"Something is happening to Aileen."
Alina concluded with a serious tone.
"Someone in this hospital wants her dead."
She was still thinking about the mysterious message she had received. The sender was unknown, the source untraceable. But one thing was certain - this was no coincidence.
A few hours later. Alina was sitting in the cafeteria, quietly enjoying her breakfast. Until suddenly - "Emergency! Make way! The patient is critically injured!"
A nurse rushed down the hall, pushing a wheeled gurney toward the emergency room. The atmosphere became chaotic.
Alina glanced over. But as the injured patient passed her, something made her heart skip a beat. The old man on the stretcher was clutching the hand of a nurse. His lips moved, his voice faint, barely audible.
"Aileen... you're in danger..."
"They want to kill you..."
Alina froze. "Who is this man? How does he know about Aileen, and more importantly... who are they?"
Emergency room. Alina stood in the corner of the room and watched the old man now lying on a hospital bed, breathing through a respirator. The bullet wound on his body was severe, but he was still alive - for now.
"He knows Aileen." She muttered under her breath. "He knows something."
But before she could act, someone entered the room. Dr. Richard Calloway. The senior physician came in with a serious expression on his face.
"His condition is critical. We must stabilize him immediately."
Alina studied him closely. Something felt wrong. His words sounded like those of a concerned doctor... but his eyes? There was no worry. No urgency. Only certainty. As if he already knew that this patient wasn't going to make it.
The nurses went to work, but one thing stood out to Alina. Dr. Calloway didn't do anything. As chief resident, he should be assisting in the emergency procedure. But he just stood there, watching in silence. And when the heart monitor started to flatline... instead of panicking, his expression looked almost satisfied.
"He wants this man dead."
Alina's old instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, she walked over to the nurse who was holding a syringe filled with a sedative for the patient.
"Give it to me," she said and took the syringe.
The nurse hesitated. "But Doctor, you're still recovering..." "The patient's safety comes first," Alina cut her off.
The nurse obeyed. Alina pretended to give the patient the shot, but in a flash. She turned and jabbed the needle into Dr. Calloway's wrist.
"Argh!"
The man flinched, stepping back, his eyes burning with rage.
Alina smiled nonchalantly. "Oops. Wrong injection."
The room fell silent in confusion. Meanwhile, Dr. Calloway's balance wavered.
Alina leaned in close and whispered, "Relax, it's only a small dose. Just enough to make you dizzy for a few minutes."
She locked eyes with him. "Just enough time for me to save this patient's life - and find out what you're hiding."
Dr. Calloway clenched his jaw, fighting the effects of the drug, but his body refused to cooperate. He stumbled back, cursing under his breath. Meanwhile, Alina immediately took charge. With the help of another doctor, she successfully stabilized the patient.
As the heart monitor returned to a steady rhythm, she breathed a sigh of relief. Still alive.
But when she turned back to Dr. Calloway. He was gone.
"Damn it."
Her fists clenched. This wasn't just about Aileen anymore. It was bigger than she thought. And if there was one thing she knew, they wouldn't let her live if she dug any deeper.
A few hours later. Alina sat in her room and stared blankly at the wall. Too many questions. Too few answers. Dr. Calloway was suspicious. The old man knew something. And someone wanted Aileen dead.
If this were her old world, Alina Devereaux would have been strategizing, interrogating suspects, eliminating threats one by one. But she wasn't Alina Devereaux anymore. She was now Dr. Aileen Monroe. A surgeon. Someone who was supposed to be saving lives, not taking them.
"Damn it."
The thought haunted her. She opened her laptop and started searching for more information about the real Aileen Monroe.
It didn't take her long to find something interesting. Aileen Monroe was no ordinary doctor.
She was known to be relentless, incorruptible, and always in pursuit of the truth.
She had turned down lucrative offers from pharmaceutical companies and even investigated corruption within this very hospital.
And then... the "accident" happened.
Alina narrowed her eyes. "An accident? Or an attempted murder?"
Her blood ran cold. The criminal underworld and the medical world weren't so different.
Both were full of betrayal and conspiracy.
Her phone suddenly vibrated. Unknown number. Her heartbeat quickened.
She answered. "Hello?"
Silence.
Then a low, raspy voice spoke. "Stop digging... if you want to live."