Chapter 3 - Sterile Halls and Unspoken TruthsThe sterile smell of antiseptic and floor wax clung to everything. Mark paced the length of the waiting room, his boots squeaking softly against the linoleum. Two hours had passed since the double doors swallowed Elena's gurney. Every second felt carved out of stone.
His phone vibrated against his thigh. He pulled it out, seeing an unsaved number, but he recognized the cadence of the digits immediately.
He pressed the device to his ear. "I told you to disappear."
"Is that any way to speak to the person holding the keys to your entire foundation?" Chloe’s voice was crisp, entirely unaffected by the late hour. "I’m at the Harbor Club. You might want to come by. The board has questions about the discrepancies in the third-quarter audit, Mark. Discrepancies I happen to have the originals for."
"My wife is in labor because of you!" Mark snarled, his voice dropping into a harsh rasp as an orderly glanced in his direction. "If anything happens to that child—"
"If anything happens, it’s because you built your life on a lie," Chloe interrupted, her tone turning venomous. "You used my father’s capital, used my name to secure your permits, and then discarded me the moment she gave you the domestic fantasy you craved. You don't get to have both worlds, Mark. The world of titans requires sacrifices."
"You're insane."
"I am pragmatic. Come to the club, or watch the shares plummet before the opening bell. Your choice."
The line went dead.
Mark stared at the darkened screen, his reflection staring back at him—haggard, bloodshot, cornered. Just then, the doors swung open. A tired doctor in green scrubs stepped out, pulling down his surgical mask.
"Mr. Sterling?"
Mark dropped the phone into his pocket and stepped forward, his heart lodging in his throat. "How are they?"
"She suffered a partial placental abruption from the trauma of the fall," the doctor said evenly. "We managed to stabilize the bleeding, but she is exhausted. We're monitoring the fetal heart rate closely. For now, we've avoided an emergency procedure, but the next twenty-four hours are critical."
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Mark exhaled a breath he felt he had been holding for an eternity. "Can I see her?"
"Briefly. She needs absolute rest, Mr. Sterling. No stress. No agitation. Her body cannot take another shock."
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