Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Following that gaze, Wyatt spotted a frail figure curled up in the corner-clearly a woman. But she had tucked herself behind others, intentionally trying to remain hidden.
That alone was enough to make Wyatt’s heart sink.
He stormed into the transport, walked right up to the woman, and grabbed her by the arm. “Where is Yunice?”
If Yunice had really been in here, she would never have backed away from him. She hadn’t made it out.
Someone had dared to pull a switch-right under his nose.
Elsie trembled in his grip, too scared to speak.
Wyatt waited half a minute. Then he lost patience and ripped off her face shield.
Elsie’s terrified expression was instantly revealed to everyone around.
From outside the vehicle, Jordan’s voice rang out in alarm. “That’s not our person!” “Our contact is still inside!”
The supervisor paled in panic and quickly moved to block Jordan. He stammered, “We can’t go back in. Really, we can’t. This is beyond our jurisdiction now. If this gets out of hand, we’ll all be in for it.”
Jordan shouted, “You’re telling me you took a billion-dollar operation and handed us a fake?! You think Mr. Wyatt’s money grows on trees?!”
The supervisor stammered, “We can’t go back. And the money… it’s non-refundable…”
The chaos inside the hospital had already led to mix-ups. It didn’t matter now. There was no going back.
Wyatt clenched his jaw, holding tightly onto Elsie.
He knew Saunders Hospital would never allow another retrieval attempt. No second chances.
His voice was calm, but heavy with menace. “Did you steal her slot… or did she refuse to come?”
Elsie froze, caught off guard by the question. She quickly saw the opportunity and leaned into it. “Yunice refused to leave! She said disasters are the best chance to earn merit. If she survives, she’ll be hailed as a hero. It’d be a huge boost to her r?sum?…”
“Heh…” Wyatt let out a cold laugh, eyes so sharp they seemed to pierce right through her.
“And Owen?” he asked.
Elsie hesitated.
Wyatt pressed, “Is Owen still with her?”
There was no way Elsie pulled this off alone. Someone helped her deceive the doctors. It had to be him.
Elsie didn’t answer. That was enough.
The siblings had worked together. They’d conned Yunice-and him.
Wyatt released her, stepping back. “You wanted out. You wanted to live. Let’s see if the outside world feels like paradise to you now.”
Elsie didn’t understand his meaning, but the look on his face scared her. It was the kind of look that said someone was about to pay.
Her legs were weak as she watched Wyatt leave the vehicle.
She followed quickly-she was free now. She’d made it out of Saunders Hospital.
But reality was nothing like what she’d imagined.
She was immediately seized by two doctors in full gear and forced back into the vehicle. The doors slammed shut behind her, and the heavy steel sealed her off once more.
She felt the vehicle lurch forward.
Panic surged through her.
She screamed and pounded on the walls. “Where are you taking me?! You said once I was out, I’d be free! You can’t keep me like this!”
“Let me out! I want to get off!”
The doctors were clearly fed up. One of them shoved her roughly back into her seat. “Did you really think walking out meant everything goes back to normal?”
“Anyone who’s been inside Saunders Hospital gets quarantined and tested. You better pray you’re clean-otherwise, being out here won’t make a damn bit of difference.”
Elsie slumped into her seat, drenched in cold sweat.
She’d fought her way out-only to discover she wasn’t free at all. Worse, she’d gone from having Owen’s protection to being completely alone.
As the medical truck rolled away, Wyatt seethed with rage. Hands on his hips, he kicked the vehicle’s tire.
“Damn it! They couldn’t even get this one thing right!”
Saunders Hospital was sealed off for good. There was no going back in.
Wyatt raked a hand through his hair and snapped at Jordan, “Bring me the supervisor. Now.”
The man arrived with a miserable expression, immediately launching into excuses-everything boiled down to one line: We can’t bend the rules.
Wyatt said coldly, “Fine. Let’s compromise. I won’t ask for anyone else-but I want to send in a two-way radio.”
A radio was the only device that could transmit signals inside the communication blackout zone.
The supervisor hesitated. “The higher-ups ordered total lockdown. Mr. Wyatt, that goes against protocol…”
Wyatt raised a hand. “Jordan. Get our lawyer. Have him draft a confidentiality agreement.”
The man’s face twisted in panic. He looked like he was ready to drop to his knees. “It’s not possible! Mr. Wyatt, you’re rich and powerful, but even you can’t pay the price for this!”
Wyatt’s brow creased, his patience running dry. His voice dropped. “Remember-you’ve got a wife and kids too.”
The shift in the supervisor’s face was instant-bitter, tense, stricken. He got the message loud and clear.
Ever since Wyatt’s company had gone public, he’d started cultivating a cleaner image-respectable, philanthropic, CEO material.
But no one should forget how he built his empire. When pushed, there was nothing he wouldn’t do. And the Cooper family’s PR and legal teams could sweep away whatever mess he left behind.
Wyatt took a drag from his cigarette, the red ember shrinking-like a progress bar, counting down his remaining patience.
The supervisor was sweating bullets. In the end, he couldn’t take the pressure. He muttered, “Fine.”
Wyatt bit down on the cigarette, the paper tearing between his teeth. No one saw the breath of relief he let out.
Yunice stirred.
Her fingers twitched as the effects of the sedative faded. Slowly, sensation returned to her limbs.
The office door remained locked from the outside.
Owen stood at the window, using his phone’s zoom like Yunice had earlier. He was trying to check on Elsie’s condition.
All he saw was the truck leaving-and Wyatt climbing aboard to inspect it-before it rolled away. Beyond that, he knew nothing.
He turned back to Yunice. Seeing her cold expression, he spoke gently. “You don’t have to be afraid. If Wyatt really cares about you, he’ll find another way to help you-even if you’re stuck in here.”
That was why he’d chosen to swap Yunice out.