Chapter 4 - The Waking Nightmare
Inside the quiet room of the Surgical ICU, the steady beep... beep... beep of the heart monitor was the only sound.
Emma opened her eyes slowly. The bright fluorescent light hurt her pupils. She felt heavy, her body aching with a deep, throbbing soreness, but the agonizing pressure in her lower abdomen was gone.
Beside her bed sat Sarah, her best friend, holding her hand, and Marcus, who was quietly reviewing her medical charts.
"Emma?" Sarah whispered, her face lighting up with tears. "Oh sweetie, you're awake!"
"Sarah..." Emma’s voice was a rough rasp. "Ethan... where is... where is my baby?"
"He's safe, Emma," Marcus said gently, leaning over and placing a warm hand on her arm. "He's in the pediatric step-down unit on the fourth floor. He's feeding well, his vitals are stable, and the doctors say he's going to be completely fine. I made sure of it."
Emma looked at Marcus, memory slowly rushing back to her—the cold floor, the blood, the video of Ryan laughing on the balcony.
"You saved us," Emma whimpered, tears spilling over her pale cheeks. "How did you...?"
"I saw his post," Marcus said, his jaw tightening. "I knew what kind of selfish bastard my brother was becoming, but I never imagined he’d go this far. I drove like hell to get to you. I'm so sorry I didn't get there sooner."
"Where is he?" Emma asked, her voice suddenly turning cold, all sweetness vanishing as she thought of Ryan.
"In a county jail cell," Sarah interjected angrily. "The police picked him up right at the front door when he waltzed back from Aspen with a tacky new watch. He actually tried to tell the cops you were just being dramatic!"
Emma closed her eyes, letting out a long, shuddering breath. For years, she had made excuses for Ryan. When he forgot their anniversary, she blamed his busy work schedule. When he belittled her career as an architect to elevate his wealth management status, she stayed silent to keep the peace. When he dismissed her pain during pregnancy, she told herself he was just nervous about becoming a father.
But leaving her to bleed out on the floor while he celebrated himself in the mountains had shattered the last illusion.
"I want a divorce," Emma said clearly, her voice stronger now, burning with a calm, terrifying resolve. "I want him stripped of every parental right to Ethan. I want him out of my life, out of my house, and behind bars."
Marcus smiled grimly, pulling a thick folder from his bag. "I already spoke to the top family law and criminal attorney in Denver, Victoria Hayes. She’s waiting outside. And Emma? Ryan thinks he owns that house and his wealth management firm. He forgot that your father was the founding investor who put up sixty percent of his firm's initial capital."
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Emma looked at Marcus. "My father's trust agreement..."
"Has a morals and legal violation clause," Marcus confirmed. "The moment Ryan is formally charged with a felony, your father’s estate trust revokes his ownership shares. Ryan isn't just going to jail, Emma. He’s going to lose every single dime he ever bragged about."
