Chapter 4 - The Empty Suite
Back in Chicago, three days after the birth, Graham Ashford sat at the mahogany desk of his executive office, swirling a glass of single-malt scotch while Vanessa Cole lounged nearby on a velvet sofa. The corporate merger with Mercer Components was legally secure, the divorce papers had been filed with the county clerk, and Claire had vanished without a single public trace. Yet, an unshakeable restlessness gnawed at the back of Graham's mind, fueled by the abruptness of Claire's compliance and the absolute silence from the hospital.
Dismissing the nagging unease, he told himself that the arrangement had worked out perfectly—he was rid of an unwanted wife and free to build his future with Vanessa without any emotional baggage. However, a call from Daniel Whitaker interrupted his thoughts, bringing unsettling news that the hospital room had been cleared out hours ahead of schedule and no forwarding address had been left with the administrative staff. Irritated that Claire was still managing to disrupt his peace even in absence, Graham decided to drive down to the private medical center himself to verify that the paperwork was fully executed and that his name was cleanly scrubbed from their lives.
