Chapter 3 - The Race Against Time
The room began to spin violently as the doctor's horrific words fully registered in my panicked brain.
Dominic was intentionally using our innocent son's fragile life as sick, twisted leverage in our divorce.
"He wants to legally force me to assume the fifty-million-dollar syndicate debt in exchange for Liam's surgery," I realized aloud.
My grandfather slammed his heavy silver cane viciously against the hospital floor, his eyes blazing with absolute fury.
"Nobody holds a Sterling hostage in my own hospital," my grandfather roared powerfully.
He immediately pulled out his secure encrypted phone and dialed his absolute best, most ruthless corporate litigator.
"Marcus, I need an emergency federal judge to completely override a malicious medical injunction in exactly ten minutes," my grandfather demanded.
I stood helplessly near Liam's incubator, watching the tiny heart monitor beep in a terrifying, erratic rhythm.
Every single second felt like a grueling, agonizing hour as I desperately prayed for a miraculous legal loophole.
"Audrey, if we do not operate soon, the lack of oxygen will cause permanent, irreversible brain damage," Doctor Evans warned gently.
I pulled out my own phone and dialed Dominic's number, fully prepared to completely surrender my entire fortune to save my son.
The phone rang exactly four times before Natalie's sickeningly sweet, incredibly arrogant voice answered the call.
"Dominic is currently busy finalizing our new luxury mansion purchase, Audrey," Natalie mocked cruelly over the speaker.
"Tell him I will gladly take the massive debt if he drops the medical injunction right now," I pleaded, tears streaming down my face.
Natalie laughed a cold, heartless laugh that made my blood run entirely cold.
"You really think this is just about money, you pathetic little trust-fund princess?" Natalie sneered through the phone.
"We want you to feel exactly what it is like to be completely powerless before we utterly destroy you."
Before I could respond, my grandfather grabbed the phone from my hand and ended the terrible call.
"Marcus just woke up a federal appellate judge who owes me a massive, undeniable favor," my grandfather announced triumphantly.
The judge had officially signed an emergency emancipation order, temporarily stripping Dominic of all his parental rights based on suspected fraud.
Doctor Evans immediately shouted for the surgical team, and nurses rushed in to carefully transport Liam's incubator.
I collapsed into my grandfather's strong arms, sobbing with pure, unadulterated relief as my son was wheeled toward the operating theater.
"Now that the children are legally safe, it is time to completely ruin Dominic's life," I whispered coldly, wiping my tears.
My grandfather handed me a confidential background check his security team had just hastily compiled on Dominic's mistress.
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I opened the thick manila folder and stared at Natalie's official marriage certificate in absolute, stunning disbelief.
Natalie was not just a random mistress; she was currently legally married to the exact same federal judge overseeing my emergency divorce proceedings.
