Chapter 4 - The Confrontation in the Corridor
Derek Hale stepped forward, his expression a calculated mix of grief and confusion. He completely ignored Benjamin, focusing his eyes entirely on Oliver.
"Oliver! Thank God you're safe!" Derek cried out, his voice booming through the quiet hospital corridor as he reached out his unbandaged hand. "Detective Vance called me at the job site. I’ve been worried sick looking for you and your mother all night!"
"Get away from him," Benjamin said, stepping between Derek and the boy. His voice was low, flat, and carried the absolute authority of a man used to managing volatile men on construction sites.
Derek stopped, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Benjamin’s tailored clothes, now stained with dumpster grease. "And who the hell are you? This is family business. That's my nephew."
"My name is Benjamin Cross," Benjamin said, not moving an inch. "And right now, your nephew is under my protection. You took a step toward him, and I’ll have hospital security put you through that plate-glass window."
"Detective, are you seeing this?" Derek snapped, turning to Vance. "This billionaire guy is interfering with a family matter. My sister-in-law Rachel has a history of mental instability. She’s been depressed since my brother died. She must have climbed into that dumpster herself during an episode. Oliver is just a confused kid; he’s been having nightmares for weeks."
"She didn't climb in herself, you lying piece of garbage," Benjamin growled. "The dumpster was padlocked from the outside with a commercial bar. How does an unconscious woman lock herself in from the outside?"
Derek’s face darkened, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "She must have found it open and someone else locked it later. Look, Detective, I have the legal power of attorney for this family. I’m taking the boy home."
"No!" Oliver screamed, tears streaming down his face as he clung to Benjamin’s belt loop. "Don't let him take me! He’s lying! Look at his hand! I bit him right there when he tried to grab me!"
Vance looked at Derek’s bandaged hand, his brow furrowing. "Mr. Hale, how did you get that injury?"
"A slipped circular saw on the site yesterday afternoon," Derek said smoothly, without missing a beat. "I have the medical report from the walk-in clinic to prove it."
Benjamin realized then that Derek wasn't just a brutal thug; he was prepared. He had an alibi, he had papers, and he had the cover of a family relationship. In the eyes of the law, without direct physical evidence linking him to the padlock or the assault, it was the word of an eight-year-old child against a legal guardian.
"We’re going to need everyone to step down to the station to sort this out," Vance said, his tone cautious. "Mr. Cross, you don't have legal standing here. If Mr. Hale has the paperwork..."
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"I have something else," Oliver whispered from behind Benjamin.
The boy stood up from the chair, his hands moving to the back of the torn stuffed dog.
