The next morning, Edlyn walked into Mount Sinai Hospital. She wasn't wearing a disguise this time. She wore a tailored black suit and heels. She looked like she belonged.
She carried a large bouquet of white lilies in a florist's vase. She approached the VIP entrance, timing her arrival to coincide with the morning shift change she had observed the day before. She held up her phone, displaying a QR code she had generated-not from the visitor's pass, but one linked to a temporary vendor credential for "Orchidaceae Deliveries," a file she'd found on Arno's cloud server.
The scanner beeped green.
Edlyn walked through.
The guard at Room 1208 was new. He checked the flowers, patted down the vase, and nodded.
Edlyn pushed the door open.
The room was silent except for the hum of the ventilator. Serena Vance lay in the bed. She was awake. She was pale, fragile, ethereal.
She turned her head. Her eyes widened when she saw Edlyn.
"You," Serena whispered. "You're... the wife."
Edlyn didn't answer. She walked to the bedside table and began arranging the flowers. Her movements were precise, calm.
Serena tried to sit up, wincing. "Arno told me about you. He said you were... quiet."
Edlyn turned. She looked directly at Serena. Her gaze was heavy, unblinking.
Serena shifted uncomfortably. "Why are you here? To mark your territory?"
Edlyn reached into her purse. She pulled out a small notepad and a pen. She wrote a single sentence. She tore the page out and held it up for Serena to read.
He watches your medical charts every night. He adjusted your potassium dosage from the closet.
Serena read the note. The color drained from her face, leaving her gray. Her hand flew to her mouth.
"You... you're sick," Serena stammered.
Edlyn smiled. It was a small, cold curving of her lips. She wrote again.
Does he touch you? Or does he just manage his investment?
She held it up.
Serena screamed. It was a weak, ragged sound. "Nurse! Get her out!"
Edlyn didn't move. She stood her ground, a silent statue of judgment.
The door burst open. A nurse and the guard rushed in.
"She's threatening me!" Serena sobbed, pointing a trembling finger.
The guard grabbed Edlyn's arm. His grip was bruising. He dragged her toward the door. Edlyn didn't fight. She let her body go limp, making it harder for him.
As they reached the hallway, the elevator doors opened. Arno sprinted out, followed by a trail of doctors.
He saw the guard manhandling Edlyn. He stopped, his chest heaving.
"Let her go," Arno barked.
The guard released her. Edlyn stumbled, rubbing her arm.
Arno stepped close to her. His face was a mask of fury. "You crossed a line."
From inside the room, Serena's sobs escalated into a coughing fit. The monitors began to alarm. High-pitched, rhythmic warnings.
Arno didn't look at Edlyn again. He shoved past her, running into the room.
"Serena!"
Edlyn stood in the hallway, alone. The door swung shut, but not before she saw Arno fall to his knees beside the bed, grasping Serena's hand as if it were the only anchor in the world.
