him, her heart racing. “What happened?”
He leaned heavily against the wall, struggling to catch his breath. “I overheard something… in the ICU. They’re hiding information, Mae. They don’t want you to know.”
“Who? What did you hear?” Samira pressed, her voice a mixture of concern and urgency.
“About Gideon,” Elias managed, his eyes darting around as if expecting someone to appear. “He’s planning something. I don’t know the details, but it’s serious.”
“Seriously dangerous,” Mae said, her stomach twisting into knots. “You should’ve stayed put.”
“I couldn’t,” Elias replied, his voice firm despite his shaky demeanor. “I had to warn you. There are people who will do anything to protect the Vale name, even if it means hurting those closest to them.”
Samira stepped forward, her protective instincts kicking in. “Elias, you need to tell us everything you heard. We can’t take any chances.”
Elias looked into Mae’s eyes, a flicker of vulnerability breaking through his fear. “I don’t know how much time we have. I think Gideon is planning to eliminate anyone who gets in his way. Including you, Mae.”
The weight of his words hung in the air, thick with tension. Mae felt a chill creep up her spine as the reality of their situation settled in. “What are we going to do?”
Just then, a distant shout echoed through the corridor, cutting through the thick silence. Mae’s heart raced. “We need to go. Now.”
Elias shook his head, determination etching his features. “Not yet. We can’t just run without knowing what we’re up against.”
Before Mae could argue, a group of hurried footsteps approached, their rhythm quickening. “They’re coming,” Samira warned, her voice a frantic whisper.
“Hide!” Mae commanded, pushing Elias toward a nearby supply closet. As they squeezed inside, the door barely closed before the footsteps rounded the corner.
Heart pounding, Mae pressed against the door, her breath shallow as she listened. The voices grew louder, and she strained to catch snippets of conversation.
“...find her before she uncovers everything...”
“...Gideon won’t be pleased...”
The realization hit her like a punch. This was about more than Elias’ health. It was a fight for survival, and the stakes were far higher than she ever imagined. The door creaked slightly as she held her breath, her heart racing with the knowledge that they were now tangled in a web of danger that could unravel at any moment.
Mae entered the records room with Adrian’s lawyer on speaker. The clerk insisted the second admission did not exist. Mae placed the invoice on the counter and asked him to explain the patient number. He reached for the paper. Adrian’s lawyer told him to keep his hands visible.
The clerk finally opened a restricted screen. A blank file appeared under Elias’s number, then a deletion notice dated the morning of the wedding. The user ID belonged to Helena’s assistant. Mae photographed the notice and asked for the audit trail. The clerk said the trail required a director’s authorization.
“Then authorize it,” Mae said. “Or write down that you refused.”
He printed the trail. Three entries had been removed, but the timestamps remained. One showed a transfer from the intensive-care ward to a private clinic. Another showed a payment from the Vale trust. The third was a note in Elias’s handwriting: If I cannot speak, ask Mae about the glass vows.
Mae remembered the ceremony. Helena had replaced the rings at the last minute, claiming the first set had been damaged. The glass case had never left the altar. She called the jeweler and asked whether the case carried a tracking tag. The jeweler went silent, then gave her a number.
The number matched the restricted file.
Adrian’s lawyer told her the board was meeting in twenty minutes and Helena had filed a petition to remove Mae as Elias’s contact. Mae could run with the evidence or walk into the meeting and make the petition part of the record. She chose the boardroom. At the door, a nurse arrived with a new chart. Elias’s condition was listed as stable, but the chart’s signature belonged to the doctor who had tried to transfer him. Mae opened the camera on her phone, pressed record, and asked the nurse to repeat the update where everyone could hear. The nurse hesitated, then admitted the chart had been printed after the ward census erased Elias. Mae placed the altered record on the board table and asked Helena one question: “Where is the real patient?” Helena’s lawyer objected, but the cameras were already live. A board member checked his phone and saw the independent chair’s hold. The room shifted from family theater to emergency hearing. Mae opened the original invoice, pointed to the missing admission, and said she would not leave until someone named the clinic. Helena looked at the door. Mae looked at the red recording light. This time, the record would survive.