Chapter 13 - A Little Life|
The helicopter landed directly on the helipad of the Sterling General Hospital. A team of the world’s top obstetricians was already waiting.
The pain tore my body apart for five grueling hours. I bit my lip until it bled, refusing to let myself give up. And then, a sharp, piercing cry shattered the heavy tension of the delivery room.
“It’s a boy, Miss Sterling! He’s incredibly healthy!” Dr. Evans announced brightly, placing the tiny, red, screaming baby onto my chest.
Tears streamed down my face, washing away all the agony. His eyes were squeezed shut, but his little face looked so resilient. “Leo,” I whispered, kissing his damp forehead. “Your name is Leo Sterling.”
Eleanor walked into the room wearing sterile scrubs, her eyes red. She gently touched Leo’s tiny hand. “My grandson. He was born to be a King.”
But the peace didn't last. That very afternoon, while I was waking up from a restorative sleep, the head of Sterling’s legal department knocked on the door with a grim expression.
“Apologies for disturbing you, Miss, Madam, but we have a massive problem,” he placed a thick file on the bedside table. “Julian just filed an emergency injunction in family court. He is demanding sole custody of baby Leo.”
I shot up in bed, ignoring the sharp sting of my stitches. “Is he insane? He abandoned us!”
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“He submitted forged medical records claiming you suffer from severe post-traumatic psychological disorders and are unfit to parent,” the lawyer explained grimly. “Worse, he bribed a local judge to sign a temporary restraining order blocking Leo from leaving this hospital.”
Eleanor clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. The real war to the death had just begun.
