Chapter 5 - THE DONOR MARCUS TRIED TO HIDE
Amelia arrived at the hospital before Daniel expected.
No designer entourage.
No Marcus.
She walked into Renee's room with red eyes and paperwork.
“I signed everything.”
Renee looked exhausted.
“For what?”
“Repeat testing. Immediate donor workup.”
Elena reviewed.
If all remained favorable, transplant could proceed once Renee's infection stabilized.
Renee stared at her cousin.
“Why were you sleeping with Marcus?”
Amelia flinched.
Not ideal timing.
Still fair.
“I thought you two were over.”
“We were.”
“He said you were using me.”
“Amelia.”
“I know.”
She started crying.
“I know now.”
Renee looked away.
Daniel quietly left the room.
Some conversations belonged to families.
In the hallway, Elena approached.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“You need to know something.”
She looked toward Renee's room.
“The infection is responding.”
Good.
“But transplant timing is critical.”
“How critical?”
“Days, possibly weeks. Not months.”
Daniel nodded.
Then Elena continued:
“And someone accessed Renee's medical portal last night.”
His stomach tightened.
“Who?”
“Credentials tied to the board's health liaison.”
“Charles?”
“His office.”
What had they looked at?
Donor compatibility.
Infection status.
Projected recovery.
If Renee successfully underwent transplant, the coup timetable collapsed.
Daniel called Priya.
“Lock every corporate medical access channel.”
“Already working.”
“Also preserve logs.”
“Yes.”
Then Daniel received a text from an unknown number.
You are putting Lily in danger. Walk away.
His body went cold.
Not Sarah.
Not Renee.
Lily.
He called the number.
Dead.
He immediately called Lily's school.
She was safe.
Then drove there anyway.
By the time he arrived, police had been contacted through Renee's security team.
Lily walked out of class furious.
“Dad!”
He hugged her.
“Too tight.”
“Sorry.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
She stared.
“That's adult lying.”
Fair.
He crouched.
“Someone sent me a scary message.”
“About me?”
“Yes.”
“Am I in danger?”
“I don't think so.”
“Then why are there police?”
“Because I don't gamble with you.”
She nodded.
Then:
“Is Renee okay?”
“She's in the hospital.”
Lily's face changed.
“Like Mom?”
The question nearly broke him.
“Not the same.”
“Promise?”
He couldn't.
So he said:
“I promise the doctors are doing everything they can.”
Better.
That evening, Daniel made the hardest decision since Sarah died.
He pulled out of Renee's arrangement.
Not emotionally.
Operationally.
He told Renee:
“Lily comes first.”
Renee nodded immediately.
“Yes.”
“No argument?”
“None.”
“I won't attend board events.”
“Okay.”
“I won’t stay at your house.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll still help with Sarah's files.”
“Only if you want.”
He stared.
“You’re making this annoyingly easy.”
Renee smiled weakly.
“You're a father.”
Then:
“I wish somebody had protected me that simply.”
Daniel understood.
Arthur Sterling loved Renee.
But he had taught her that corporate duty came before almost everything.
Even illness.
Especially weakness.
Daniel sat.
“I'll be nearby through the transplant.”
Renee’s eyes filled.
“You don't have to.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because I said nearby, not fake boyfriend.”
She laughed.
Good.
The board meeting happened without him.
Renee appeared remotely from the hospital.
Bald.
Pale.
No makeup.
No attempt to disguise illness.
Charles tried invoking temporary incapacity.
Priya presented medical certification that Renee remained cognitively competent.
Elena appeared as independent physician witness.
Then Amelia entered.
Everyone froze.
Marcus especially.
She revoked every proxy previously granted to him.
Publicly.
Then transferred her voting authority directly back to the family trust under Renee’s control for the duration of treatment.
Marcus's face changed.
The coup lost eight percent.
Not enough to end it.
But enough to make it harder.
Then Renee said:
“One more item.”
Priya displayed the Helios emails.
Eleven years old.
Charles stopped breathing.
Marcus went pale.
Renee's voice remained quiet.
“My father hired people he believed protected this company.”
She looked directly at them through camera.
“Some of you protected yourselves.”
Charles immediately called privilege.
Outside counsel disagreed.
The board ordered independent investigation.
Marcus was suspended.
Charles temporarily removed as chairman pending review.
For the first time, Renee had space.
Then her fever spiked.
The meeting ended.
Two days later, Amelia's donor workup completed.
Excellent match.
Renee would undergo transplant.
Daniel sat beside Lily at the hospital cafeteria.
Lily pushed fries around.
“Will it hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Will she die?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“I don't know.”
Lily stared at him.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“When Mom was sick, you always said ‘we’ll see.’”
“I know.”
“I hated that.”
“Me too.”
She looked toward the elevator.
“Can we go see Renee?”
“She’s getting ready.”
“After?”
“Yes.”
Lily nodded.
Then pulled a folded paper from her backpack.
A drawing.
Renee standing beneath a giant satellite.
Lily had written:
DON’T DIE. I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS.
Daniel laughed so hard he cried.
May you like
Renee later taped it to the wall beside her hospital bed.
The transplant began the next morning.
