Chapter 8 - THE BABY WAS THE KEY
Sarah fought until Graham pressed a cloth against her face.
The world blurred.
Her last clear image was Rebecca crawling toward the fallen security officer.
Then darkness.
She woke inside a moving vehicle.
Her wrists were bound in front of her.
A seat belt crossed her body.
Someone had deliberately secured it beneath her pregnant belly.
Graham sat across from her inside the large van.
“You drugged me.”
“Very lightly.”
“You’re pregnant.”
“We’re not stupid.”
Sarah stared at him.
“Where is Daniel?”
Graham looked out the window.
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see him.”
Sarah’s stomach tightened.
Another contraction.
Stronger than the one earlier.
She breathed through it.
Graham watched.
“Problem?”
“Untie me.”
“No.”
“If I’m going into labor, you’ll have a bigger problem.”
Graham’s jaw shifted.
He called someone.
“She’s having contractions.”
A woman answered through the speaker.
Eleanor.
“How far apart?”
Sarah’s hatred sharpened.
“You don’t get to ask that.”
Eleanor ignored her.
Graham checked his watch.
“First one since she woke up.”
“Continue.”
The call ended.
Sarah looked at him.
“What does she want with my son?”
Graham said nothing.
Sarah remembered Mercer.
If the baby was born, Eleanor lost control of the trust.
But why kidnap Sarah instead of preventing the birth?
Then she understood.
“She wants to control the birth record.”
Graham looked at her.
Sarah’s voice dropped.
“She wants my baby legally separated from Daniel.”
For the first time, Graham’s expression confirmed she was close.
Sarah continued.
“If she can make it look like the baby was stillborn.”
He looked away.
Her throat closed.
“No.”
Graham remained silent.
“She’s going to steal him.”
Still nothing.
Sarah lunged forward despite her bound hands.
“You tell me.”
Graham grabbed her shoulders.
“Sit back.”
“You tell me what she plans to do with my son.”
“Sit down.”
Sarah screamed at him.
“Is she going to take my baby?”
Graham finally snapped.
“She wants time.”
Sarah froze.
“Time for what?”
“To challenge the trust.”
“If the birth is not properly recorded as Daniel’s legal child, the transfer can be delayed.”
Sarah stared at him.
“You kidnapped a pregnant woman for paperwork?”
Graham’s face hardened.
“People have done worse for fourteen billion dollars.”
The figure stunned her.
She had known the Vances were wealthy.
But Daniel never discussed the size of the family trust.
Fourteen billion.
Graham leaned back.
“Your mother-in-law believes that money belongs to her.”
“It belonged to Charles.”
“Then Daniel.”
“Then your baby.”
“And that is the problem.”
Sarah thought about the balcony.
Eleanor had tried the simplest solution first.
If Sarah died before the child was born, Eleanor retained control longer.
After the attempt failed and police discovered evidence, the plan changed.
Now Eleanor wanted Sarah alive long enough to manipulate the birth.
Another contraction hit.
Sarah closed her eyes.
This one lasted longer.
Graham swore.
The van turned sharply.
Minutes later they arrived at a private medical building.
St. Catherine’s Women’s Center.
Sarah had found the marked map.
It had not been a clue left by mistake.
It was the destination.
Graham and another man moved her through a rear entrance.
No public patients.
No receptionist.
Only two nurses Sarah did not recognize.
One looked terrified.
The other avoided Sarah’s eyes.
Then Eleanor appeared.
She wore a cream coat.
Perfect hair.
No visible panic.
As if she had not become one of the most wanted women in the state.
Sarah stared at her.
“You tried to kill me.”
Eleanor stopped several feet away.
“I lost my temper.”
Sarah laughed in disbelief.
“You pushed your pregnant daughter-in-law from a balcony.”
“And Arthur prevented a tragedy.”
“A tragedy you caused.”
Eleanor removed her gloves.
“We do not have time to debate morality.”
Sarah looked at her.
“You’re insane.”
Eleanor’s expression sharpened.
“Do not use childish words for situations you do not understand.”
“Fourteen billion dollars is not a situation.”
“It is your obsession.”
Eleanor stepped closer.
“That trust built hospitals.”
“Schools.”
“Companies.”
“Thousands of jobs.”
“And Charles wanted to hand control to a boy who spent half his life apologizing for being wealthy.”
“Daniel is your son.”
“He is weak.”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
“No.”
“He’s decent.”
“That always looked like weakness to you.”
Eleanor slapped her.
Not hard enough to knock her down.
Hard enough to make the room silent.
Sarah slowly turned her face back.
“You should have killed me on that balcony.”
Eleanor stared.
“Because now everyone knows exactly what you are.”
For the first time Eleanor’s composure cracked.
Then a man’s voice came from the hallway.
“Sarah.”
She turned.
Daniel stood between two armed men.
Bruised.
Exhausted.
Alive.
Sarah cried out.
Daniel fought forward.
The guards grabbed him.
“Don’t touch her.”
“Daniel.”
Sarah tried to reach him.
Graham blocked her.
Daniel’s eyes dropped to her stomach.
“Is he okay?”
“Yes.”
Another contraction struck.
Sarah doubled slightly.
Daniel panicked.
“How long?”
“I don’t know.”
Eleanor looked at the nurse.
“Examine her.”
Daniel stared at his mother.
“What are you doing?”
Eleanor answered calmly.
“Saving what your father built.”
“You murdered him.”
The room went silent.
Eleanor looked at her son.
Daniel continued.
“I heard the recording.”
“You gave him the sedative.”
Eleanor said nothing.
“I found Dr. Halpern.”
That name changed her face.
Graham looked toward Eleanor.
Daniel saw it.
“Yes.”
“Your doctor.”
“The one who prescribed Dad medication he never asked for.”
Eleanor whispered, “You don’t know what happened.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“I know enough.”
“You killed him because he tried to stop you.”
Eleanor moved toward him.
“Your father was destroying everything.”
“He was destroying your access.”
“I built that family with him.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You controlled it.”
The nurse approached Sarah.
Another contraction came.
Stronger.
Sarah grabbed the examination table.
The nurse checked her.
Her eyes widened.
“What?”
Sarah asked.
The nurse looked at Eleanor.
Then at Daniel.
“She’s in labor.”
Daniel lunged forward.
Graham blocked him.
“How far?”
Eleanor asked.
“Five centimeters.”
Sarah stared.
Her due date was still weeks away.
The fall.
Stress.
Drugs.
Everything had pushed her body too far.
Eleanor’s expression became focused.
“Prepare the delivery room.”
Daniel shouted, “No.”
Eleanor ignored him.
Sarah felt something warm run down her legs.
The nurse looked down.
Her water had broken.
Daniel went pale.
Eleanor simply said, “Perfect.”
Sarah looked at her.
Eleanor stepped closer and whispered so only Sarah could hear.
“Your son is about to save this family.”
Sarah gripped the bed rail.
“No.”
May you like
She met Eleanor’s eyes.
“He’s about to end your control of it.”
