Chapter 8 - The Puppet Master
The voice on the phone is deep, raspy, and entirely unfamiliar to me. "Who is this?" I demand, gripping the phone tightly. "I am the man your mother actually owes money to," the voice replies. He explains that my mother didn't just steal my money to spoil Claire. She had taken out a massive, illegal loan from a dangerous crime syndicate. She used Claire's lavish lifestyle as a cover to launder the borrowed cash. Marcus was never the mastermind; he was just a hired thug working for this man. "Your mother promised me your estate to settle her debt," the man chuckles. "Since your grandfather locked them in, I guess I'll just have to come to the hospital." The line goes dead, leaving a dial tone echoing in the silent hallway. Grandpa's face turns pale as he realizes the true danger we are in. "We need to get Lily and leave this city right now," he says urgently. We rush to the secure pediatric suite where Lily is actually sleeping. The private guards open the door, and I finally pull my beautiful baby girl into my arms. Her warm, tiny body instantly soothes the crushing pain in my chest. But as we turn to leave through the private elevator, the doors slide open. Four men in dark suits step out, blocking our only escape route. The man in the front smiles, pulling a suppressed pistol from his jacket. "Going somewhere, Meredith?" he asks.
