Chapter 3: Gathering Storm
Three hours had passed. Three hours of pacing the sterile waiting room, drinking bitter, lukewarm coffee, and staring at the ticking clock on the wall.
Finally, a surgeon emerged. He was a middle-aged man in green scrubs, pulling a surgical cap off his sweating forehead. Harry was on his feet instantly, his heart in his throat.
"Mr. Sterling?" the doctor asked softly.
"Yes. How are they? Please tell me they're alive."
The doctor let out a long, heavy exhale. "It was incredibly close. Your wife suffered a severe placental abruption and a mild concussion from the fall. We had to perform an emergency C-section to save both of them."
Harry stopped breathing. "And?"
"Your wife is in the ICU. She's stabilized, but she's in a medically induced coma to allow her brain and body to heal from the trauma. She has a long road ahead, but she is a fighter." The doctor offered a small, reassuring smile. "As for your daughter... she was born premature and is currently in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She’s small, and she’s on a ventilator, but her vitals are holding steady. We saved them, Mr. Sterling."
A sob of profound relief tore through Harry’s chest. He gripped the doctor’s hand with both of his. "Thank you. God, thank you."
"You can see your daughter in the NICU shortly. We'll let you know when you can sit with your wife."
As the doctor walked away, the overwhelming relief slowly gave way to the returning tide of cold, focused anger. Harry walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows of the waiting room, looking out over the Seattle skyline.
Chloe was a graceful, careful woman. She wore sensible flat shoes. The marble stairs at the Foundation were wide and perfectly maintained. She hadn't just slipped.
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number he hadn't called in years.
"Frank," Harry said when the gruff voice answered on the other end. Frank was an ex-detective who handled high-profile, discreet investigations. "I need you at the Sterling Foundation building immediately. Lock down the security footage from the main foyer. Don't let anyone from the board, especially my nephew Arthur, near the server room."
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"What happened, Harry?" Frank asked, catching the lethal tone in his old friend's voice.
"Someone tried to kill my wife and my unborn child today," Harry said, his reflection in the glass looking older, sharper, and utterly ruthless. "And I am going to find out exactly who it was."
