The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 211

Rhys watched Noah's calm demeanor, and the suspicion in his heart solidified into cold, hard fact.

An indescribable bitterness surged within him, lodging in his chest—too heavy to swallow, too sharp to ignore.

Clara had truly deceived him.

She would rather shoulder everything alone than let him know of this child's existence. In her plans for the future, the name "Rhys" simply did not exist.

"Where is Clara?" he asked, his voice strained.

Noah smiled faintly. "Since the divorce papers have already been signed, isn't inquiring about your ex-wife's whereabouts a bit... crossing the line?"

Crossing the line.

Those words struck a nerve. In the past, it was always Clara who feared crossing boundaries—afraid of disturbing his work, afraid of making him unhappy. Now, the tables had turned. He was the one pacing outside the perimeter, barred from entry.

"Noah, falsifying medical records and tampering with hospital data... as a doctor, you should know better than I do that this isn't just an ethical issue. Give me the report, and I won't report you."

Noah raised his eyes calmly. "Evidence?"

Rhys's expression was icy. "I can apply for a warrant to pull the surveillance footage, blood samples, and system logs from that day."

"Go ahead and try."

Noah looked unbothered. "Emergency room waste is cleared three times a day. Blood samples are only retained for seven days. As for surveillance and logs... unfortunately, the hospital system underwent a major upgrade recently. Old data was overwritten and purged. If you can recover it, be my guest."

Since he had dared to help Clara orchestrate this, he hadn't left any loose ends.

He looked at Rhys and chuckled. "Without evidence, even the police can't make accusations. Besides... you're missing the point."

Noah stood up, walked around his desk, and stopped in front of Rhys.

"This isn't some conspiracy. This was Clara's choice."

His voice dropped, turning cold. "She would rather say the child was lost—she would rather her child be born into a single-parent home. Have you asked yourself why?"

Rhys knew why.

It was hate. It was resentment. It was the culmination of profound disappointment.

"I know she hates me," Rhys said in a low voice. "I will make it up to her."

Noah shook his head. "It's not just hate. She's afraid of you."

Rhys frowned. "That makes no sense."

"It makes perfect sense."

If he actually did that, Clara would never look at him again.

Rhys lowered his gaze, speechless. Noah watched the defeat settle over the other man's features and adjusted his glasses.

"Captain Huntington, there are many sick children waiting outside. Please don't waste everyone's time."

Rhys clenched his fists, tasting the bitterness of being an outsider for the first time.

Just as he turned to leave, the man behind him spoke again. "If I were you, next time I walked in here, I'd turn on my body cam. Otherwise, I'll deny every word I just said."

Rhys paused, didn't respond, and pulled open the clinic door, leaving under the surprised gazes of the waiting parents.

Once outside, he sat in his car for a long time.

Watching the hospital entrance, his mind was a chaotic mess. Should he go find her? She had gone to such lengths to hide from him; would she even want to see him?

After a moment, he turned the steering wheel and headed toward Oakridge Avenue.

Even if Clara wouldn't listen to him, she would listen to her parents.

Her parents were traditional people. If they knew she was pregnant, surely they would persuade her for the sake of the child.