2026-08-08 10:47:32The pungent smell of disinfectant filled the corridor as Adrian Hale pushed a mop across the polished marble floor.
The squeak of the mop echoed through St. Raphael Medical Center, but no one paid him any attention. Doctors hurried past with patient charts tucked beneath their arms, nurses wheeled stretchers through the hallways, and anxious family members rushed between departments.
To everyone here, Adrian was invisible.
No.
He was worse than invisible.
He was the hospital's laughingstock.
"Hey, Son-in-law!"
A young nurse tossed an empty coffee cup onto the freshly cleaned floor without even looking at him.
"You missed a spot."
Her colleagues burst into laughter.
Adrian quietly bent down, picked up the cup, and threw it into the nearby trash bin before continuing to mop.
Three years ago, he had walked into this hospital wearing a white coat as an intern physician.
Now...He cleaned the floors. It wasn't because he lacked talent.
It was because the hospital director had made sure no one ever allowed him near a patient again.
"Some people really have no dignity."
A middle-aged man sitting outside the consultation room sneered loudly.
"I heard he's the Sterling family's live-in son-in-law."
His wife covered her mouth and giggled.
"So that's him? The man who sold himself for money?"
"I'd rather starve than marry into another family."
"Exactly. Men like him don't deserve respect."
The words reached Adrian's ears as clearly as if they had been whispered beside him.
His grip tightened around the mop handle until his knuckles turned white.
But he kept his head lowered.
He had long grown accustomed to humiliation.
Pride couldn't buy medicine.
Dignity couldn't save lives.
Only money could.
His phone vibrated inside his pocket.
Adrian immediately wiped his wet hands on his uniform before answering.
"Doctor Lewis?"
The voice on the other end sounded hesitant.
"Mr. Hale... your sister's condition has become unstable again."
Adrian's heartbeat skipped.
"What happened?"
"Her white blood cell count has dropped dramatically. The transplant can't be delayed any longer."
Adrian leaned against the wall.
"How much time do we have?"
"At most... forty-eight hours."
The doctor's sigh echoed through the receiver.
"The donor has already been arranged. If the surgical payment isn't completed before tomorrow evening, we'll have no choice but to give the donor to another patient."
Adrian slowly closed his eyes.
Half a million dollars.
Five hundred thousand.
That single number felt heavier than a mountain.
"I understand."
After hanging up, he remained standing silently for nearly a minute.
Then he opened his banking app.
Balance:
$327.14
He stared at the number until it blurred.
Three years.
He had worked at this hospital every single day for three years.
Yet his salary had never reached his own hands.
Every paycheck was transferred directly to the Sterling family under the excuse that they had already "spent enough" taking care of him.
His phone was already in his hand.
Without hesitation, he dialed the number he knew better than his own heartbeat.
Evelyn Sterling.
His wife.
The phone rang.
No answer.
He called again.
And again.
And again.
Voicemail.
He opened their message history.
Hundreds of unanswered messages filled the screen.
Lily's condition has worsened.
Please call me.
The surgery is tomorrow.
I only need to borrow the money.
I'll repay every cent.
Please...
Still nothing.
His thumb hovered over the call button before pressing it one last time.
Ring...
Ring...
Ring...
The call ended.
Not rejected.
Ignored.
Adrian forced a bitter smile.
Three years of marriage.
They had never shared the same bedroom.
Never celebrated an anniversary.
Never even eaten dinner together.
To Evelyn, he was nothing more than an obligation left behind by her late grandfather.
A decorative husband.
Someone whose name appeared on her marriage certificate but nowhere in her life.
"Brother Adrian."
A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
A young nurse walked over nervously.
"Lily asked if you'd visit her during lunch."
Adrian nodded.
"I'll be there."
He removed the cleaning gloves before making his way upstairs.
Room 708.
The moment he stepped inside, his heart clenched.
Lily Hale looked even thinner than she had yesterday.
Her pale skin was almost translucent, and the IV lines attached to both arms made her appear fragile enough to disappear with the slightest breeze.
Yet she still smiled brightly.
"You skipped breakfast again."
Instead of worrying about herself...
She worried about him.
Adrian forced a smile.
"I already ate."
"Liar."
She pouted weakly.
"I can always tell."
He sat beside her and gently adjusted the blanket.
"The doctors said you'll have your surgery soon."
Lily lowered her head.
"Brother..."
"You shouldn't spend any more money on me."
Adrian frowned.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"I heard the nurses talking."
Her voice trembled.
"The surgery costs five hundred thousand dollars."
She grabbed his rough, calloused hands.
"I don't want you suffering because of me anymore."
Adrian squeezed her fingers tightly.
"You are my only family."
"I'll find the money."
"No matter what."
Lily's eyes reddened.
She wanted to argue.
Instead, she simply nodded while forcing herself not to cry.
After leaving her room, Adrian headed straight for the hospital parking lot.
There was only one place left he could go.
The Sterling Mansion.
An hour later, he stood before the towering iron gates.
The mansion occupied nearly an entire hillside, its European architecture radiating wealth and power.
Luxury cars lined the driveway.
Crystal fountains sparkled beneath the afternoon sun.
Compared to the tiny apartment he and Lily had grown up in...
This place felt like another world.
The security guards recognized him immediately.
One of them smirked.
"The son-in-law is back."
"Probably here to beg again."
Another laughed before opening the gate.
Inside the grand living room, Eleanor Sterling sat elegantly on the sofa while sipping imported tea.
Her tailored dress and diamond jewelry reflected the prestige of one of the city's wealthiest families.
She barely glanced at Adrian.
"What do you want?"
Adrian bowed respectfully.
"Mother..."
Her expression immediately darkened.
"I've told you countless times."
"I'm not your mother."
"You merely married into our family."
Adrian swallowed the bitterness in his throat.
"Lily's surgery is tomorrow."
"I need five hundred thousand dollars."
"I'll repay every cent."
Silence.
Then...
Eleanor slowly placed her teacup onto the table.
"Repay?"
She laughed coldly.
"With what?"
"A cleaner's salary?"
"You've already eaten and lived off our family for three years."
"You should be grateful."
Before Adrian could answer, another voice echoed through the hall.
A stout middle-aged man walked downstairs while adjusting his expensive watch.
This was Eleanor's younger brother.
Richard Sterling.
He looked Adrian up and down with obvious disgust.
"So the parasite is here."
Adrian ignored the insult.
"Uncle Richard..."
Richard waved dismissively.
"Don't call me uncle."
"You're not family."
Adrian clenched his fists.
"My sister's life is at stake."
Richard burst into laughter.
"So?"
He walked closer until they stood face to face.
"What is your sister worth?"
"Half a million dollars?"
He snorted.
"She's not worth half a dollar."
"The Hale family has been nothing but trash for years."
"If they weren't, would you have become a pathetic live-in son-in-law?"
Every word landed like a hammer.
Adrian's breathing became heavier.
"I'll repay the money."
"I swear."
Eleanor stood.
Her eyes were colder than ice.
"Enough."
"The Sterling family isn't running a charity."
"If your sister dies..."
"That's her fate."
She turned toward the butler.
"Throw him out."
Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward.
Before Adrian could react, they grabbed his arms and dragged him toward the entrance.
He struggled desperately.
"Please!"
"She's innocent!"
"She'll die!"
The heavy gates slammed shut before him with a deafening clang.
Adrian remained standing outside the mansion, staring at the towering walls that separated wealth from despair.
His phone suddenly vibrated.
The caller ID read: St. Raphael Medical Center.
A strange sense of dread washed over him as he slowly answered the call.
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Chapter 70
Adrian stared at the telephone number displayed on the security officer's screen. The information connected the missing personal assistant to the hospital on the night Callum Vale's medical records were accessed, but it did not establish whether she had participated in the incident or witnessed something she feared reporting. He wanted her located before anyone else could interfere with the investigation.“Can you establish where the number was last active?” Adrian asked.The information security officer explained that the telephone had connected to the hospital's guest network before the unauthorized login attempt. Its most recent activity outside the hospital was still being verified, and the available information was insufficient to establish the woman's current whereabouts.Dr. Gideon Mercer instructed the officer to preserve the network records and forward the relevant information to the appropriate authorities. The hospital could not simply track an employee's personal movements
Chapter 69
The information security officer immediately opened the monitoring dashboard and began tracing the latest login attempt. The system showed that someone had tried to access Callum Vale’s medical records using Mrs. Harper’s credentials, but the attempt had been blocked because the account had been temporarily restricted. Unlike the previous incidents, this time the security team had been waiting for precisely such an attempt.“Can you trace the location?” Adrian asked.The officer nodded, explaining that the login had originated from an external network. However, the connection had passed through a private routing service, making it difficult to identify the person behind it. He could establish the time, device information, and connection history, but locating the actual user would require additional investigation.Dr. Gideon Mercer instructed him to preserve every detail and immediately notify the hospital's information security department. Victor Hale, who had remained in the office,
Chapter 68
Victor Hale was the first to break the silence after the security supervisor announced that his personal assistant had left the hospital.“When exactly did she leave?” he demanded.“Approximately twenty minutes ago,” the supervisor answered. “The receptionist said she mentioned having an urgent personal matter.”Victor frowned and immediately instructed the security team to contact her. He insisted that her departure had nothing to do with the investigation, but Dr. Gideon Mercer was no longer willing to overlook the timing. The assistant had entered the director's office shortly before the unauthorized login, and now she was unavailable for questioning.Adrian remained beside the desk, examining the security report.“Does the hospital have her emergency contact information?” he asked.The supervisor confirmed that it did, but attempts to reach her had gone unanswered. Her official residence was also listed in the employee records, and the security team was preparing to verify whether
Chapter 67
For several seconds, nobody in the office spoke.Dr. Gideon Mercer stared at the security report while Adrian examined the login history. Mrs. Harper's credentials had been used from two different locations, with the second session originating from a terminal inside Victor Hale's administrative suite. The discovery did not prove that the hospital director had accessed the records himself, but it raised a question nobody could comfortably ignore.“Who else has permission to use the computers in that office?” Adrian asked.The information security officer explained that Victor, his personal assistant, and two senior administrative employees had authorized access. However, the system normally required individual credentials, meaning anyone using Mrs. Harper's account would have needed her password or another method of bypassing the login restrictions.Dr. Mercer immediately requested the access history for everyone who had entered the director's suite that evening. He also instructed the
Chapter 66
Dr. Gideon Mercer stared at the report in his hands, struggling to understand how someone could have used a department manager’s credentials to authorize access to restricted hospital areas. The manager, Mrs. Harper, had already denied approving the temporary pass, and the information security team was now examining the account’s activity. What troubled him most was that the same credentials had been used to access Callum Vale’s medical records shortly before the boy’s condition deteriorated.Adrian remained beside the desk, studying the sequence of events. The missing access card had provided an entry point, but the temporary credential suggested a second method of bypassing the hospital’s security procedures. Whoever was responsible understood how the institution operated and knew which weaknesses could be exploited without immediately attracting attention.“Has Mrs. Harper been asked to come in?” Adrian questioned.“She is on her way,” Dr. Mercer replied. “The security team wants t
Chapter 65
The pharmacy assistant shifted uneasily in her seat as Adrian waited for her to continue. Dr. Gideon Mercer had instructed the security supervisor to record her statement, while another hospital administrator remained nearby to ensure that the interview followed the proper procedure. She glanced at the medication transfer form again, apparently trying to remember the details of the incident.“He was tall,” she began. “I couldn't see his face clearly because he wore a surgical mask, but he looked like a doctor. He came into the collection area and said someone from the emergency department had sent him to pick up the medication.”“Did you ask for his identification?” Adrian questioned.The assistant shook her head, looking embarrassed. She explained that the hospital had been unusually busy that evening, and several employees had moved between departments to assist with emergencies. Since the man wore a hospital coat and spoke confidently, she had assumed he was authorized to collect t
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