Part 2: The Woman Who Refused To Run
The room erupted into motion.
"Elias!" Damian barked.
His bodyguard rushed forward.
"Lock down this floor. Nobody leaves. Nobody enters."
The cleaning lady's head lolled against Damian's arm. Blood soaked the side of her faded scrub top.
She couldn't have been older than twenty-eight.
Thirty at most.
A nurse hurried inside, followed by two doctors.
"What happened?" one demanded.
Damian pointed toward the shattered syringe.
"Start by telling me why someone was trying to put that into my son's IV."
The doctor froze.
The syringe wasn't hospital-issued.
Everyone could see it.
For a second, nobody spoke.
Then the cleaning lady stirred.
"No..." she whispered.
Her eyes fluttered open.
"The man... gray jacket..."
Damian leaned closer.
"What man?"
"He came through the service elevator."
Her voice cracked.
"He said he was pharmacy staff. But he wasn't wearing a badge."
The room fell silent.
"I saw him changing the IV bag."
She swallowed painfully.
"When I asked what he was doing, he attacked me."
Damian's eyes darkened.
The doctors exchanged worried glances.
The woman continued.
"He knocked out the guard."
She pointed weakly toward the hallway.
"Then he tried to inject something into the IV."
"And you stopped him?"
Damian asked.
She gave a tiny nod.
"I hit him with my mop."
For the first time in years, Damian Costa found himself speechless.
This tiny woman had fought an armed attacker with a cleaning tool.
For his son.
A stranger's child.
The doctor carefully examined the syringe.
His face turned pale.
"Oh my God."
"What?" Damian growled.
The doctor looked up.
"This isn't medication."
The room went cold.
"What is it?" Damian demanded.
"Potassium concentrate."
The doctor's voice barely rose above a whisper.
"In that dosage... it could stop a child's heart."
Every person in the room froze.
Including Damian.
Someone had not tried to hurt Leo.
Someone had tried to murder him.
Slowly.
Quietly.
Inside a hospital.
Damian looked toward the sleeping boy in the bed.
The rage that entered his chest felt almost unbearable.
But then he looked back at the cleaning lady.
At the blood on her face.
At the bruises forming on her wrists.
And he saw something unexpected.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Only concern.
For Leo.
"What's your name?" he asked.
She blinked.
"Emma."
"Emma what?"
"Emma Brooks."
Damian nodded.
"Emma Brooks."
His voice became strangely gentle.
"You saved my son's life."
Tears filled her eyes.
"I just couldn't let anything happen to him."
For the first time that night, Damian smiled.
A small one.
But real.
Neither of them noticed little Leo opening his eyes.
"Daddy?"
Damian spun instantly.
Leo's tiny hand reached out.
"Daddy..."
May you like
The strongest man in New York dropped to his knees beside the bed.
And forgot the rest of the world.
