Chapter 113 He’s everywhere

Chapter 113 He’s everywhere
The scream ripped through the sterile atmosphere of the hospital corridor like a physical blade, pulled straight from the rawest, most broken part of her chest.

"GET HIM AWAY FROM HER! LUCIEN, VINCENT, GET HIM AWAY FROM SARAH!"
Everything inside me went utterly, completely still. The high-pitched ringing in my ears intensified, drowning out the steady beep of my own heart monitor.
Lucien was the first one to shatter the paralysis. He spun on his heel, his towering frame instantly blocking the doorway of my delivery suite. His dark eyes were filled with an unyielding, lethal authority. "Stay here."
It wasn't a suggestion. It wasn't an option. It was a king issuing a decree to protect his most valuable asset.

Vincent stepped forward immediately, his broad shoulders tensing as his split knuckles curled into dangerous fists. "No way in hell, big brother. We're going together."

Zane was already moving before the argument could even escalate, his long strides carrying him toward the door, his hand buried in his jacket lining where his weapon was concealed. Ethan trailed right behind him, a feral, protective rage radiating off his frame.
I instinctively tried to push myself up from the mattress, the movement causing a sharp, dull ache to flare across my lower abdomen. Amara’s hand immediately clamped down on my forearm, her grip surprisingly firm, holding me flat against the pillows.

"You are not going anywhere, Sarah," Amara said, her voice a steady, unshakeable wall. "Your water just broke. Your body cannot handle any more physical trauma today."

But I wasn't listening to her. The logical, clinical warnings didn't matter. Because Megan didn’t scream like that. Not my Megan. She didn't let out a primal, unhinged shriek unless she was staring directly into the eyes of a monster. She didn't get terrified easily—she was the girl who laughed in the face of danger.
Another violent crash echoed from the end of the secure corridor. The distinct, metallic sound of a medical tray smashing against the linoleum floor. A nurse’s voice shouting out a frantic, panicked warning.
Then, just as quickly as the chaos had erupted, absolute silence fell over the wing again.

That silence was infinitely worse. It felt like the heavy, suffocating air right before a thunderstorm breaks.
Lucien opened the heavy suite door slightly, just enough to peer out into the restricted hallway, his posture coiled like a lethal spring. The exact second his eyes scanned the corridor, his expression changed completely. The calculated composure vanished, replaced by an icy, ruthless focus. "Security detail, seal the perimeter. Code Black."

Vincent’s brow furrowed into a deep, dangerous line. "What do you see, Lucien?"
Lucien didn't answer him. He simply threw the door wide open and stepped out into the hallway fully. Zane was already sprinting down the corridor, a blur of dark fabric and pure hunter instinct. Ethan swore under his breath, his heavy boots slamming against the tile as he followed.
The terror inside my gut overrode every single ounce of physical pain lingering in my body. I swung my legs off the edge of the hospital bed, the cold air hitting my bare skin as the thin gown fluttered. "Let me go, Amara."

Amara moved to block my path, her eyes pleading. "Sarah, please—think of the baby. The doctor said—"
"She is my best friend!" I shouted, the raw emotion tearing from my throat as I used my momentum to push right past her before she could physically stop me again.

The hallway felt entirely too long. Too bright. Too loud. Every single step I took made my lower back ache with a dull, throbbing pressure, a cruel reminder of the labor we had just managed to halt. But I didn't care. If a ghost was walking these halls, I wasn't going to wait in a dark room for it to find me.
I reached the doorway of Megan's post-op room just as Lucien stepped aside, his massive arm reaching out to shield me from entering too far.

Through the gap, I finally saw her.
Megan was sitting fully upright in the center of the hospital bed, her entire body shaking so violently it looked like she was having a seizure. Her hazel eyes were wide, dilated with a raw, unvarnished panic, locked entirely on the empty, shadowed corner of the room. It was like she was staring right through the solid wall. Like someone was still standing there, watching her from the dark.
"Megan," I breathed, my voice cracking.

Her head snapped toward the doorway instantly, her messy hair flying across her pale face. The moment her eyes locked onto me, the terror in her expression doubled. "Sarah—no! Get back! Get her out of here!"

She tried to violently thrash against the mattress, attempting to pull the IV lines straight out of her arm, but a terrified floor nurse held her down by the shoulders, desperately trying to calm her. Her breathing was rapid, shallow—pure, hyperventilating panic.

Vincent stepped in right behind me, his massive presence crowding the small recovery room. "What is going on in here? Who was in the room?"
Megan's trembling, bruised hand lifted slowly, her finger pointing directly at the completely vacant, white corner beside the window. "He... he was just here. Standing right there."
Silence descended over the room, thick and heavy.

Zane scanned the perimeter immediately, his sharp eyes checking the window locks, the medical cabinets, and the ceiling vents. There was absolutely nothing. No one. Just the rhythmic hum of the heart monitors and the stark, pristine white walls.
Lucien’s voice cut through the quiet, sharp as a razor blade. "Who, Megan? Who was standing there?"
Megan shook her head hard, tears of pure frustration and fear spilling over her split lower lip. "I don’t know his name! I’ve never seen him before in my life!" Her voice cracked violently, a breathless sob escaping her. "But he knows everything, Lucien. He knows everything about her."
She turned her frantic gaze back to me, and the look in her eyes made my stomach completely drop into a bottomless, icy void.

"He told me to give you a message, Sarah," she whispered, her body shivering beneath the heavy blankets. "He said... he said the baby isn’t safe in this city. He said a fortress can't protect a child from its true bloodline."
My hand flew straight to my stomach, my palm pressing hard against my womb as a wave of cold nausea washed over me. "No..."