These words were the last blow. Malcolm's pain worsened, the pressure in his chest unbearable as he struggled to breathe. His hand clenched over his heart.
With the last bit of strength he had left, he rasped, "Call Theodore." The words barely escaped his lips before his body gave out, collapsing to the floor with a heavy thud.
Claudia's eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction as she watched him writhing in agony on the floor. She made no move to help, simply watching the scene unfold with a twisted sense of control.
A slow, calculated smile crept across her face as she murmured, "I truly want you dead, but I can't let you die just yet. You're the key to keeping Theodore in line."
She called the hospital.
"Hello, I am calling from the Reid mansion. My father-in-law has had a heart attack. We need an ambulance immediately."
The ambulance arrived swiftly. Paramedics rushed in and whisked Malcolm away to the hospital.
