Chapter 3 - The Confrontation in the Corridor
The ER security guard took a step forward, but Derek Voss pushed right past him, pointing a finger at the sleeping child.
“That’s her,” Derek barked at his lawyer. “And the baby’s in the back. Get the social worker. We’re taking them home tonight.”
“Mr. Voss, calm down,” Mara Leland said, standing up to bar his path. “Emma is currently undergoing emergency medical treatment for severe dehydration and respiratory distress.”
“She’s my kid!” Derek yelled, his voice echoing off the tile walls. “I have full parental authority! I don't care about a little fever. Pack her up.”
Sadie woke with a violent flinch. Her small eyes widened in sheer terror the moment she saw Derek. She scrambled off her chair, hiding behind Ethan’s tall frame, her tiny hands clutching his charcoal suit coat.
“Mr. Cole,” Derek’s lawyer stepped forward, pulling a business card from his pocket. “I am Arthur Vance, representing Mr. Voss. We know who you are, Mr. Cole, but this is a private family matter. You have no legal standing here. I suggest you step aside before we file interference charges.”
Ethan didn't take the card. He didn't even look at the lawyer.
He looked straight at Derek Voss.
“You left a seven-year-old and a sick baby in an unheated apartment during a state-of-emergency blizzard,” Ethan said, his voice dropping into a register that made the security guard step closer to listen.
“She ran away!” Derek sneered. “Sadie’s crazy! Just like her mother! She stole the baby in the middle of the night!”
“She walked through a storm to save her sister’s life because you were going to sell her rights for a payout,” Ethan said, taking a deliberate step forward.
Derek’s eyes twitched. “You don't know what you’re talking about, billionaire. Get out of my way.”
Derek reached past Ethan to grab Sadie’s arm.
Ethan’s hand snapped out like a vice, gripping Derek’s wrist in mid-air. The force was sudden, hard, and undeniable.
“Touch her,” Ethan said, his voice icy and lethal, “and you won't walk out of this hospital.”
“Is that a threat?!” Derek yelled, trying to pull his arm back, but Ethan’s grip didn't budge. “Guard! Arrest this guy!”
“I am the founder of ColeCare Systems,” Ethan announced clearly, looking over Derek’s shoulder at the hospital’s head administrator, who had just rushed into the lobby. “I provide the digital infrastructure for this entire hospital network. As of three minutes ago, my legal firm has placed an emergency injunction on the release of patient Emma Brooks.”
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Two squad cars pulled up outside, red and blue lights flashing against the wet pavement.
Ethan dropped Derek’s wrist, stepping back to shield Sadie. “The police are here, Derek. Let’s see how much your lawyer likes discussing child endangerment in front of a district prosecutor.”
