CHAPTER 4: THE WOMAN IN THE WHEELCHAIR
Claire arrived at the hospital just before sunrise.
She sat in a wheelchair with her ankle wrapped in a white bandage.
Ethan was still waiting outside the NICU.
When he saw her, disbelief replaced the exhaustion on his face.
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to make sure Amelia was all right.”
“You need to leave.”
Claire’s expression hardened.
“After everything that happened, that’s how you speak to me?”
“My wife nearly died.”
Claire glanced toward the NICU doors.
“I was trapped too.”
“You had a sprained ankle.”
“I could have been seriously injured.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“She was bleeding.”
“I didn’t know.”
“You were sitting three feet away from her.”
Claire looked down.
“It was dark.”
Ethan stared at the woman he had once loved.
For years, Claire had convinced him that their unfinished history meant something.
Now he remembered how she had complained whenever Amelia cried out inside the elevator.
How she had told Amelia to stop being dramatic.
How she had whispered Ethan’s name the moment the doors opened, knowing he would run to her.
Claire touched his hand.
“We need to discuss what we’re going to tell the investigators.”
Ethan pulled away.
“What do you mean?”
“The hotel will ask why we were both there.”
“It was a charity event.”
“That explains the hotel. It does not explain the private messages.”
Ethan’s face tightened.
Claire continued.
“Amelia saw your phone.”
“How do you know?”
“She mentioned your messages inside the elevator.”
Ethan looked toward Amelia’s room.
Claire lowered her voice.
“We should tell everyone Amelia became confused from dehydration.”
Ethan stared at her.
“You want me to say my wife imagined the messages?”
“I want to protect you.”
“No. You want to protect yourself.”
Before Claire could answer, Mara walked toward them.
She carried Amelia’s phone in one hand.
“I’m glad you’re both here.”
Claire smiled nervously.
“Is Amelia awake?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see her?”
“No.”
Mara unlocked the phone.
“But Amelia asked me to save every message Ethan received from you.”
Claire’s smile disappeared.
Mara turned the screen toward them.
The final message had been sent eleven minutes before the elevator stopped.
May you like
It read:
TONIGHT, YOU CHOOSE HER OR ME.
