Chapter 3 - THE TRAP IS SPRUNG
By eight o'clock the following morning, the front gates of the pediatric hospital were besieged by a wall of news vans, satellite trucks, and shouting reporters. Headlines across social media and major news networks were exploding with salacious, destructive headlines:
"BILLIONAIRE VINCENT MORETTI ACCUSED OF POISONING TWIN SONS FOR $50M INSURANCE POLICY." "HOUSE MANAGER ACCUSES TYCOON OF SECRET HVAC TOXIN SYSTEM."
Inside the private hospital suite, the atmosphere was suffocating. Two State Police officers stood outside the boys' door, no longer just for protection, but to ensure Vincent did not leave the premises without supervision.
Vincent sat at the small wooden desk in the corner, his laptop open, surrounded by three of his top corporate defense attorneys.
"They played us masterfully, Vincent," Arthur Vance, Vincent’s lead attorney, said gravely, tapping a pencil against a legal pad. "Richard Sterling’s legal team filed the affidavit along with a civil suit for emergency guardianship. Because Mrs. Harper was your employee for fifteen years, her testimony carries immense weight with the judge. The State Police have already issued a search warrant for your personal bank records and private email servers."
"Mrs. Harper lied!" I interjected fiercely, standing beside Vincent’s chair. "She was terrified the day we found the device! She almost fainted when I pointed out the smell near the vent! She didn't witness Vincent doing anything—she was hiding something!"
Arthur Vance looked up at me, giving me a dismissive, patronizing look that reminded me infuriatingly of Dr. Blake. "Miss Morgan, with all due respect, you are a nanny who has been on the payroll for less than a week. In the eyes of the court and the public press, your testimony will look like an employee trying to protect her wealthy boss to keep her job."
"She’s not just a nanny, Arthur," Vincent warned, his voice low and dangerous as he glared at his attorney. "She’s the only person in this entire circus who actually figured out what was happening. You will speak to her with respect."
Arthur cleared his throat nervously. "Of course, Vincent. But legally speaking, if the Department of Children and Families (DCF) executes an emergency pickup order based on this filing, they will remove Lucas and Leo from this hospital today and place them in temporary protective custody—which means placing them directly into the care of their maternal grandfather, Richard Sterling."
"Over my dead body," Vincent growled, slamming his fist onto the wooden desk, causing the laptop to jump.
"Dad?"
A small, frightened voice came from the inner bedroom. Lucas was standing in the doorway, clutching his IV pole, his small body trembling as he looked at the anxious faces in the room. "Why are there policemen outside our door? Are we in trouble?"
The sudden fury on Vincent’s face melted into pure, heartbreaking anguish. He immediately stood up, walked over to Lucas, and scooped the boy into his arms, lifting him easily against his chest.
"No, buddy," Vincent whispered into his son's hair, hugging him tightly. "You're not in trouble. Nobody is going to hurt you. I promise you."
I walked over to the doorway, looking at Vincent holding his son. The raw, unfiltered pain in his eyes tore at my soul. I knew in my heart that Vincent would burn his entire fortune to the ground before letting anyone hurt his boys.
Suddenly, my mind flashed back to the day I arrived at the estate—specifically to Mrs. Harper’s behavior.
She dropped the towels. She was trembling. But she didn't look surprised when the device was uncovered—she looked terrified.
"Vincent," I said softly, stepping closer to him as he set Lucas back down on his bed. "Mrs. Harper didn't act like an accomplice who was paid off in advance. She acted like someone who was being blackmailed."
Vincent looked up, his brows furrowed. "Blackmailed?"
"Think about it," I urged, my mind racing as I pieced the clues together. "If Richard Sterling paid her to lie, she would have had a polished story ready for the police immediately. But she stayed at the estate for two days after the incident before suddenly turning up at Sterling's lawyer's office with an affidavit. Why wait two days?"
Vincent’s eyes sharpened. "Because someone pressured her after Dr. Blake fled."
"We need to find out what Richard Sterling has on her," I said firmly. "Mrs. Harper has an elderly sister in a specialized nursing facility in Hartford. I remember seeing a framed photo of them together on her desk in the staff room, along with invoices from Oakridge Care Home."
Arthur Vance frowned. "Miss Morgan, we can't just go interrogating witnesses. If the prosecution claims we're tampering with witness testimony, Vincent will be arrested immediately."
"You can't go," I said, looking directly at Vincent. "The police and the press are watching your every move. But nobody is watching me."
Vincent grabbed my wrist, his grip gentle but fiercely intense. "Claire, no. Richard Sterling is a ruthless, dangerous man. If he realizes you're looking into his setup, he won't just offer you money—he'll make you disappear."
"He already tried to destroy two innocent children, Vincent," I said, looking back into his eyes with absolute determination. "I am not going to let him steal Lucas and Leo. Let me go to Oakridge. Let me talk to her sister."
Vincent searched my face for several long seconds, seeing the immovable resolve in my eyes. A slow, profound expression of deep admiration and growing affection washed over his features.
"Marcus is going with you," Vincent stated, leaving no room for argument. "He’ll stay in the car, but if anything looks wrong, you pull out immediately."
"Agreed," I said.
Before I turned to leave the room, Vincent caught my hand once more. Pulling me slightly closer, away from the glare of the attorneys, he leaned down and whispered against my ear, his breath warm and intoxicating.
"Be careful, Claire," he murmured softly, his thumb gently caressing the back of my hand. "I can't afford to lose you, too."
May you like
My heart hammered in my chest as I nodded, turning away quickly before the blush on my face could give me away.
Twenty minutes later, I slid into the back seat of Marcus’s unmarked black SUV, slipping out through the hospital’s underground service bay, completely undetected by the wall of media waiting out front. The fight to save Lucas and Leo had just become a race against time—and I was heading straight into the enemy's shadow.
