The clinic was quiet that afternoon, with only a handful of patients trickling in. It was the kind of calm that usually helped me focus, but today, it only amplified the pounding of my heart.
I couldn’t afford any mistakes. I had to be careful.
After finishing the small tasks Dr. Foster had assigned me, I waited until the hallway was empty before slipping into the records room. My hands were already trembling as I closed the door softly behind me, the faint hum of fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow over the shelves.
The physical files were neatly organized, each labeled with a patient’s name. I knew exactly where Vanessa’s file had been the last time I saw it. It was just a matter of finding it again.
But when I reached for the section labeled “Stone, Vanessa,” my heart sank.
The folder wasn’t there.
I stared at the empty space, my pulse quickening. I flipped through the surrounding files, hoping it had been misplaced, but it was no use. Vanessa’s file was gone.
“What the hell?” I whispered, panic tightening my chest.
I checked the rest of the shelf, frantically flipping through folders that had nothing to do with her. I even checked under the shelf, half-convinced the file had fallen somehow. But it wasn’t there.
I tried to steady my breathing, but the rising panic wouldn’t let me. This was supposed to be my proof. The key to exposing Vanessa’s lies. And now, it was gone.
The thought crossed my mind to try the online database instead. It was more secure, which meant more risk for me, but at this point, I didn’t care.
I sat down at one of the nearby workstations, typing in my login credentials. The system granted me access to the basic interface, but when I searched for Vanessa’s record, a password block popped up.
“Of course,” I muttered bitterly.
I wasn’t a formal employee, just an assistant-in-training. My access was limited to scheduling and basic patient check-ins. Anything beyond that was locked behind layers of security I didn’t have the authority to bypass.
I stared at the screen, my mind racing. How could the file just disappear? It had been there. I’d seen it with my own eyes. Who would take it?
And then I heard footsteps.
The sound was faint at first, just a soft echo down the hallway. But it grew louder, closer, until I realized whoever it was was heading straight for the records room.
My heart leapt into my throat. I was already somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be, and I didn’t have a good excuse for why I was here.
I turned off the workstation quickly, stepping away from the desk just as the door opened.
“Emma?”