บททั้งหมดของ The Twist of Fate : บทที่ 41 - บทที่ 50

William hired a crisis management team within hours of finding Brad's note. Security experts, private investigators, corporate lawyers. Everyone gathered in Ashcroft Enterprises' conference room the next morning."Someone's trying to force a hostile takeover," William explained to the assembled team. "They're using my wife's pregnancy as leverage. We have six months to identify and neutralize the threat."Rachel Stone, the security specialist, reviewed Brad's note. "This reads like someone under duress. The phrasing is apologetic, almost pleading. Either Brad genuinely feels guilty, or he's trying to communicate something else.""Like what?" Lucy asked."Hidden messages. Warnings we're meant to find." Rachel pulled out a highlighter. "Look at the capitalization. Some letters are slightly larger than others. If you pull them out: M-E-R-I-D-I-A-N.""Meridian Pharma," William said immediately. "The company Amanda was connected to.""Exactly. Brad's telling you who he's working with while

Dr. Grace Chen sat across from Lucy in a private medical office, her expression carefully neutral. But Lucy could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands trembled slightly as she reviewed the chart."You understand what we're asking you to do?" Lucy said quietly."You want me to falsify your medical records. Make it appear your pregnancy is high risk when it's actually perfectly healthy." Dr. Chen set down the chart. "Yes, I understand. And I'll do it. It's the least I can do after what I helped Amanda do to your father.""We need it to be convincing," William said from his position by the door. "Mirabel has medical knowledge. She'll know if the records are obviously fake.""I'll make them authentic. Elevated blood pressure readings, protein in the urine suggesting preeclampsia, ultrasounds showing concerning measurements." Dr. Chen pulled out her laptop. "I'll input the false data into the hospital system myself. Anyone checking your records will see a pregnancy in troubl

Three days after Mirabel's arrest, Lucy sat in the courthouse waiting room, her hands folded over her barely visible baby bump. William paced nearby, his phone pressed to his ear as he spoke with their lawyer.The preliminary hearing would determine if there was enough evidence to hold Mirabel for trial. Rachel had assured them it was a formality, the evidence was overwhelming, but Lucy couldn't shake her anxiety."They're ready for us," William said, pocketing his phone.Inside the courtroom, Mirabel sat at the defense table in an orange jumpsuit, her expensive lawyer whispering urgently in her ear. When Mirabel's eyes found Lucy, there was no remorse. Only cold hatred.The hearing proceeded methodically. The prosecutor presented evidence: the audio recordings from the hospital basement, security footage, forensic analysis of the potassium chloride. Brad's written statement detailing decades of conspiracy.Mirabel's lawyer objected repeatedly, arguing entrapment, claiming the recordi

William's voice was tight with barely controlled rage. "Where are you? Exactly.""About ten miles from the safe house. Old industrial park off Route 47." Lucy glanced at Isabel. "We're safe. For now.""Stay there. I'm coming to get you.""William, listen to me. Isabel knows who Mirabel hired. Three people. Professional killers who've been tracking us for weeks.""And you trust her? The woman who tried to destroy your marriage? Who helped Mirabel plan God knows what?""I don't trust her. But I believe her. She's terrified, William. She knows the prosecutor is going to revoke her plea deal. She's desperate.""Desperate people are dangerous.""So are professional assassins." Lucy kept her voice steady. "She wants our help to disappear. New identity, money to start over. In exchange, she tells us everything and testifies before she leaves."Silence on the other end. Lucy could almost hear William's mind working through the angles."Put her on speaker," he finally said.Lucy switched to sp

The surveillance room Rachel's team had set up in a downtown hotel suite looked like something out of a spy thriller. Monitors lined two walls, showing live feeds from cameras positioned around the city. A large digital map displayed locations of all fifteen potential targets, each marked with a different colored dot indicating their security status.Lucy studied the map while sipping lukewarm coffee. It had been thirty-six hours since the confrontation with The Shepherd. Thirty-six hours of waiting for Marcus Webb or Yuki Tanaka to make a move. Nothing."They know we're watching," Isabel said from her position near the window. She'd been granted limited immunity in exchange for her cooperation, but Rachel's team kept her on a short leash. "They're waiting for us to let our guard down.""Or they're changing tactics," Rachel said, adjusting one of the monitors. "Webb is a sniper. Long-range, one shot, done. But all our high-value targets are in secure locations now. No clean sight lin