Frigid air bit at Luna’s skin, even indoors. Hours blurred into a relentless pursuit, Elias’s fingers flying across his keyboard. Screens glowed with cryptic data, lines of code, and medical reports. Luna, hunched beside him, cross-referenced financial statements with patient logs. They worked in Elias’s secure, minimalist office, the city lights a distant, blurred backdrop. “Found something,” Elias murmured, his voice tight. A series of manipulated lab results flashed on the main display. Leo’s latest bloodwork, altered. Values skewed, symptoms exaggerated. Luna leaned in, her breath catching. “He’s making Leo look worse than he is.” “Exactly.” Elias zoomed in on a specific entry. “This particular protein marker? It’s been artificially inflated. It directly contradicts the real baseline data I have from before. It would suggest a severe regression.” Pure fury surged through Luna. Not just financial fraud, but medical malfeasance. Playing with Leo’s health for profit was a new low, even for Marcus. “Why?” she demanded, the word a raw whisper. “Look at this.” Elias pulled up another document. A clinical trial proposal. It detailed a new, experimental drug for Leo’s rare condition. Thorne Biologics was listed as the patent holder. Luna’s eyes widened. “He’s trying to push his own drug.” “Worse,” Elias corrected, his gaze sharp. “He’s discrediting the *current* treatment protocol. By making Leo appear to be failing on the standard regimen, Marcus can then argue his experimental drug is the only viable solution.” Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place. Elias had been instrumental in securing Leo's current, cutting-edge treatment. Marcus wasn't just after money; he was strategically dismantling Elias’s reputation, positioning himself as the savior, and seizing control of the lucrative experimental drug market for this rare disease. “He wants to erase you from the picture,” Luna stated, the implication chilling. Elias nodded, his jaw tight. “If Leo’s condition ‘deteriorates’ under the current treatment, it weakens my credibility. It makes *my* research, *my* connections, seem ineffective. Then Marcus steps in with his ‘miracle cure,’ making a fortune and solidifying his control over the entire research division.” A cold knot formed in Luna’s stomach. This wasn't just about money anymore. This was a direct, calculated threat to Leo’s life, used as a pawn in a corporate war. “What’s the actual status of the experimental drug?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. Elias pulled up more data. “It’s still in early-stage trials. Not approved for human use in Leo’s specific condition yet. The risks are enormous. But if he can manipulate the data and the board, he might force an accelerated approval.” “This is insane,” Luna breathed, running a hand through her hair. “He’s risking Leo’s life for a patent.” “He always has,” Elias said, his voice flat. “Power, money, control. Marcus sees Leo as a means to an end.” Their eyes met, a shared understanding of the gravity of the situation passing between them. The alliance, once uneasy, now felt forged in fire. “We need irrefutable proof,” Luna declared. “Something that can’t be dismissed as a disgruntled employee or a rival’s smear campaign.” “Agreed,” Elias replied. “I’ll delve deeper into the raw server logs. He’s good, but not invisible. The data manipulation has to leave a trace.” Luna’s mind raced. “I’ll go to the hospital. I need to see Leo. And I need to observe. See who’s around him. Who Marcus might have in his pocket.” Elias hesitated. “It could be dangerous. Marcus knows you’re a threat.” “I’m Leo’s only family left,” she countered, her resolve firm. “I have to go.” He eventually relented, his gaze softening briefly. “Be careful, Luna.” Minutes later, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled Luna’s nostrils as she walked through the quiet hospital corridors. Visiting hours were dwindling, but as family, she had privileges. Her heart hammered with a mixture of fear and determination. She clutched her small handbag, feeling the weight of the flash drive Elias had given her—a contingency, just in case. Approaching Leo’s room, she paused at the doorway. He slept peacefully, the gentle rise and fall of his chest the only movement. A nurse, a woman with kind eyes and a name tag reading ‘Sarah,’ was meticulously checking an IV drip bag. Luna stepped inside. “Hello, Sarah.” Sarah smiled warmly. “Ms. Thorne. Just finishing up. Leo’s had a good day. Stable.” Relief washed over Luna, but it was quickly replaced by a prickle of unease. Stable. Yet Marcus's data suggested severe regression. “Everything seems to be going well with his treatment?” Luna probed casually, watching Sarah’s movements. “Yes, we’re following the doctor’s orders precisely,” Sarah confirmed, her smile unwavering. She glanced at the IV pole, then at a small, sealed vial she held. Luna noticed the vial. It was labeled with Leo’s patient ID and the name of his current experimental medication. Critical dosage, Elias had called it. Life-sustaining. Sarah made to attach the vial to the IV line, her movements practiced and fluid. But then, her hand paused, almost imperceptibly. Her eyes flickered towards the doorway, then back to Luna, her smile still in place, but a shadow crossing her features. Instead of connecting the vial, Sarah subtly, smoothly, diverted it. Her left hand, shielded by the drip bag, slipped the vial into the pocket of her scrubs. With her right hand, she adjusted the drip rate on a *different* bag, one already connected, and made a show of checking the empty IV port where the vial should have gone. “All good here,” Sarah said, her voice a little too bright. “I’ve just finished the dosage. He should sleep soundly through the night.” Luna’s blood ran cold. She saw it. The quick, practiced sleight of hand. The intercepted vial. The sudden, chilling realization hit her like a physical blow. This wasn't just data manipulation. This was active, immediate sabotage. Leo wasn't just hanging by a thread; someone was actively cutting it. Her uncle was trying to kill Leo.

Chapter 29: Shadows in the Hospital Ward