At the hospital…
Gideon slipped the phone back into his pocket and walked toward Ashton. "Dr. Smith—"
"The autopsy report is ready," Ashton cut in before Gideon could ask. He handed him a file. "Her stress hormone levels were off the charts. Enough to trigger a heart attack in a healthy adult. But she was already battling blood cancer. Her body couldn't withstand it."
Gideon opened the file, scanning the report.
"My initial assumption was wrong," Ashton continued, his voice growing grave. "This wasn't just a nightmare. Someone may have pushed her to the edge."
Suspicion sharpened his gaze. "Someone said something to her—something that caused extreme anxiety, that terrified her."
Gideon's thoughts spiraled into chaos. He couldn't comprehend who could harbor such cruelty toward the girl, who would deliberately provoke her into such fear.
