Chapter 3 - The True Power
Dr. Sutherland didn't hesitate. She recognized James Holloway—the primary benefactor of the hospital’s new neurological pavilion. "Yes, Mr. Holloway. Moving now!"
The hallway erupted into frantic, organized chaos. Nurses rushed forward with a gurney, gently lifting Claire off the floor. Jay stayed beside her, his hand gripping hers with a strength that felt like an anchor in a Category 5 hurricane.
"Jay," Claire cried out as they began rolling her toward the double doors. "Derek... Derek left. He wouldn't pay. The bank—"
"Derek Walsh is a dead man walking, Claire," Jay said, his voice smooth, cold, and absolute as he walked briskly alongside the gurney. "Forget his name. Forget his face. You are under my protection now. Do you understand me? Both of you."
He stopped at the red line of the surgical theater. He reached into his coat, pulled out a black titanium corporate card, and flipped it onto the reception desk without looking at the administrator.
"Charge the entire surgical wing to the Holloway Foundation," Jay said to the clerk. "Authorized for unlimited critical care allocation. Put a five-million-dollar rolling retainer on the NICU suite. No budget limitations. No administrative delays."
He turned back to Claire, bending down to press a soft, lingering kiss against her sweaty forehead. "Go in there and bring her back, Claire. I'll be right here when you open your eyes."
The heavy doors swung shut, leaving James Holloway standing in the sterile hallway, his hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze locked onto the glass window where the woman he had never stopped loving was fighting for her life.
Sal, his head of security, stepped out of the elevator, holding a tablet. "Boss, we tracked Walsh. He’s at a bar on Third Avenue, trying to clear his personal accounts before the morning margin calls hit."
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Jay didn't turn around. "Liquidate his firm's short positions, Sal. Buy his primary mortgage by 6:00 AM, and have the state marshals waiting at his apartment for tax fraud. I want him stripped of every dollar, every asset, and every contract before his wife leaves recovery."
"Consider it done, boss," Sal said, disappearing back into the shadows.
