Chapter 2 - The Cold Awakening
I woke up to the sterile, blinding lights of a surgical recovery room.
The steady rhythm of a ventilator hummed beside me, a harsh contrast to the silence of my womb.
My hands flew to my stomach, finding only thick bandages and a terrifying emptiness.
A sob ripped from my throat, raw and agonizing, as the memories of Ethan's betrayal crashed down on me.
Caleb appeared at my bedside instantly, his eyes bloodshot from utter exhaustion.
"You had an emergency C-section, and your daughter is in the NICU fighting for her life," he whispered gently.
Relief washed over me, but it was immediately replaced by a burning, furious need to protect her.
The door to my room suddenly slammed open, hitting the wall with a deafening crack.
Ethan marched in, flanked by two corporate lawyers in immaculate gray suits.
"Where is my child?" he demanded, his voice devoid of any warmth or concern for my near-death experience.
"You have no rights here, Ethan," I choked out, gripping the bed rails with trembling hands.
He scoffed, adjusting his signature gold cufflinks with that familiar, infuriating arrogance.
"I am the CEO of the Vance Medical Group, and I am transferring my heir to my own facility immediately," he stated coldly.
One of his lawyers stepped forward, waving a stack of legal documents stamped with a judge's seal.
"My client has obtained an emergency court order granting him full custody due to your severe mental instability," the lawyer announced.
I stared at Ethan in disbelief, realizing he had planned this hostile takeover of my baby from the very beginning.
Caleb stepped defensively in front of my bed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You cannot take the baby, Ethan," Caleb said with a surprisingly steady voice.
Ethan laughed cruelly, stepping closer to intimidate the young nurse.
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"And who exactly is going to stop me?" Ethan sneered.
"The true father of that child," a deep, unfamiliar voice echoed from the hospital doorway.
