Chapter 5
The door banged against the wall, and the room was instantly flooded with authority. Three large hospital security guards in dark uniforms rushed in, their hands resting cautiously on their utility belts. Right behind them was Brenda, the head charge nurse of the maternity ward.
Brenda was a seasoned professional, but her face was currently a mask of sheer horror. She held a thick, yellow manila folder tightly against her chest, the heavy red wax seal on the flap completely broken.
Daniel stumbled forward, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Jessica shrank against the far wall, her designer heels clicking nervously against the floor as she tried to put as much distance between herself and Richard as possible.
The security guards immediately formed a protective barrier between Richard and the hospital bed.
"Mr. Vance, I need you to place the infant back in the bassinet immediately," the lead guard ordered, his American accent firm and uncompromising.
"Do you know who I am?" Richard bellowed, standing his ground. "I am Richard Vance! My name is on the plaque in the lobby! This woman is having a severe psychotic episode. She asked me to take the child!"
"That is a lie!" Maya screamed from the bed, wrapping her arms protectively around the two babies in the bassinet. "He hit me! He’s trying to steal my son for Daniel and Jessica!"
"Sir, place the baby in the bassinet, or we will use force," the guard repeated, drawing a pair of heavy steel handcuffs from his belt.
Brenda the nurse stepped around the guards, her eyes locking onto Maya. She looked at the dark, swelling bruise on Maya’s cheekbone, and then down at the file in her hands. The nurse's hands were shaking violently.
"Maya," the nurse said, her voice shocked and grave, tight with absolute urgency. She didn't look at Daniel or Jessica. She looked directly at the battered mother on the bed.
"What is it, Brenda?" Maya pleaded, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Just take my baby back from him!"
"Maya… he was planning to sell the child to…" Brenda’s voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence as she looked back up at Richard with a mixture of disgust and absolute terror.
Daniel went completely pale. His jaw dropped open, and he slowly turned his head to look at his father. "Sell? What is she talking about, Dad? You said you were legally transferring guardianship to us."
Jessica froze entirely, her eyes wide. "Richard... what did you do?"
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"Silence!" Richard snapped, his eyes darting frantically toward the door. "This nurse is violating HIPAA regulations! I want her fired immediately!"
"He wasn't giving the baby to you, Daniel," Brenda said, finding her courage. She opened the file, revealing a stack of heavily redacted international banking wire transfers. "Mr. Vance forged the adoption papers to bypass the hospital's security, but the final transfer of custody was arranged for a private jet leaving for Eastern Europe in two hours."
