Inside the private medical suite on the ground floor of the Sterling estate, Dr. Marcus Evans finished wrapping a clean, warm bandage around Mia’s scratched ankles.
The child was sitting atop the examination table, wearing an oversized fleece sweater provided by the housekeeper, happily sipping a cup of warm bone broth.
Her dirty cheeks were now clean, revealing pale skin and delicate features that looked painfully familiar.
Dr. Evans pulled Damon into the adjacent consultation annex, holding a printed hospital intake manifest.
"Damon," Dr. Evans began, his voice low and grave. "I ran the patient registration number from that copper charm through St. Jude's closed records."
"Who was her mother, Marcus?" Damon asked, his hands clenched tightly in his trouser pockets.
"Her name was Sarah Vance," Dr. Evans answered, handing over the electronic tablet.
Damon’s jaw tightened.
Sarah Vance had been Clara’s closest childhood friend and a senior research coordinator at Cross Pharmaceuticals before Damon took over the family firm.
Four years ago, Sarah had abruptly resigned from the company, disappearing from public records shortly after reporting safety anomalies in an overseas trial.
"Sarah was admitted to St. Jude’s six months ago with advanced pulmonary fibrosis," Dr. Evans explained.
"She passed away three nights ago."
Damon looked through the glass partition at the little girl swinging her bare feet against the examination table.
"Where was Mia staying after Sarah died?"
"According to the social services discharge log, she was supposed to be placed in state transitional care yesterday morning," Dr. Evans said.
"However, the transport order was cancelled by an emergency directive signed by the hospital’s board vice-chair."
Damon’s eyes turned to cold, lethal flint.
"Who was the vice-chair, Marcus?"
Dr. Evans sighed, looking down at the tablet with visible disgust.
"Elisa Rochefort."
Damon felt the blood run cold in his veins.
Elisa hadn't just shouted at a random stray on the lawn.
She knew exactly whose child Mia was.
Sarah Vance had been about to testify regarding financial embezzlement within the pharmaceutical foundation before her illness silenced her.
And Elisa Rochefort had intentionally let a four-year-old orphan slip into the dark city streets, hoping the cold night would bury Sarah's daughter and her secrets forever.
