Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary at St. Jude’s
The top floor of St. Jude’s Private Hospital was completely locked down. Gabriel had deployed twenty private security contractors to guard the elevators, doors, and roof access. No one was allowed on the floor without a biometric security clearance.
I lay in a state-of-the-art ICU suite, hooked up to continuous fetal monitoring equipment. The soft, steady thump-thump-thump of my baby’s heartbeat echoed through the quiet room, bringing tears of overwhelming relief to my eyes.
"She’s a fighter, Miss Vance," Dr. Sarah Lin, the chief of maternal-fetal medicine, said softly as she adjusted my IV line. "The placental wall held. The baby is safe, though you will need absolute bed rest for the remaining three months of your pregnancy."
"Thank you, Doctor," I whispered, holding my bruised hand over my belly.
The door swung open, and Gabriel walked in, holding two steaming cups of coffee and a secure digital tablet. He had changed into a clean navy suit, though his eyes were dark with exhaustion and unyielding determination.
"How is my niece?" Gabriel asked, pulling a chair up to the side of my bed.
"She’s holding on," I smiled weakly. "She’s strong."
Gabriel took my bruised hand gently in his, his eyes softening. "I’m sorry, Clara. I’m so sorry I let you stay with that monster for so long. You hid the bruises from me during every holiday visit. You protected him."
"I was terrified, Gabriel," I wept, tears slipping down my pale cheeks. "Victor threatened to tell his father’s friends in law enforcement to frame you if I ever tried to leave. He said his family owned this town, and that if I made a scene, he’d make sure my baby was taken away by child protective services the second she was born."
Gabriel’s jaw clenched so hard a vein throbbed against his temple. "He lied to you, Clara. They don't own this town. I bought their town three hours ago."
I blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
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Gabriel tapped his tablet screen and handed it to me. "Raul’s construction firm was built on fraudulent city contracts and illegal sub-contractor exploitation. At 06:00 AM, my financial team acquired sixty percent of their debt holdings. At 06:30 AM, I initiated an immediate foreclosure call."
He took a sip of his coffee, his voice cold and calculating. "Right now, bank officials and marshals are seizing Raul’s primary residence, their luxury vehicles, and their corporate headquarters. By noon today, the entire family will be completely penniless."
