Chapter 6 - THE RACE AGAINST TIME
The sirens blared through the stormy night as the private medical transport rushed down the highway toward Manhattan Memorial Hospital.
Inside the back of the ambulance, paramedics worked frantically to stabilize my vitals. Marcus sat beside me, holding my hand tightly, his face pale with anxiety.
“Heart rate is spiking! Contractions are two minutes apart!” the paramedic shouted over the noise of the engine. “She’s in full precipitous labor! We need to get her into surgery immediately upon arrival!”
My vision swam in and out. The physical pain of the early labor was compounding with the emotional trauma of the last three days. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Caleb’s face in the dark, screaming at me to sign away my child’s future.
“Where is he?” I gasped out, my fingers digging into Marcus’s glove. “Did he... did Caleb escape?”
Marcus leaned in close, his voice firm and steady. “He didn't get far, Ellie. He fell onto the patio roof and broke his leg. Local police picked him up in the garden three minutes after the ambulance pulled away. He’s in custody under police guard at the county hospital right now. He’s done. He can never touch you again.”
I let out a ragged sigh of relief, but my body was weak.
By the time the ambulance pulled into the hospital bay, a team of doctors and nurses was waiting. I was wheeled rapidly down long, fluorescent-lit corridors into the emergency operating room.
“Her blood pressure is dangerously high—preeclampsia triggered by acute trauma!” the lead surgeon announced as they prepped the instruments. “We can’t wait. We have to perform an emergency C-section right now, or we risk losing both the mother and the child!”
A oxygen mask was placed over my face. The world began to blur around the edges.
“Hold on, Ellie,” Marcus’s voice echoed from near the door before they pushed him back. “Hold on for Arthur. Hold on for your daughter.”
As the anesthesia began to take effect, I didn't think about the corporate board meetings. I didn't think about Richard Sterling, or the SEC, or the millions of dollars at stake.
I thought about my father holding my hand when I was a little girl, telling me that the strongest people aren't those who never fall, but those who stand up every time they are knocked down.
Stand up, Ellie, I told myself in the darkness. Stand up.
Two hours later, I pulled myself out of the heavy fog of sleep.
The room was quiet, lit only by the soft glow of heart monitors. The sharp, overwhelming pain in my stomach was replaced by a dull, throbbing ache, but my mind was clear.
I turned my head slowly.
Sitting beside my bed in a clear plastic bassinet wrapped in a pink blanket was a tiny, perfect bundle.
A nurse stepped forward, smiling softly. “Welcome back, Mrs. Vance. Meet your daughter.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as the nurse gently lifted the baby and placed her in my arms. She was so small, with a light dusting of dark hair just like my father’s, and tiny fingers that immediately curled around my thumb.
“She’s healthy,” the nurse whispered. “Four pounds, eight ounces. A little early, but her lungs are strong. She’s a fighter.”
“Victoria,” I whispered, pressing my lips against her warm forehead. “Her name is Victoria.”
The door opened softly, and Mr. Harlan stepped into the room, holding his leather briefcase. He looked exhausted, but his eyes lit up when he saw me holding the baby.
“She’s beautiful, Eleanor,” Harlan said gently, stepping closer to the bed.
“Is everything secured, Harlan?” I asked, my voice raspy.
Harlan nodded, pulling a stack of legal papers from his bag. “Caleb was formally arraigned from his hospital bed two hours ago. Charges include attempted extortion, aggravated assault, breaking and entering, and corporate embezzlement. The judge set bail at five million dollars. He couldn't pay five hundred. He’s going to state prison, Eleanor.”
I looked down at Victoria, feeling a weight lift off my chest that had been pressing down on me for six long years.
“And Sterling?” I asked.
Harlan’s expression darkened slightly. “Richard Sterling is a rat who knows how to jump ship. When he saw Caleb get arrested, he publicly disavowed any connection to Caleb’s actions. He’s claiming he was 'misled' by Caleb’s fraudulent financial statements. He’s currently trying to rally the remaining board members to force a emergency shareholder vote this Friday to liquidate Vance Enterprise’s real estate portfolio.”
“He thinks I’m helpless in a hospital bed,” I said softly.
“Yes,” Harlan agreed. “He thinks you’re out of commission for at least a month.”
May you like
I looked at Harlan, then at my daughter sleeping peacefully in my arms.
“Get the board on a video conference for tomorrow morning,” I said, my voice cold and firm. “It’s time to cut Richard Sterling out of our company forever.”
