Chapter 8: The Sterile Purgatory
The hospital smelled of bleach and fear. Arthur sat in the waiting room, his pristine white suit ruined by Clara's blood. The doctors had rushed her into an emergency surgical theater the moment they arrived.
The police had already questioned him. Ruby was in custody, facing charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder. But as Arthur stared at his bloodstained hands, the legalities felt meaningless. Clara was the only thing that mattered. The child she carried was his—a secret they had kept hidden from the world, and most importantly, from his estranged, powerful wife: Ruby.
