Chapter 5 - The Medical Board Massacre
The arrest of Dr. Marcus Kent shook the medical community of Colorado to its absolute core.
By noon, every major news station in the state was broadcasting the footage: the prestigious Chief of Surgery, sobbing in handcuffs, being escorted out of Saint Jude Memorial Hospital by police officers, while reporters shoved microphones into his face.
The headline burned across every television screen in America: "CHIEF OF SURGERY ARRESTED FOR DOMESTIC TRAUMA AND CORPORATE FRAUD AS MEDICAL EMPIRE COLLAPSES."
Inside the penthouse suite of Saint Jude’s private maternity wing—which had been swept, secured, and placed under twenty-four-hour armed guard by my personal security detail—Cora sat up in a plush bed, holding a warm cup of soup.
The room was filled with vases of fresh white lilies, warm sunlight, and the peaceful hum of classical music playing from a small speaker.
Dr. Sarah Lin finished examining Cora’s vitals, writing notes on an iPad. "Your blood pressure has normalized completely, Cora. The stress levels in your system have dropped dramatically over the last twelve hours. The baby is doing wonderfully."
Cora looked up at the television hanging on the wall, watching her husband’s disgraced face flash across the screen. Tears filled her eyes, but they were no longer tears of terror. They were tears of overwhelming, miraculous relief.
"I still can't believe it's over," Cora whispered, her voice trembling softly as she held her stomach. "He had me convinced he was God, Mom. He had me convinced no one could ever stop him."
I sat beside her bed, peeling a fresh apple with a small silver knife.
"Arrogant men always build their castles on sand, my darling," I said gently, handing her a crisp slice of apple. "They mistake quiet people for weak people. It’s a fatal flaw."
Before Cora could answer, my phone buzzed on the nightstand.
It was Arthur Pendelton.
I picked it up, pressing it to my ear. "Report, Arthur."
"Mrs. Vance," Arthur said, his voice crisp and victorious. "The State Medical Licensing Board has just convened an emergency tribunal. Based on the evidence we provided regarding Marcus’s surgical malpractices and offshore accounts, his medical license has been permanently revoked. Effective immediately."
"And his legal defense team?"
"Three top-tier defense firms refused to take his case after reviewing the forensic photos of Cora’s injuries," Arthur chuckled coldly. "He’s currently stuck with a court-appointed public defender. Furthermore, the IRS has placed an emergency lien on his personal bank accounts, his Chicago property, and his luxury vehicle collection for back taxes and money laundering."
"What about his family?" I inquired, setting the knife down. "His father, Dr. Richard Kent Senior?"
"Richard Kent Senior attempted to file an emergency injunction this morning to block our takeover of Saint Jude’s," Arthur replied. "He claimed Vanguard’s acquisition violated shareholder bylaws."
"And what did you do?"
"I bought Richard Kent Senior’s mortgage debt," Arthur said smoothly. "And I notified the board of his medical clinic in Aspen that we are auditing their billing records for insurance fraud starting at 2:00 PM today. He withdrew the injunction twenty minutes ago and is currently packing his bags to flee to Mexico."
I smiled softly. "Excellent work, Arthur. Make sure the private medical team for Cora’s C-section next week is fully briefed."
"Everything is prepared, Mrs. Vance. Dr. Sarah Lin will be leading the delivery team personally. You have complete control."
"Thank you, Arthur."
I hung up the phone, looking over at Cora, who was watching me with wide, wondrous eyes.
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"You dismantled his entire family in twenty-four hours," Cora breathed, a small, beautiful smile finally breaking across her face.
"I dismantled anyone who ever made you feel unsafe, Cora," I corrected softly, reaching out to hold her warm hand. "Now, forget about Marcus. Forget about his family. Your only job now is to bring my grandson into this world."
