Chapter 4 - The Betrayal Uncovered
Three days later, Leo was stable enough to be moved out of immediate crisis, though his long-term recovery required round-the-clock specialized care.
Clara was reviewing the morning lab reports at the nurses' station when a cold, clipped voice interrupted her.
"Nurse Hayes. My office. Now."
Dr. Halston stood at the end of the hallway, flanked by two corporate hospital attorneys and a security guard. His expression was venomous, twisted by humiliation and the desire for revenge.
Clara calmly set down her pen, stood up, and followed them into Halston’s private office.
"Sit down, Clara," Halston sneered, leaning against his polished mahogany desk. "Effective immediately, your employment with Chicago Memorial Hospital is terminated for gross professional insubordination, tampering with unprescribed medication adjustments, and hostile workplace conduct."
Clara crossed her legs, looking at him with utter disdain. "You're firing me because I saved a patient your incompetent protocols were actively killing?"
"You violated direct hospital hierarchy," one of the attorneys chimed in, pushing a termination agreement across the desk. "Sign the NDA, accept severance, and leave the premises within the hour. If you attempt to contact Mr. Moretti or interfere with his son's care, we will pursue legal action to strip your nursing license permanently."
Clara looked at the document, a cold, dangerous smile touching her lips. Before she could speak, the heavy oak door of the office burst open.
Dominic Moretti stepped into the room.
The temperature in the office dropped twenty degrees. Halston turned pale, stumbling backward against his desk.
"Mr. Moretti!" Halston stammered nervously. "We—we were just conducting an internal administrative review regarding Nurse Hayes's reckless—"
"Shut your mouth, Halston," Dominic whispered. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the lethal authority of a predator ready to strike.
Dominic walked straight past the trembling doctor, picking up the termination agreement, and slowly tearing it into four neat pieces before dropping them into the wastepaper basket.
"You fired the only competent medical professional in this entire corrupt facility," Dominic said, his dark eyes fixed on Halston with pure venom. "You and your board tried to cover up the fact that your initial medication error nearly killed my son three nights ago. My corporate legal team has already seized your internal server logs."
Halston’s knees buckled. "Mr. Moretti, please, we can discuss—"
May you like
"There is nothing to discuss," Dominic interrupted coldly. "Chicago Memorial Hospital is no longer receiving my family's foundation funding. Furthermore, my lawyers are filing criminal negligence charges against you and your entire administrative board by noon."
Dominic turned his back on the cowering doctor, gently taking Clara by the arm. "Come on, Clara. We're moving Leo to a private pediatric clinic. And you are coming with us as his exclusive, chief medical director."
