Chapter 4 - The Hospital Corridor|
The drive to Saint Jude’s Memorial Hospital was spent in heavy, tense silence. Max held the steering wheel of his sleek black sedan so tightly his knuckles turned white. In the backseat, Lily stared quietly out the window at the passing city skyline.
When they stepped onto the fourth floor of the oncology wing, the sterile smell of antiseptic and rubbing alcohol hit Max like a physical blow.
At the far end of the corridor, a woman was pacing frantically near a nurse’s station. It was Regina, Charlotte's younger sister.
"Lily!" Regina shrieked as she spotted the little girl, sprinting down the hallway and dropping to her knees to grab the child. "Where have you been?! I called the police! I was terrified!"
"I found him, Auntie," Lily said quietly, pointing a small finger behind her.
Regina froze, her eyes lifting to meet Max's. Her expression transformed from terror to pure, unadulterated venom.
"You," Regina spat, standing up and stepping between Max and the child. "What are you doing here, Maxwell?"
"I came because of the letter," Max said, keeping his voice as steady as possible. "Why didn't you call me, Regina? Why didn't anyone tell me I had a daughter?"
Regina let out a bitter, cold laugh that echoed through the quiet corridor. "Tell you? Charlotte tried to call you three times eight years ago, Max! But your secretary said you were in Tokyo and couldn't be disturbed for personal matters! You abandoned her!"
Max felt the air leave his lungs. He remembered that Tokyo trip—the week he secured the European contracts. He had instructed his staff to hold all non-emergency calls. He had built the wall himself.
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"I didn't know," Max whispered, his voice cracking. "Is she... how is she?"
Regina's bitter expression softened into profound sorrow. She looked toward room 412. "Go see for yourself. But don't you dare break her heart again."
