Billionaire Returns Home Early; Maid Whispers ‘Be Quiet’ – The Shocking Reason
A Trusted Professional
Raphael sat in the back room on a small couch. His fever had eased but his body still felt weak.
Cynthia stood near the door listening. Pastor James opened a first aid box and checked Raphael’s eyes with a small light.
“You need a doctor,”
Pastor James said.
“Not a hospital,”
Raphael replied.
“If Lauren paid Captain Miles, a hospital is not safe.”
Pastor James nodded.
“Then we use someone we trust,”
he said.
He made one call, short and quiet. When he ended it, he looked at Cynthia.
“Nurse Kayla is coming,”
he said.
“She works at a clinic. She won’t talk.”
The Threat Returns
Cynthia glanced at the powder on the table.
“We also need proof from the house,”
she said.
“Words won’t save you.”
Raphael stared at the bag.
“Lauren will act like I’m confused,”
he said.
“She will blame Cynthia.”
Pastor James leaned forward.
“Then we give the world something they cannot deny,”
he said.
A heavy knock hit the front door of the church. Another knock came slower.
A man’s voice followed.
“Pastor James, it’s Captain Miles.”
Standing Ground
Raphael felt his mouth go dry. Cynthia’s hand moved toward the back exit but Pastor James raised his palm.
“Stay,”
he whispered.
“If you run he knows.”
Pastor James walked to the front and opened the door.
“Captain,”
he said.
“Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,”
Captain Miles answered but his tone was hard.
“I need to look inside.”
“Why?”
Pastor James asked.
“A woman called,”
Captain Miles said.
“She said a suspicious man is hiding here. A missing husband.”
No Warrant, No Search
Pastor James stood still.
“This is a church,”
he said.
“Do you have a warrant?”
Captain Miles gave a tight smile.
“Pastor, don’t make this hard,”
he said.
“His wife is scared. He needs help.”
Pastor James spoke slow.
“A scared wife is not a warrant,”
he said.
“If you want to search, bring papers.”
Silence hung between them. Captain Miles leaned closer.
“If you are hiding him you are risking your life,”
he said.
Fishing for Information
Pastor James did not move.
“I know what risk looks like,”
he replied.
“Today it is on my steps.”
Captain Miles stared then backed away.
“This is not done,”
he said.
Pastor James locked the door and returned to the hall.
“He is fishing,”
he said.
“Lauren sent him.”
Raphael stepped out from behind the wall.
“So she already started a story,”
Raphael said.
Cynthia’s voice stayed low.
“She will say you ran off,”
she said.
“Anything that buys her time.”
Nurse Kayla’s Diagnosis
A soft knock came at the side door. Cynthia checked through the window.
A woman in blue scrubs stood there with a bag.
“Nurse Kayla,”
Cynthia whispered.
Pastor James let her in. Nurse Kayla was young with calm eyes and quick hands.
She checked Raphael’s pulse, his temperature, and his breathing.
“You were drugged,”
she said.
“Not once, but over time.”
Raphael swallowed.
“Can you prove it?”
he asked.
Testing the Blood
Nurse Kayla nodded.
“If I test blood,”
she said,
“and if I test that powder.”
She took a small sample from Raphael’s finger then she sealed a tiny amount of powder in a vial.
“I’ll take these to my clinic,”
she said.
“Quick tests. Not perfect but enough.”
“How long?”
Raphael asked.
“Two hours,”
she said.
“Stay here, don’t move.”
A Promise to Protect
When she left Cynthia sat for the first time. Her shoulders dropped.
Raphael looked at her.
“You saved me,”
he said.
Cynthia stared at the floor.
“I did what was right,”
she said.
Raphael’s voice cracked.
“I had guards, cameras, gates,”
he said.
“Yet I was dying at my table.”
Cynthia raised her eyes.
“If you live,”
she said,
“use your power to tell the truth. Protect the people you ignore.”
Raphael nodded.
“I will,”
he said.
“And I will protect you.”
