The Billionaire Was Declared Brain Dead—But His Maid’s Crying Toddler Refused to Leave His Side
Chapter 9
Marcus approached Claire outside the ICU.
“You’ve caused a lot of confusion.”
Claire stared at him.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You’ve challenged a medical diagnosis.”
“I asked another doctor to look.”
“You’ve also contacted financial investigators.”
Claire said nothing.
His expression darkened.
“Where did you get the files?”
She didn’t answer.
Marcus stepped closer.
“I can protect you.”
“You already tried to buy me.”
“This is different.”
“How?”
“You and your son could have a comfortable life.”
“My son already has a life.”
“Not without money.”
Claire’s jaw tightened.
“Leave.”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“You think Adrian cared about you.”
The words struck harder than she expected.
Marcus saw her reaction.
“He didn’t.”
“Don’t talk about him.”
“He used people.”
Claire stared at him.
“You don’t know him.”
“I knew him long before you did.”
“Then why are you so afraid of him waking up?”
Marcus stopped.
Silence.
Claire saw it.
The flicker in his eyes.
Fear.
She quietly activated the recorder inside her pocket.
Marcus continued.
“If Adrian wakes up, he’ll destroy everyone.”
Claire’s breath caught.
“Everyone?”
Marcus realized his mistake.
He stepped backward.
Then he lunged toward her.
Claire screamed.
Security officers ran in.
Marcus backed away.
“I was trying to calm her down.”
Claire held up her phone.
“You just admitted everything.”
His face went white.
But Marcus recovered quickly.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
Then he left.
The investigator reviewed the recording.
It wasn’t enough for a conviction.
But it was enough for a warrant request.
They needed one final piece.
Proof linking Marcus directly to the hospital.
Dr. Parker examined the medication records.
There was a discrepancy.
The sedative had been ordered by one doctor but administered under another physician’s code.
Someone had altered the system.
Security checked access logs.
At 9:54 p.m., minutes before Adrian received the drug, Marcus’s executive access credentials had been used to enter the hospital’s administrative portal.
Claire stared at the timestamp.
“He was here.”
“Technically,” the investigator said, “his access key was.”
Then another file appeared.
A traffic camera had captured a black SUV outside the emergency entrance that night.
The registration belonged to Marcus’s private security company.
Now they had the connection.
But Marcus was not finished.
At 1:37 a.m., Claire received an anonymous message.
Stop digging.
At 1:40:
You cannot save him.
At 1:44:
Take your child and leave.
Claire showed the messages to security.
They advised her not to return to the mansion.
But Claire refused.
Adrian was still in that bed.
Liam still cried whenever she left.
And Claire had spent too many years running from people who believed they could scare her into submission.
She walked back into the ICU.
She leaned toward Adrian.
“You wanted me to trust you.”
She squeezed his hand.
“Now you have to trust me.”
For the first time, Adrian’s finger moved beneath hers.
Not a twitch.
A deliberate squeeze.
Claire froze.
Then she called the nurse.
