Chapter 4 - The Heiress's Venomous Ultimatum
"Vanessa," I muttered, the blood draining from my face.
"She brought security teams and two reporters," Marcus said, his voice laced with venom. "They are claiming that Ariana kidnapped a surrogate infant belonging to Vale Enterprises. They’re trying to force their way past the clinic’s front desk right now."
Ariana’s heart monitor spiked instantly, the steady beeping turning into a frantic, high-pitched alarm. She grabbed the blanket, her knuckles white with terror. "No... no! Julian, don't let them take her! Don't let your mother near my baby!"
"Ariana, look at me," I commanded, stepping forward and placing my hands firmly on the metal guardrails of her bed. "Look at me!"
Her terrified eyes locked onto mine.
"No one is touching Clara," I said, every trace of doubt vanishing from my voice, replaced by cold, absolute resolve. "No one is taking her from you. I will burn Chicago to the ground before I let anyone harm either of you. Do you understand me?"
She looked at me, trembling, and for the first time in three days, a flicker of the man she used to trust appeared before her. She nodded slowly.
I turned to Marcus. "Lock this floor. Miles is downstairs with six of my personal security personnel. Tell him to use whatever force is necessary to keep everyone out of this wing."
I straightened my soaked jacket, wiped the tears from my cheeks, and stepped out into the hallway.
Down near the main lobby, the sound of raised voices echoed off the tiled walls. I walked with long, deliberate strides, each step heavy with cold fury.
Standing in the center of the clinic’s waiting room was Vanessa Harrington. She wore a tailored camel-hair coat, diamond earrings that sparkled under the harsh fluorescent lights, and an expression of pure, unadulterated arrogance. Flanking her were two corporate attorneys and Richard Harrington, her father, a ruthless shipping magnate with cold gray eyes.
Eleanor stood off to the side, looking pale and nervous, clutching her designer purse like a shield.
"What is the meaning of this circus?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the lobby like a whip.
Vanessa turned, her crimson lips curving into a tight, patronizing smile. "Julian, darling. Thank God you're safe. Your mother told us you had an emotional breakdown and ran off after that destitute girl. We came to help you clean up this mess before the morning markets open."
"Get out of this clinic, Vanessa," I said quietly.
Richard Harrington took a step forward, his voice deep and menacing. "Julian, let's not be foolish. The merger contracts are finalized. The Harrington family has invested over four hundred million dollars into Vale Enterprises' logistics expansion. We are not going to let some charity-case mistress and an illegitimate infant derail a multi-billion-dollar partnership."
The word illegitimate hung in the air like a poisoned blade.
I walked directly up to Richard Harrington until our faces were inches apart. "Ariana is my legal wife. The divorce was never filed with the court. And the child upstairs is the sole heir to the entire Vale estate. Say another word about my family, Richard, and I will pull our contracts from every port on the Eastern seaboard before sunrise."
Richard's eyes widened in shock. Vanessa’s smug smile vanished, replaced by an ugly, venomous sneer.
"You're bluffing," Vanessa hissed, stepping between us. "You need our capital to survive the Q4 audit! If you walk away from me for that pathetic little nobody, my father will short Vale stock into oblivion! You will be bankrupt by Friday!"
"Then let it burn," I replied, staring down at her with complete contempt. "Because I would rather lose every dollar to my name than spend another second in the same room as you."
"Julian!" Eleanor gasped, stepping forward with horror etched across her face. "Think of your father's legacy! Think of what you're throwing away!"
"My father built an empire to protect the people he loved, Mother," I said, turning my cold gaze upon her. "You turned it into an auction block. You knew Ariana was pregnant. You tried to buy her silence, and when that failed, you helped orchestrate her expulsion from my life."
Eleanor opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
"Miles," I called out without looking back.
"Yes, Mr. Vale?" Miles stepped forward from the shadow of the security doors, backed by four heavily built guards in dark suits.
"Escort the Harringtons and my mother off these premises immediately," I ordered. "If any of them attempt to return, have them arrested for harassment and corporate trespassing."
"You will regret this, Julian!" Vanessa screamed, her poise completely shattering as my guards stepped in front of her. "I will destroy you! I will take everything you own!"
May you like
I didn't even look back as they were forced toward the sliding glass doors.
My only focus was the hallway leading back to Room 104.
