The Trillionaire Takeover

Chapter 28: Barry’s move

Lawton awoke with a shock, the remnants of his nightmares hanging on him like cobwebs. For a brief while, he forgot where he was, and then the weight of the previous day's events returned. He glanced at the clock; it was early, but his thoughts were already racing. His wife, Amanda, had begged that he eat something before going to the hospital, and he couldn't resist her worried pleadings. She hovered about him, fear on every line of her face, but he reassured her before returning to his mother's side.

When Lawton arrived at the hospital, he felt a surge of anxiety. The hospital was alive with activity, in stark contrast to the empty streets he had traversed the night before. Security was tight, as Smithson had stated. He walked by many guards, their eyes bright and attentive, on his approach to his mother's ward.

When he walked in, his mother was awake, and her eyes lit up as she saw him. She extended a thin hand, and he gently accepted it, feeling a rush of love and guilt.

"Hi, Mom,