Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Emma sat frozen, the phone still in her trembling hand. Alex's concern deepened as he knelt in front of her, his voice low and urgent.

"What did he say, Emma?" he asked, his hands hovering near hers as if afraid to startle her.

Emma swallowed hard, her throat dry. She couldn't look at him. If she did, she might break. "He wants me to drop the case," she whispered, her voice shaky. "And… leave you."

Alex's jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck tightening. "What else?"

"He threatened my mother," Emma said, barely getting the words out. Her voice cracked as she added, "He said… accidents happen in hospitals."

The silence that followed was suffocating, broken only by Alex's sharp intake of breath. His hand shot out, gripping her phone tightly, as if he could will the threat away through sheer force.

"This ends now," Alex said, his voice low but fierce. "He's gone too far."