Chapter 5 - The Doctor at the Gate
Roman refused to let Dr. Grant inside.
That decision alone told Naomi how deeply Elise's warning had changed him.
Ten minutes earlier, Roman probably would have trusted the man without hesitation.
Now the estate's northern gate remained locked while Dr. Grant sat inside a black Mercedes on the other side.
Jude's fever rose to 100.7.
Dr. Shah didn't waste time.
"We leave now."
Roman was already lifting the baby.
Victor said, "Hospital route isn't secure."
"I don't care."
"Roman—"
"I said I don't care."
Victor stopped.
Naomi had heard men fear Roman Vale all day.
But this was the first time she understood why.
He didn't shout.
He made decisions that erased arguments.
Yet Dr. Shah ignored the intimidation entirely.
"Good," she said. "Because your security concerns are currently less important than neonatal fever."
Roman stared at her.
Dr. Shah stared back.
Naomi almost liked her immediately.
Miles and Leo remained home with two nurses Dr. Shah trusted personally.
Naomi planned to remain with them.
Roman had other ideas.
"You're coming."
"No."
Roman looked at her.
"Naomi."
"One baby needs a hospital. Two babies still need to eat."
"I can send them."
Dr. Shah interrupted.
"Absolutely not."
Roman closed his eyes.
"Apparently nobody listens to me anymore."
Victor opened the nursery door.
"Welcome to fatherhood."
Naomi laughed before she could stop herself.
Roman looked at her.
For half a second, the tension eased.
Then Jude whimpered.
Roman's face changed immediately.
Naomi made her decision.
"I'll come."
Roman nodded.
They transferred Leo and Miles into a second secured vehicle so the babies could remain near Naomi.
The convoy left through the south entrance.
Dr. Grant was still at the north gate.
Victor called him.
Roman listened through the speaker.
"Roman, why aren't you letting me in?"
Roman's voice was calm.
"Why are you here?"
"I heard the boys were sick."
"From who?"
A pause.
"Your staff."
"Name."
"Roman—"
"Name."
Silence.
Naomi looked toward Victor.
He raised one eyebrow.
Grant finally said, "I don't remember."
Roman ended the call.
"That's comforting."
Dr. Shah checked Jude's temperature again.
"Focus on your son."
Roman immediately did.
They drove to a private children's facility outside Washington.
Victor had arranged a discreet entrance.
Naomi had expected money to create arrogance.
Instead, it created hallways.
Doors opened before Roman arrived.
Administrators appeared.
Security cleared floors.
Doctors waited.
Still, none of it changed the fact that Jude was six weeks old and had a fever.
He was admitted.
Blood drawn.
Urine collected.
IV started.
The first needle made Roman turn white.
Naomi noticed.
"You okay?"
"No."
"Good."
He looked at her.
"What?"
"Means you're normal somewhere."
He almost smiled.
Jude cried weakly during the procedure.
Roman held his hand.
"I'm here, son."
The words hit Naomi unexpectedly.
She looked away.
Micah's final hospital visit returned to her in fragments.
White walls.
Blue curtains.
A doctor sitting too close because people sat close when delivering devastating news.
Naomi couldn't breathe.
She stepped into the hallway.
Roman followed five minutes later.
"You disappeared."
"I needed air."
He studied her.
"You've done that twice today."
"It's been a bad day."
Roman leaned against the wall.
"Was Micah sick?"
Naomi shook her head.
"No."
"You don't have to tell me."
She closed her eyes.
"That's the problem."
"What?"
"Everyone says that."
Roman frowned.
"'You don't have to talk about it.' 'Take your time.' 'When you're ready.'"
She gave a broken laugh.
"Then nobody says his name because they're afraid I'll fall apart."
Roman said quietly, "Micah."
Naomi looked at him.
He repeated it.
"Micah."
Tears filled her eyes.
"Thank you."
Roman nodded.
"What happened?"
Naomi looked through the glass wall toward Jude.
"He went to sleep."
Roman waited.
"He didn't wake up."
Roman's eyes lowered.
"No warning?"
"No."
"How old?"
"Seven weeks."
Roman looked toward his son again.
"Same age."
"Almost."
That frightened him.
Naomi saw it immediately.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"
"No."
He rubbed his jaw.
"No. I need to hear things that scare me now."
She frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Roman leaned against the wall.
"For years, everyone around me was paid to remove fear."
"Security."
"Money. Lawyers. Influence."
He watched nurses moving beyond the glass.
"Fear makes you careful. Maybe I stopped being careful."
"About Elise?"
"About everything."
Before Naomi could respond, Victor approached.
"We have the drive."
Roman straightened.
"Where?"
"Secure vehicle."
"Any damage?"
"No."
"Copy it."
Victor hesitated.
"Already did."
Roman stared at him.
"What?"
Victor's expression became dry.
"You hired me because I think ahead."
Roman almost smiled.
"What's on it?"
"Encrypted."
"Can we break it?"
"We have people working on it."
Naomi looked between them.
"Maybe the password is something Elise knew."
Roman nodded.
"What?"
"Anniversary?"
"Tried."
"Babies' birthdays?"
"Tried."
"Her birthday?"
"Tried."
Naomi thought.
"Normal breakfast."
Roman went still.
Victor looked confused.
"What?"
Roman looked at Naomi.
"Try it."
Victor typed into his phone.
A minute later, his eyes widened.
"You're kidding."
Roman stepped closer.
"Worked?"
"NormalBreakfast."
Naomi smiled sadly.
"She told you what mattered."
Victor opened a secure tablet.
The drive contained folders.
Photographs.
Bank records.
Audio.
Emails.
Enough material to make Victor swear softly.
Roman stared.
"What is it?"
Victor looked at him.
"Proof."
"Of what?"
"Kincaid's network."
Roman took the tablet.
Shell companies.
Shipping routes.
Payments.
Names.
Judges.
Police officers.
Customs officials.
Business executives.
Naomi felt sick.
Elise had collected everything.
Then Victor opened the final folder.
It was labeled:
IF I DIE
Roman stopped breathing.
Inside was one video file.
Victor asked, "Play it?"
Roman couldn't answer.
Naomi touched his arm.
"Maybe privately."
He looked at her.
Then nodded.
They entered an empty consultation room.
Victor shut the door.
Roman pressed play.
Elise appeared on screen.
Alive.
Her hair tied back.
No glamour.
No gala dress.
She looked tired.
Scared.
And beautiful.
Roman made a sound Naomi would never forget.
Not a sob.
Almost.
Elise began speaking.
"Roman, if you're watching this, then either I finally got brave enough to show you, or I didn't get the chance."
Roman covered his mouth.
Naomi looked away but stayed beside him.
"I found records in Vale Maritime. Kincaid has been using routes Victor doesn't know about."
Victor's head snapped up.
Elise continued.
"I don't think Victor is involved."
Everyone stared at him.
Victor slowly exhaled.
Naomi felt relief.
But Elise wasn't finished.
"Someone close to you is."
Roman leaned toward the screen.
"I followed payments through three companies. The authorization codes belong to someone with medical access, security clearance, and board credentials."
Dr. Grant.
Naomi knew before Elise said it.
"Elias Grant."
Roman closed his eyes.
Elise continued.
"I don't know why. I don't know how deep it goes. I only know he discovered I was looking."
Victor swore.
"He threatened me without making it sound like a threat."
Elise looked directly into the camera.
"And Roman, I'm afraid he knows I'm planning to leave with the boys until you shut Kincaid out."
Roman whispered, "Elise..."
"If something happens to me, don't start a war."
Roman looked almost angry at the screen.
Elise smiled sadly, as if she knew exactly what his reaction would be.
"I mean it. Don't become the worst version of yourself because somebody took me from you."
Tears slid down Roman's face.
"Protect our sons."
She paused.
"And choose the life we talked about."
The video ended.
No one spoke.
Roman stared at the black screen.
Naomi quietly stepped toward the door.
He caught her hand.
Not hard.
Just enough to stop her.
"Stay."
Naomi stayed.
Victor looked away.
Roman bowed his head.
For two full minutes, the most feared man Naomi had ever met cried silently.
She didn't tell him to be strong.
She didn't say Elise was in a better place.
She didn't tell him grief would become easier.
She knew better.
Instead, Naomi sat beside him.
Eventually Roman lifted his head.
"I failed her."
Naomi answered carefully.
"She didn't say that."
"I knew Kincaid was dirty."
"She knew that too."
"I should have walked away."
"Probably."
He looked at her, surprised.
Naomi continued.
"But guilt isn't the same thing as responsibility for someone else's murder."
Roman stared at the screen.
"Elias killed her."
"We don't know that yet."
"He helped."
"Maybe."
Roman's jaw tightened.
"I want him."
Naomi understood exactly what he meant.
"No."
Roman turned toward her.
"You don't get a vote."
"Elise gave me one."
His eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"She put evidence in my book."
Roman stared.
Naomi leaned closer.
"She literally said, 'Don't start a war.'"
"He murdered my wife."
"And she knew what you'd want to do."
Roman stood.
"So I'm supposed to forgive him?"
"No."
"What then?"
"Expose him."
Roman laughed bitterly.
"You think men like Grant go to prison because someone sends an email?"
"No. I think men like Grant expect men like you to react violently."
Roman's expression changed.
Naomi continued.
"If you kill him, the evidence becomes a mob dispute. If he killed Elise, that's probably exactly what he expects."
Victor slowly nodded.
"She's right."
Roman stared at him.
"You've become very comfortable agreeing with her."
"Because she keeps being right."
Roman looked toward the hospital window.
Jude slept in the next room.
His tiny chest rose beneath a monitor wire.
Roman's anger changed shape.
Not gone.
Focused.
"What do you suggest?"
Victor answered.
"Federal contact."
Roman laughed once.
"You want me to walk into the Justice Department?"
"I want someone Kincaid hasn't purchased."
Naomi added, "Elise collected evidence because she wanted truth, not revenge."
Roman stared at his wife frozen on the paused screen.
Finally he nodded.
"Find someone."
Victor left.
Roman remained with Naomi.
Half an hour later, Dr. Shah entered.
"The good news is Jude's fever appears viral. Initial bacterial markers are negative. We're keeping him overnight."
Roman exhaled.
"Can I stay?"
Dr. Shah looked amused.
"He's your son."
Roman seemed to have forgotten that ordinary fathers didn't need permission.
Naomi stood.
"I should go back to Leo and Miles."
Roman nodded.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Victor, standing near the door, immediately said, "Don't."
Roman answered anyway.
"Vale."
A familiar voice came through loud enough for Naomi to hear.
Dr. Grant.
"Roman, we need to talk."
Roman's face became stone.
"No."
"I know what Elise left."
Roman looked toward Naomi.
Grant continued.
"And if you open the wrong file, you will learn something about your wife you may wish had stayed buried."
Roman's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Grant laughed softly.
"Ask Naomi why Elise chose her."
Naomi froze.
Roman stared at her.
Grant continued.
"She wasn't random."
The line disconnected.
Naomi felt the room tilt.
Roman slowly lowered the phone.
"You said you met Elise once."
"I did."
"Then why would Grant say she chose you?"
"I don't know."
Roman studied her face.
Naomi's heart raced.
Because deep inside, beneath grief and fear, a memory was returning.
Something Elise had said at the community center.
Something Naomi had dismissed at the time.
Elise had looked at Micah.
Then at Naomi.
And whispered:
"If I ever need someone brave, I hope she's like you."
At the time, Naomi had thought it was simply kindness.
Now she wasn't sure it had been kindness at all.
Maybe Elise Vale had been preparing for the possibility that one day her sons would need someone Roman's enemies would never think to watch.
May you like
And somehow she had chosen Naomi long before the Acela train ever left Newark.
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