Chapter 8
The chaotic sounds of the struggle in the brightly lit room were suddenly drowned out by a new noise. From the streets below the large hospital windows, the piercing, unmistakable wail of police sirens cut through the afternoon air. The sound grew louder, multiplying as multiple cruisers converged on the hospital entrance.
The nurse, who had recovered the dropped manila file from the floor, walked cautiously over to Maya. She placed a gentle, trembling hand on Maya’s shoulder.
“Are you alright, sweetheart?” the nurse asked, her voice soft with profound sympathy. “Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” Maya whispered, though her cheek throbbed violently where Richard had struck her. She reached into the bassinet, gently stroking the soft heads of her three newborns, soothing their cries. “My babies are safe. That’s all that matters.”
On the floor, Richard Vance was no longer struggling. He lay pinned under the guard’s weight, breathing heavily. The sheer arrogance that had defined his entire life was beginning to crack, replaced by the crushing realization that his wealth and power had finally hit a wall he could not bribe his way through.
“You think you’ve won, Maya?” Richard hissed from the floor, turning his head to glare at her with pure, unadulterated hatred. His American accent was thick with venom. “You think the police can protect you from the people I made this deal with?”
“Shut up, Dad,” Daniel pleaded from the corner, still holding tightly to a furiously sobbing Jessica. “Just shut up! Don't make it worse!”
“It is already worse, you idiot!” Richard snarled at his son. He turned his eyes back to Maya. “The Sterling Syndicate doesn't cancel contracts. They wired three million dollars to my offshore accounts this morning as a down payment. When they find out the delivery failed, they won't just come for the one child. They will come for all of them. And they will put a bullet in your head first.”
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Maya felt a cold chill run down her spine, but she did not let her fear show. She stood tall, her fair skin pale but her expression carved from stone.
“Then I will be ready for them,” Maya said, her voice steady and echoing with absolute conviction. “And I will make sure they know exactly who failed to deliver.”
