Chapter 6
The nurse guided me back toward the hospital entrance.
I moved slowly.
Every step pulled at my incision.
Leo stirred against my chest.
I whispered, “I know, baby. I know.”
Behind me, Dominic tried to lower his voice into the tone he used with investors.
Calm.
Measured.
Reasonable.
“Audrey is emotional. She just had surgery.”
The nurse stopped walking.
She turned.
“Postpartum recovery does not make a woman incapable of deciding whether she feels safe.”
Dominic blinked.
He was not used to being corrected by someone he could not charm immediately.
Victoria stepped out of the SUV.
Her pale outfit looked almost ceremonial, like she had dressed for a victory procession.
“Young lady,” she said to the nurse, “this is a family matter.”
The nurse looked at Leo, then at me.
“No, ma’am. This is a patient safety matter.”
Natalie finally got out too, nervous now.
Her phone had started vibrating.
She checked it and whispered, “Mom.”
Victoria ignored her.
Dominic checked his phone again.
His eyes moved quickly across the screen.
I could not see the words.
I did not need to.
My father had done something.
Not enough to reveal everything.
Enough to make Dominic understand that the call was not emotional.
It was procedural.
That was Charles Brooks’s real power.
He did not shout.
He activated.
My father spoke through the phone again.
“Audrey, listen to me. You are going back inside. The hospital has been contacted. A private patient advocate is on the way. Do not sign discharge amendments. Do not hand Leo to anyone.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“She is my wife.”
The nurse blocked his path.
“She is my patient.”
My father added, “And Leo is not leverage.”
Dominic’s eyes flicked toward the baby.
For one second, I saw something ugly move behind them.
Calculation.
Not love.
Calculation.
I held Leo tighter.
The nurse saw that too.
“Inside,” she said gently.
I crossed the threshold back into the hospital with Leo against my chest, the bus money still crumpled in my hand.
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Behind me, Dominic stood beside the SUV, finally understanding he had created witnesses he could not manage.
Read the full story 👉 Dominic tried to dismiss Audrey as emotional, but the nurse and Charles turned the situation into a documented patient-safety issue.
