Chapter 6 - Unforgiven
David stared at the gold pen in Sterling’s outstretched hand. The metallic sheen felt like a loaded weapon pointed directly at his chest. Every instinct screamed at him to snatch the documents, tear them to shreds, and drive his fist into the lawyer’s smug face. But the cold reality of Clara’s monitors, the fragile fetal heartbeat, and the towering financial machinery of the Vance dynasty held him paralyzed.
""You're disgusting,"" David whispered, his voice trembling with sheer contempt. ""Both you and my mother.""
""I am pragmatic, David,"" Sterling corrected smoothly, not an ounce of shame in his posture. ""Your father hired me because I keep the empire intact. Scandals destroy fortunes. A sister in prison for assaulting a sister-in-law ruins our public offering next month. You have until midnight to sign.""
Sterling snapped the briefcase shut and turned toward the elevators, leaving the manila folder sitting on the plastic chair like a curse.
David didn't touch the folder. He turned his back on it and walked into the ICU.
The room was bathed in the pale green glow of vital monitors. Clara looked heartbreakingly fragile beneath the heavy hospital blankets. A thick bandage wrapped around the back of her head, and a ventilator tube disappeared into her mouth, hissing with mechanical regularity. David took her hand, burying his face into the warm, familiar crook of her wrist.
""I won't let them get away with this, Clara,"" he whispered against her skin. ""I swear it. I will protect you and our baby, no matter what it costs me.""
Suddenly, the continuous hum of the room was interrupted by a sharp knock on the glass door. A young police detective in a plain leather jacket stood outside, holding a badge up to the pane. David stood up, gently resting Clara’s hand back onto the sheet, and stepped into the hallway.
""Mr. Vance? I'm Detective Harris,"" the woman said, her eyes sharp and observant. ""I was assigned to your domestic call. I just came from questioning your sister at the precinct.""
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""Did you charge her?"" David asked immediately.
Detective Harris looked down at her tablet, frowning. ""Your sister gave a completely different story, claiming your wife attacked her first. But more concerning... your home’s security footage from the living room just arrived at our desk. And there's a serious problem with it.""
