Dangerous Affection

Beneath Rosemoor

(LILA'S POV)

The walls of the tunnel seemed to close in on us, the darkness pressing against my chest like an unseen weight. The only sound was the faint hum of the flashlight, its weak beam cutting through the endless blackness ahead of us. We were moving cautiously now, quieter than before. The sense of urgency had kicked in, but with it came a creeping unease, one I couldn't shake, no matter how hard I tried.

Quinn was still beside me, his presence a constant reminder of how tangled this situation had become. I couldn't help but notice how close we were now, the distance between us shrinking with every step. But it wasn't just the proximity that made my heart race—it was the unsaid things that hung between us. The things Quinn wasn't telling me. The things I couldn't ignore anymore.

I glanced over at him, trying to make sense of it all. He was focused, his brow furrowed as he led the way, but his movements were just a little too stiff, his eyes just a little too guarded.

I wasn't dumb. I knew he was hiding something. And maybe, just maybe, I didn't want to know what it was. But it wasn't just Quinn that had me questioning everything. There was something else, something much bigger.

Why my hospital?

Clint had made it clear he wanted revenge, revenge on Quinn, revenge on the medical field, but why did it have to be at St. Mary's? Of all the hospitals in the world, why mine? Why not somewhere else? I couldn't stop asking myself that, and every time the question circled in my mind, it gnawed at me.

Was it personal? Did Clint have a reason for targeting St. Mary's? A reason that ran deeper than just his hatred for Quinn?

"How does he even get away with this?" I muttered aloud, the question escaping before I could stop it.

Quinn slowed, casting a glance back at me, his face shadowed in the dim light. His eyes were intense, but there was a hint of something else behind them—something that felt like he wasn't telling me everything. Maybe he wasn't ready to open up. Or maybe he didn't trust me enough. Either way, the weight of his silence felt heavier now.

"He has money," Quinn said quietly, his voice thick with bitterness. "A lot of it. And people, people who don't want to lose it."

I didn't need to ask who those people were. Greed had its claws in every corner of this hospital. But I had to know more. "But how? How does he control the entire system?"

"Money talks," Quinn answered, his words tinged with disgust. "He's pulled strings in every corner. Hospitals need funding, the right equipment, the best doctors. And he controls all of that. It's easy when everyone's afraid of losing what they've got."

I frowned. It made sense, but it didn't feel like the whole picture. "But the nurses... They can keep secrets, but not forever. Why hasn't someone blown the whistle? Why hasn't anyone stopped him before now?"

Quinn didn't answer right away. He paused, looking over his shoulder as if expecting someone to appear from the shadows. "Because they're all in too deep," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Clint's smart. He doesn't leave any trace. He's been doing this for years, manipulating things behind the scenes. And the hospital's dirty little secrets? Well, they're worth a lot more than most people's integrity."

I shivered at his words. We were talking about the heart of my world here, my home, my career. And yet, under the surface, it had become a breeding ground for corruption. The thought made me sick to my stomach.

But even with Quinn's explanation, something didn't add up. Why St. Mary's? There had to be more to it than just money. And Quinn, he knew more than he was saying. I could feel it. But every time I tried to push, he shut me down.

We continued down the tunnel, the soft drip of water echoing off the stone walls. My flashlight flickered once, then twice, before the beam wavered and went out completely. Panic surged through me as I fumbled with the batteries, but Quinn was there before I could even curse under my breath.

His hand gently brushed mine as he fixed the flashlight, his touch almost too soft. I didn't say anything, but the proximity, his presence, brought that gnawing feeling back, the one I'd been trying to push away.

"You okay?" Quinn's voice was low, almost tender, as his eyes scanned the pitch-black tunnel ahead of us.

I nodded quickly, not trusting myself to speak. "I'm fine."

But I wasn't fine. Not really.

In that moment, standing in the dark, I felt like I was on the edge of something, something big. And whether I was ready for it or not, I could feel the walls around me breaking down. The mystery of Clint, the betrayal I was uncovering, and whatever Quinn was hiding, it was all coming to a head, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could stay in the dark about it.

As we pushed forward, I caught a glimpse of movement ahead. The faintest shadow passed by, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Security," Quinn muttered, his voice tight with tension. "He's not stupid. Clint's got eyes everywhere."

I swallowed hard, the weight of our situation crashing down on me. "What now?"

Quinn looked at me, his expression unreadable, but the determination in his eyes told me everything. "We keep moving. We find what we came here for."

I nodded, steeling myself. Whatever Clint had planned for us, we'd face it together. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized one thing: Clint wasn't just after revenge. He wanted control. And somehow, St. Mary's was at the center of it all. But why?

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