ordered laboratory tests for insulin, C-peptide, sedatives, and other toxins.

The doors opened behind her.

Adrian Vale entered with hospital security, two attorneys, and a police officer.

He wore an immaculate navy suit beneath his white coat.

His silver hair was perfectly arranged.

Nothing in his appearance suggested he had spent the early morning directing an unconscious woman toward a loading dock.

“Sofia Reyes,” he said loudly enough for the entire corridor to hear.

“Step away from the patient.”

Every face turned toward her.

Vale pointed at Mateo.

“This woman accepted money from a suspected criminal, removed a patient from hospital supervision, and administered medication without authorization.”

“That is false,” Sofia said.

“Security footage shows you entering Exam Room 4 with Mr.

Luján, who was never registered as a patient.

Cash was later discovered in your possession.”

Mateo moved forward, but Sofia raised one hand.

Restraint was the only power Vale had not prepared for.

“I did not remove Elena from this hospital,” Sofia said.

“I found her unconscious in a vehicle after she had already been taken.

The money is sealed, photographed, and available as evidence.

I reported every action to 911 before arriving here.”

Vale’s confidence flickered.

Only for an instant.

He recovered and faced the officer.

“You should arrest her before she contaminates anything else.”

Priya stepped between Sofia and the stretcher.

“Elena’s glucose was twenty-eight.

Her current laboratory results are consistent with an external insulin injection.

She has no documented history of diabetes.”

Vale opened a tablet and displayed Elena’s chart.

“That is incorrect.

Her record clearly lists insulin-dependent diabetes.”

Sofia studied the screen.

The diagnosis was there.

So was an insulin prescription supposedly entered six months earlier.

But the medication list used a brand name that had been removed from the hospital formulary eight months before that date.

Sofia pointed at it.

“That prescription could not have been entered six months ago.

We stopped carrying that product fourteen months ago, and the electronic order set was disabled eight months ago.”

Priya looked closer.

“She’s right.”

Vale locked the screen.

“A clerical irregularity does not excuse misconduct.”

“Then show us the audit history,” Sofia said.

The hospital attorney interrupted.

“Internal system data is confidential.”

“Not after an attempted murder,” said a new voice.

A woman in a charcoal suit walked through the doors accompanied by two detectives.

She introduced herself as Camille Brooks, an attorney representing Elena Luján and the compliance firm where Elena worked.

“Elena was retained by St.

Catherine’s board three months ago to review irregularities in a cardiac-drug program,” Camille said.

“She discovered that adverse reactions were being removed from patient files before reports were sent to regulators.”

Vale laughed once, but there was no humor in it.

“This is an absurd conspiracy theory.”

Camille held up a sealed folder.

“Elena sent copies of her findings to my office at 1:42 this morning.

She included billing records, altered consent forms, internal emails, and a list of eleven patients whose complications were concealed.”

The corridor went silent.

Sofia watched Vale’s right hand curl into a fist.

He had expected Elena to die before the files reached anyone else.

One detective asked to see Mateo’s video.

Mateo handed over the phone without argument.

The detective watched the corridor footage twice.

Vale’s face remained composed until