Chapter 34: The Shift Beneath Still Waters

Charles and Vivienne returned from their trip just before sunset, stepping into the private wing with the kind of quiet urgency that meant business. Their presence brought with it a wave of fresh energy—one that rippled through every member of the team. While they’d been away, Zach had been busy. Hand-picking security personnel, he’d quietly implemented a watchful presence across the hospital: guards stationed discreetly as nurses, orderlies, and even a few supposed “patients” in adjacent rooms. Nothing intrusive—just a silent net of protection, designed to ensure that what happened with Amelia’s unexpected arrival wouldn’t happen again. Isabel had taken the lead in looping in Brian and Anthony—carefully briefing them on their new “roles” and what identities to lean into if they ever cro