Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN IN THE SURGICAL PHOTOGRAPH
Luca hired an independent medical records investigator.
Her name was Dr. Rebecca Sloan, a former hospital compliance officer.
She examined the available documents.
Then found something strange.
A photograph from the private surgical center's internal system.
It showed Gabriel unconscious on an operating table.
Dr. Adrian Vale stood beside him.
Vincent was visible near the door.
And behind them stood a woman wearing surgical scrubs.
Her face was partly obscured.
Dr. Sloan enlarged the image.
Then froze.
“That's impossible.”
Luca frowned.
“What?”
She pointed.
“That's Dr. Natalie Mercer.”
I looked at her.
“Who is she?”
Dr. Sloan swallowed.
“A neurosurgeon who lost her medical license four years ago after falsifying operative records.”
The room went silent.
Gabriel stared at the photograph.
Then said quietly:
“Find her.”
Luca nodded.
But I stepped forward.
“No threats.”
Gabriel looked at me.
“Emily.”
I folded my arms.
“If you want the truth, we do this legally.”
His expression hardened.
“You don't understand how my world works.”
I looked directly at him.
“Then perhaps it's time your world learned something new.”
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Gabriel smiled.
Faintly.
Almost unwillingly.
“You're very brave.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
May you like
I looked at the photograph.
“I'm very tired of men thinking they can do whatever they want.”
