Chapter 2 - The Ambush at the Hospital Bed
The door banged against the drywall so hard it rattled the medical trays. Bruno stormed into the room first, his tailored designer suit looking completely out of place in the clinical environment. Right behind him marched Amber and Indigo, their faces twisted into masks of righteous indignation, acting as though they were the victims of a great injustice.
"Are you completely out of your mind, Jade?" Bruno yelled, marching straight up to my bedside and slamming his leather briefcase down on the rolling tray. "Do you have any idea the kind of morning I’m having? My phone has been ringing off the hook with freezing alerts from our primary bank, and the corporate credit cards are being declined! Fix this right now or so help me god, I will file for divorce on the grounds of abandonment and make sure you walk away with zero!"
Amber crossed her arms, sneering down at my bruised face with utter disdain. "We raised you up to be part of this family, and this is how you repay us? Hiding behind hospital blankets while our real estate venture falls apart because you're too selfish to fund our legacy? You deserve every single bruise on your face for being so defiant!"
Indigo nodded sagely, stroking his chin with an air of arrogant entitlement. "A proper wife supports her husband's family without hesitation. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. A little rough housing happens when people get passionate about business. Drop the dramatics, sign the transfer documents for the three million, and maybe Bruno will let you come back home to the master bedroom once you've learned your lesson."
I didn't flinch. I didn't cower. Slowly, deliberately, I pushed myself up into a semi-seated position, wincing slightly from my ribs before fixing my swollen, unblinking gaze directly onto Bruno. Ten years of accumulated silence, obedience, and swallowed tears dissolved into pure ice.
"You really think you're untouchable, don't you?" I asked, my voice remarkably steady, cutting through their ranting like a razor blade.
Bruno scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Stop talking in riddles, Jade. Sign the papers. We brought a mobile notary waiting in the hallway. You're going to wire the funds right now."
Before Bruno could reach into his briefcase, the door opened a second time. This time, it wasn't an angry relative. It was Sarah Vance, flanked by two towering private security guards in full uniform and a local sheriff's deputy holding a thick stack of court-sealed documents.
The temperature in the room plummeted instantly. Amber’s arrogant smirk faltered, and Indigo’s smug expression twisted into sudden confusion as Sarah stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the linoleum floor.
"Good morning," Sarah announced, her voice carrying the terrifying authority of a high-powered courtroom litigator. "I am Attorney Sarah Vance, legal counsel for Mrs. Jade Sterling. I advise all three of you to step away from this bed immediately, unless you wish to add felony witness intimidation and violation of an active restraining order to your upcoming criminal charges."
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Bruno stared at Sarah, then looked back at me, his face draining of all color. "What... what is this? What did you do?"
Sarah didn't even look at Bruno; she turned her attention entirely to the deputy, nodding toward the trio of stunned relatives. "Officer, execute the orders."
