They rushed to the shelf and found it slightly ajar—revealing a hidden passage. Vanessa’s breath caught as they crept down the narrow corridor. At the end stood a cold metal door, humming faintly. Inside, Leo lay strapped in a crib, frightened, while Dr. Henderson prepared a tray of tools.
Vanessa lunged forward. “What are you doing?!” she shouted. The doctor turned, startled, but his expression quickly hardened. “Leo’s rare skin condition makes him valuable. You wouldn’t understand.” He moved to block her path—but didn’t see Samantha pulling out her phone to call the police.