As instructed, Sven acted the second the clock struck twelve. Sliding the door open carefully, he peeked his head out and looked left and right. Unlike usual, there wasn’t anyone around, as if everyone were giving him time to do what he had been tasked to do from the start.
This only showcased the power of the person—the man who had put him in this situation.
"Not important," Sven muttered, shaking his head to push away the sudden thoughts and fear that surged within him.
He carefully stepped out, closing the door quietly behind him. "Ward at the end of this floor," he reminded himself, turning right and walking toward it. When he reached the end room of the ward, he glanced from left to right again.
"Hah!" he huffed, mustering the courage to open the door carefully. Seeing that the ward was unoccupied, Sven stepped in.
The lights were off, but with the curtain drawn back, there was enough moonlight seeping in for him to see. He approached the bed where a plastic bag lay. Inside was a set of nurse’s scrubs, identical to the uniforms worn by the nurses who attended to him. His gaze shifted slowly to a face mask on the side, and he recalled the nurse from earlier.
"Haha," a shallow laugh escaped him as he grasped the plan. "This is perfect."
Looking back at the door, Sven quickly walked back to ensure no one was nearby. Satisfied, he tore open the plastic bag and changed into the scrubs. Once he was dressed, he took a moment to study the vial in his hand.
"I have to do this tonight," he whispered. "I have to. It’s either him or me... It’s Allen’s fault I even have to make this choice."
Blaming Allen for showing up that night was easier than facing the truth of how his life was spiraling out of control. With that thought, Sven felt a brief moment of calm—the first time he felt it since this ordeal began.
All he had to do was get it done and over with.
Sven didn’t waste any more time. He approached the door once again, checking the hallway before slipping on the mask and stepping out. He approached the nurse’s station, where the staff was preoccupied, and picked up some random charts, taking advantage of the distraction.
And with that, Sven made his way to the elevator leading to the floor above.
His breath hitched as the elevator door opened. He glanced outside, his body trembling. He told himself to step out, but his legs refused to obey. Just as the door started to close again, he shook himself out of it.
"Shit!" He ruffled his hair, letting it fall messily over his forehead. "I have to do this. Come on."
After taking another deep breath, Sven pressed the open button, and the door parted once more. Forcing himself to move, he dragged his feet out of the elevator. He froze briefly, swallowing nervously as he took in his surroundings.
Up ahead, bodyguards in uniform stood near the far end of the floor. The VVIP floor looked drastically different from the others—everything seemed luxurious and upscale. Bitterness welled up inside him.
’He’s here while I was stuck down there...’ he thought bitterly, the resentment fueling his resolve.
Taking deep breaths to steady himself, Sven approached two bodyguards stationed along the hallway, keeping his head slightly lowered to avoid drawing attention. His heart pounded faster the closer he got, but he sighed in relief when he passed them without issue.
Yet, those two weren’t the only guards in the area. When Sven reached the end of the hallway, he glanced up to see an intricately decorated sliding door flanked by another four guards.
’It’s okay,’ he told himself. ’Just act like the other nurses. It’s gonna be fine.’
Sven gulped, trying to steady his trembling hands as he approached the ornate sliding doors. He stopped in front of one of the guards, casting him a cautious look.
"I’ll just check the patient’s vitals," he said, his voice measured.
The guard stared at him, making Sven sweat profusely. After a moment, the guard looked over at his colleague, who then stepped forward. Sven’s heart stopped as the guard approached.
’Did they know who I am?’ he wondered, his mind going on an overdrive. ’Should I make a run for it now?’
But before he could act on his thoughts, he heard the bodyguard speak.
"We’ll need to check you first," the guard said. "Raise your arms."
"... Ah, yes, of course." Sven nodded automatically, gulping again.
He lifted his arms as the second guard patted him down, eyes flicking briefly to the syringe on the tray he carried. They wouldn’t ask him what that medicine was for, would they?
"He’s good to go," the guard said, stepping back.
Sven’s pulse raced, his hands gripping the tray as the guards stepped aside to let him pass. He barely felt the triumph as the sliding door opened, revealing a smaller space with yet more guards.
Keeping his head down, Sven glanced at the room in the corner of the space. He could feel every gaze on him, but he kept walking until he was standing before the door.
The guard by the door gave him a quick once-over before opening it. Sven lowered his head and stepped in, glancing back over his shoulder as the door clicked shut behind him.
"Ah... shit," he breathed, patting his chest. ’That was terrifying.’
Sven nearly sank to his knees from the nerve-racking experience to reach this part. But after a moment, he pulled himself together and shifted his gaze to the bed. He walked over slowly, stopping by the bedside.
’Allen...’ Sven stared down at him, then took out the syringe and vial and set the tray on the bedside table. Standing by the IV pole, he removed the cap from the syringe, glancing briefly at Allen.
"I’m sorry," he murmured, drawing the liquid from the vial into the syringe. "But you shouldn’t have been there—you shouldn’t have been so nosy. Now, I have no other choice. Goodbye... Allen."
With that, Sven inserted the syringe into the injection port and pushed all the contents through.
[Global Prime Logistics]
Atlas froze, his complexion paling as he stared wide-eyed at the screen. The footage was paused—after hours of reviewing it, he had finally found something. There, in the paused clip, was a familiar car parked right in front of the location where he had obtained the dashcam footage.
"Sven Bennet..." he breathed, his hand trembling with a mixture of anger and shock. "Now, you’ve really done it."
But before he could think further, he remembered Sven’s current situation. "Which hospital was he admitted to again?"
In an instant, his mind provided the answer: the same hospital where Allen was admitted.