CHAPTER 12

I stood in the corridor, waiting for news about my mother's condition, I felt a sense of fear and uncertainty. And then, the doctor's words hit me like a ton of bricks:

"Aries, I'm so sorry. Your mother is dead."

I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could do was repeat the words in my head, hoping that they would somehow change, somehow become untrue.

"No, no, no," I whispered, shaking my head.

"That can't be right. She was just fine. We were just talking, laughing..."

I felt my legs give way beneath me, and I slumped against the wall, sliding down to the floor. I couldn't hold back the tears, and they streamed down my face as I sobbed uncontrollably.

"How did this happen?" I kept asking, my voice shaking with grief.

"She was just fine. We were just talking, laughing... How did this happen?"

Just then, Dr. Ryan rushed into the room, his face etched with concern. He quickly dragged the other doctors out of the room, away from me, and started shouting at them.

"What happened?" he demanded. "She was stable just minutes ago. How did this happen?"

I watched, numb and disbelieving, as Dr. Ryan grilled the other doctors, trying to get answers. But I knew it was too late. My mother was gone, and nothing could bring her back.

I continued to sob, my body wracked with grief, as Dr. Ryan tried to comfort me. But I couldn't be comforted.

I was consumed by my loss, and I couldn't see a way out of the darkness that had descended upon me.

I sat in stunned silence, trying to process the news of my mother's passing. Dr. Ryan, a kind-faced doctor with a gentle demeanor, sat down beside me, his eyes filled with compassion.

"What happened to my mother?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dr. Ryan took a deep breath before speaking. "Aries, I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but it appears that your mother's death was not due to natural causes."

I felt a chill run down my spine as he continued. "It looks like she was...asphyxiated. Someone may have suffocated her, possibly by covering her nose and mouth with a pillow or some other object."

I felt like I had been punched in the gut again.

"What? No, that can't be right," I stammered, my mind racing with the implications.

Dr. Ryan nodded sympathetically. "I know this is a lot to take in, but we need to investigate further to determine exactly what happened."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My mother, who had been recovering so well, was now gone, and it seemed like someone might have had a hand in her death.

I felt a wave of anger and fear, mixed with grief and confusion.

"Who could have done this?" I demanded, my voice shaking with emotion.

Dr. Ryan's expression turned grim. "We'll do everything we can to find out, Aries. I promise you that."

I sat there, feeling helpless and lost, as Dr. Ryan continued to explain the details of my mother's death.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong, and that I might never get the answers I so desperately sought.

I turned to Dr. Ryan, my eyes pleading for answers. "I want to see the CCTV footage of the corridor," I demanded, my voice firm but shaking with emotion. "I need to know what happened to my mother."

Dr. Ryan nodded sympathetically. "I'll see what I can do, Aries. But please, you have to prepare yourself for what you might see."

Just then, a commotion at the entrance of the corridor caught our attention.

A group of burly men, dressed in black suits and sunglasses, walked in, their eyes scanning the area. They were followed by my father, his tall, imposing figure commanding attention.

My father, Reginald Thornton-Furst, was a wealthy and influential businessman. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his late 50s, with a chiseled face and piercing blue eyes.

His dark hair was slicked back, revealing a prominent forehead and a sharp jawline. He wore a tailored black suit, crisp white shirt, and a black tie, exuding an air of power and authority.

His bodyguards, four in total, were equally intimidating. They were all well over six feet tall, with bulging muscles and stern expressions.

They wore identical black suits, their eyes hidden behind sunglasses, giving them a menacing and robotic appearance.

As my father approached, Dr. Ryan stood up, his eyes fixed on him warily.

" Mr Reginald, I'm so sorry to meet you under these circumstances," he said, his voice cautious.

My father's eyes scanned the room, his gaze locking onto me. "Aries, my child," he said, his voice firm but controlled.

"I'm so sorry about your mother. I'll do everything in my power to find out what happened."

I stood up, my eyes fixed on my father, unsure of what to make of his sudden arrival. I knew he and my mother had been estranged for years, but I had never seen him show such concern for her well-being.

"What are you doing here, Father?" I asked, my voice wary.

"I'm here to take care of you, Aries," he replied, his eyes narrowing. "And to find out what happened to your mother. I won't rest until I get to the bottom of this."

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I looked at my father and his bodyguards. I wasn't sure if I could trust him, but I knew I needed his help to uncover the truth about my mother's death.

I turned to Dr. Ryan, my determination renewed.

"I want to see the CCTV footage now," I demanded, my voice firm. "I need to know what happened to my mother."

Dr. Ryan nodded, understanding my urgency. "Okay, Aries. Let's go to the control room."

He quickly led the way, followed by my father and his intimidating entourage. I walked alongside Dr. Ryan, my heart racing with anticipation and fear. What would we find on the footage?

As we entered the control room, I saw a bank of monitors displaying various angles of the hospital corridors and rooms. A technician sat at a console, his eyes fixed on the screens.

Dr. Ryan approached the technician.

"Play back the footage from the corridor outside my mother's room," he instructed. "From the past hour."

The technician nodded and started typing on his keyboard. The monitors flickered, and then I saw the corridor outside my mother's room. I felt my father's eyes on me, but I didn't look at him. I was focused on the screens.

The footage showed my mother's room door opening and closing, with nurses and doctors entering and exiting. But then, I saw a figure entering the room.

As I gazed at the monitors, my eyes widened in shock. The figure entering my mother's room was wearing the same clothes as the man I had seen earlier - a black hoodie and dark trousers. I felt a chill run down my spine as I quickly made the connection.

"Oh my god," I whispered, my voice trembling. "That's the same man I saw earlier."

I took a step closer to the monitor, my eyes fixed on the figure. The man's face was partially hidden by the hoodie, but I could sense his sinister intentions.

"I saw him when I went to get water," I exclaimed, turning to Dr. Ryan and my father. "He was lurking around the corner, and I thought he looked suspicious. I had no idea he was going to...to..."

My voice trailed off as I felt a wave of nausea. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

My father's eyes narrowed, his face set in a determined expression. "Get a closer look at his face," he ordered the technician.

The technician zoomed in on the figure's face, but his features were still obscured by the hoodie.

"I need to see his face," I demanded, my frustration growing. "Can you enhance the image?"

The technician nodded and started typing on his keyboard. The image on the monitor flickered, and then the man's face became clearer.

I gasped as I saw his features. He was a man I had never seen before, but there was something menacing about his expression.

"Who is this?" I asked, turning to Dr. Ryan and my father.

My father's eyes were fixed on the monitor, his jaw clenched. "I don't know, but we'll find out," he growled.

Dr. Ryan's face was grim. "We'll need to investigate further, but it looks like we have a lead."

As I gazed at the monitor, my emotions overwhelmed me. I felt a wave of grief, anger, and frustration wash over me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

My mother, who had been recovering so well, was now gone, and it seemed like someone might have had a hand in her death.