part 5
PART 5
Dominic touched his bleeding lip and stared at Walter like reality had become insulting.
“You hit me.”
Walter adjusted his cuff.
“You are lucky I am old.”
Natalie backed toward the wall, one hand on her pregnant belly.
The doctors and nurses stood frozen until the chief administrator spoke.
“Mr. Vale, security is in place.”
Dominic’s eyes snapped to him.
“Mr. Vale?”
Audrey looked at Dominic over the twins.
There it was.
The moment he finally heard the name.
Walter did not look at him.
He looked at Audrey.
“Tell me what you want.”
Dominic laughed, but it came out weak.
“She does not get to decide anything.”
Walter turned slowly.
“My granddaughter decides everything on this floor.”
Dominic blinked.
Granddaughter.
Natalie whispered, “Dominic?”
Audrey shifted carefully, protecting Henry and Grace.
Her voice was thin but steady.
“Remove them from my hospital.”
Dominic pointed at her.
“Your hospital?”
The administrator answered.
“Saint Aurelia’s is owned by Vale Medical Holdings.”
“The neonatal wing is endowed by the Vale family.”
“Mrs. Mercer is listed as protected family personnel.”
Natalie’s face went white.
Dominic looked at Audrey as if she had hidden a weapon in plain sight.
“You lied to me.”
Audrey’s eyes were cold.
“No.”
“You never asked who I was when you thought I had nothing worth stealing.”
Walter lifted one hand.
Security moved.
Dominic jerked backward.
“Do not touch me.”
A security officer said, “Sir, you are being removed from the neonatal unit.”
Natalie tried to step around him.
“I’m pregnant.”
Audrey looked at the coat.
“Not with my child.”
Natalie flinched.
Walter pointed to the coat.
“Take that off.”
Natalie froze.
“What?”
Walter’s voice dropped.
“That belongs to my granddaughter.”
Natalie looked at Dominic.
He said nothing.
Slowly, humiliated, she pulled the coat from her shoulders.
A nurse took it with gloves, as if it were evidence.
Because it was.
Audrey watched Dominic being pushed toward the hallway.
He shouted, “You will regret this!”
Walter stepped closer.
“No.”
“You will.”
Then Audrey’s phone rang beside her.
Her attorney’s name appeared.
The speaker activated.
“Ms. Vale, the filings are complete.”
“All accounts connected to Mr. Mercer are frozen pending fraud review.”
Dominic stopped struggling.
Fraud review.
May you like
That phrase hit harder than Walter’s fist.
Read the full story 👉 Dominic learned Audrey was Walter Vale’s granddaughter just as her attorney froze the accounts he had drained.
