*Chapter 4: The Man in the Black SUV*
Sleep never came, and long after the nurses dimmed the lights, I lay awake staring at the ceiling while the steady beep of the heart monitor echoed through the room. Every time I closed my eyes, the previous night replayed with painful clarity: Ethan's unreadable expression, Sophia Whitmore standing proudly beside him, the divorce papers, and the cold weight of the pen in my trembling hand. And then there was the anonymous text.
I'm heading out of New York today, it seems like they're already keeping an eye on the hospital.
As the first light of dawn crept in, I felt utterly drained, like my body was weighed down by a heavy fatigue. But my mind was wide awake, racing with thoughts that refused to quiet down. I stretched out my hand and grabbed the nightstand, my fingers closing around the business card that Grace Holloway had discreetly handed me before she left.
"Don't believe everything you see."
The words seemed harmless at first, yet beside the text message, they carried an entirely different meaning. Someone was lying, and the question was... who? Grace? The stranger sending the messages? Or Ethan himself?
Just as I was lost in thought, a gentle knock at the door broke the silence, and a nurse walked in with a friendly smile on her face, holding a tray that had all my medication neatly arranged on it.
"Good morning, Ms. Bennett, how are you doing today?"
"Better," I lied.
As the nurse finished taking my blood pressure, she gave me a gentle reminder to try and manage my stress levels, but I just couldn't help thinking that it's easier said than done. Once she was gone, the room fell silent once again. I couldn't stand the idea of spending another minute in bed, so I slowly got up, put on my slippers, and made my way to the window, being careful not to slip or stumble. The stillness of the room was almost palpable, and I felt a strong urge to break free from it, even if it was just for a little while.
The hospital parking lot seemed like any other, with doctors rushing to get to their next appointment and visitors carrying gifts for their loved ones. Ambulances were coming and going, their sirens occasionally piercing the air. For a split second, I thought maybe I had just imagined the whole thing, that it was all just a product of my overactive imagination. But then, I caught sight of something that made my heart skip a beat, and I knew that everything was all too real.
On the other side of the street, under some maple trees, a black SUV was parked. It wasn't going anywhere and it wasn't near the emergency door. It just seemed to be waiting around. There was a guy sitting in the driver's seat, wearing sunglasses even though it was early morning and not very bright. He had his phone in one hand, and the camera was pointing right at my window.
A shiver ran down my spine as I wondered if I was just being paranoid, but then I instinctively ducked behind the curtain. That's when he lowered his phone, and it seemed like he had been waiting for me to make that move. My heart skipped a beat - this was no coincidence. Somebody clearly knew exactly which room I was in, and that realization sent a chill through me. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, and now it seemed like my instincts had been right all along. The fact that he had anticipated my actions made me feel like I was in a precarious situation, and I couldn't help but wonder what his next move would be.
My hand automatically went to my belly, where a tiny life was growing, and it was the one thing I could count on. I wasn't going to let fear take over and make my choices for me, no matter who was trying to scare me or why. I took a deep breath and closed the curtain, shutting out the uncertainty.
A short while later, a different nurse came in to take my temperature, and I tried to sound pretty nonchalant when I asked her, "Do staff members get to park their cars across the street?" But she just scrunched up her face in a frown.
Normally, that parking lot is only for hospital staff, but security can't possibly stop every single vehicle that pulls up and waits there.
She glanced toward the window.
"Did someone bother you?"
I forced a small smile.
"No. I was just curious."
She still seemed unsure, but luckily she decided to let it go. After she was gone, I took another look out the window, and the SUV was no longer there. You'd think I would have felt better, but the empty spot where it had been parked actually made me feel more on edge. It was as if whoever had been watching me wanted to make a point - they could vanish into thin air whenever they felt like it, and that was a pretty unsettling thought.
As the day wore on, that nagging feeling just wouldn't leave me alone, and every time I heard someone walking by my room, my heart would start racing. Even the slightest knock would make me jump. But by the time evening rolled around, I had pretty much talked myself into calming down and not letting my imagination run wild with all sorts of scary scenarios. That's when the door swung open and Grace Holloway walked in. She didn't say a word, just shut the door behind her and locked it, the soft click of the lock seeming really loud in the silence of the room.
She rarely looked nervous, but tonight fear was written across her face.
"We don't have much time," she whispered.
I straightened carefully against the pillows.
"You left the card."
She nodded.
"And the warning?"
Her hesitation answered before she did.
"No."
That one word was all it took to send a shiver down my spine, making me feel uneasy all over again.
"So someone else is trying to contact me?"
"I think so."
The silence between us grew thicker, until Grace got up and walked across the room, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Ms. Bennett... I need you to listen carefully."
"I'm listening."
She inhaled slowly.
"The divorce isn't as simple as it looks."
A bitter laugh escaped me.
"It looked simple enough."
"It wasn't Ethan's decision."
My eyes narrowed.
"I watched him sign those papers."
"I know."
Don't expect me to think that he didn't have a choice.
I want you to trust that there are individuals out there who have a lot more influence and control than we do.
For the first time since she had walked in, Grace glanced nervously at the door, as if she was worried that someone might be eavesdropping on her.
"There's more to the Kingsley family than meets the eye, and some things are going on behind closed doors that aren't immediately apparent."
"What things?"
"I can't explain everything."
Frustration rose inside me.
"Then why come here?"
"Because you're in danger."
The room suddenly felt colder.
"What kind of danger?"
Grace looked directly into my eyes.
"The fewer people who know about your pregnancy, the safer you'll be."
My fingers instinctively tightened over the blanket.
"How do you know?"
"I handled the medical documents."
My heart skipped.
"So someone else knows?"
She rapidly shook her head, her expression firm, "No, and we have to make sure it stays that way."
A thousand questions crowded my mind.
"Does Ethan know?"
"No."
"Should I tell him?"
Grace didn't answer immediately. Finally, she whispered,
"Not yet."
What she said was scary, but the way she said it was even scarier because she sounded so sure of herself.
"If the wrong person discovers that child exists..."
She stopped herself.
"What?"
"I don't have proof."
"Grace."
"I just need you to trust me."
The sound of three loud knocks filled the room, making me pause before I could say anything. These weren't the soft, gentle knocks you'd expect from a nurse or the uncertain taps of a visitor - they were slow, intentional, and demanding of attention.
Grace froze, and her face drained of color.
"That's him," she whispered.
The door handle turned, first once, then again, but the lock didn't give in. A calm, gentle voice came through the wood, speaking in a soothing tone.
"Ms. Bennett."
A pause.
"My name is Marcus Kingsley."
Another pause.
"I believe it's time we had a conversation."
My face went white as a sheet, and Grace backed away from the bed, her eyes glued to the door. We both just stood there, frozen in time. Then, the door handle turned one last time, and everything seemed to stop.
