He stared at me for a long moment, searching my face for any sign of mercy.

I kept my expression completely blank.

Finally, he turned and walked toward the exit stairs.

The heavy steel door clanged shut behind him.

The sound vibrated through my bones.

I stood alone in the hallway for several minutes.

My heart was hammering against my ribs.

I took a deep breath, smelling the sharp scent of rubbing alcohol and old floor wax.

I needed to see the documents.

I pulled my phone from my pocket.

My fingers were shaking slightly as I unlocked the screen.

I opened my email.

There were three missed calls from Daniel.

Two text messages from Uncle Michael.

I ignored them all.

Instead, I typed in the web address for the primary medical school loan portal.

I tried to log in using my standard personal email, the one I had used for fifteen years.

The screen flashed red.

*Invalid username or password.*

I tried again, thinking of my old residency email.

*Account locked due to multiple failed login attempts.*

My stomach tightened.

Someone had already changed the access details.