The afternoon sun beat down gently as Maya stepped out of her car, adjusting her sunglasses and straightening her blouse. Her heels clicked against the hospital pavement as she made her way toward the wide glass doors of Pine Medical Center.
People moved in and out....nurses pushing patients in wheelchairs, visitors walking with flowers in hand...but Maya barely noticed them. Her mind was sharp, her goal clear.
Today wasn’t a visit for health. It was a visit for business. Dark business.
The moment she stepped inside, cool air and the smell of antiseptic greeted her. The reception area was calm and quiet. A few people sat waiting, flipping through magazines or staring at their phones. The walls were white, and a soft instrumental tune played from a small speaker in the ceiling.
The youn
