Chapter 4 - The Fortress of Glass
St. Jude’s Private Hospital was the premier medical facility in the state, funded almost entirely by the Sterling Foundation. When Alexander’s Bentley slammed to a halt in the emergency bay, a team of six doctors and nurses was already waiting with a gurney.
"BP is sixty over forty! Oxygen saturation is dropping below seventy!" Dr. Marcus Vance shouted as they transferred Lauren’s limp body onto the gurney. "Get her to Bay 1! Prepare for immediate intubation and start IV milrinone!"
Alexander ran alongside the gurney, holding Lauren’s cold hand until they reached the double doors of the Intensive Care Unit.
"Mr. Sterling, you have to wait here!" Dr. Vance stopped him, placing two firm hands on Alexander’s chest.
"Save her, Marcus," Alexander grabbed the doctor's collar, his eyes wild. "I don't care what it costs. Fly in specialists from Europe. Buy whatever equipment you need. If she dies, this hospital dies with her."
"We will do everything humanly possible, Alexander. I promise," Dr. Vance said solemnly, before rushing through the doors.
The heavy doors swung shut, cutting off the bright lights of the ICU.
Alexander stood in the quiet hallway, his lungs heaving. He looked down at his clothes. His suit was ruined, stained with rainwater, mud, and black mold from the basement floor.
He turned around. Sophia was standing near the waiting room chairs, looking tiny and lost under the bright fluorescent lights. She was holding her plastic bag, her split shoe resting awkwardly on the polished tile floor.
Alexander walked over to her, knelt down, and took the plastic bag from her hand, setting it gently on a chair. Then he pulled his daughter into his arms, burying his face in her damp hair, and wept silently.
"Daddy?" Sophia whispered, holding onto his neck. "Are you mad at me?"
"No, my precious girl," Alexander choked out, kissing her cheek. "I will never be mad at you. You saved Mommy tonight. Do you understand? You were so brave."
A nurse approached tentatively, holding a warm blanket and a juice box. "Mr. Sterling? We opened a private executive suite down the hall for you and the child. You can wash up there."
"Thank you," Alexander said, standing up and holding Sophia close.
Thirty minutes later, Sophia was wrapped in a plush white towel after a warm bath. Alexander had cleaned the grime from her face and combed her wet hair. The hospital staff had rushed to bring a spread of fresh fruit, warm soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and fresh milk.
Sophia sat on the velvet sofa in the private suite, staring at the food as if it were a dream.
"Can I... can I really eat this?" she asked softly, looking up at Alexander.
Alexander felt a fresh wave of agony hit his heart. "It’s all yours, sweetheart. Eat whatever you want."
The little girl didn't eat greedily; she ate slowly, carefully savoring every bite of the sandwich, as if expecting someone to snatch it away.
While Sophia ate, Alexander stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass window overlooking the city skyline. His phone began to vibrate violently in his pocket.
He pulled it out. Victoria Sterling.
Alexander answered, placing the phone to his ear without saying a word.
"Alexander," Victoria's voice came through the speaker, crisp and demanding. "Where are you? The press is asking questions. Someone saw you leave the alley holding a dirty child. Do you have any idea the kind of rumor storm this could create for the stock price tomorrow morning?"
Alexander watched the rain streak down the glass window.
"Dr. Edmund Vale," Alexander said coldly. "Our family doctor. Did you bribe him, or did you threaten his medical license to forge Lauren's records?"
A brief silence hung on the line.
"Edmund did what was best for the family," Victoria replied smoothly. "Alexander, come home. We can handle the girl quietly. We can put her in a proper boarding school in Switzerland. But you need to control this narrative before—"
"Listen to me carefully, Victoria," Alexander interrupted, his tone devoid of any emotion. "You are no longer the Vice Chair of Sterling International. As of five minutes ago, I revoked your security clearance, froze your corporate expense accounts, and instructed my legal team to file a criminal complaint for kidnapping, fraud, and attempted murder through medical neglect."
"You wouldn't dare," Victoria snapped, her voice finally losing its composure. "I am your mother!"
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"You are a ghost to me," Alexander said. "If you set foot near my wife, my daughter, or my hospital, I will have you arrested on live television."
He ended the call and tossed the phone onto the table.
