Two hours later, Mark paced back and forth in the waiting room of St. Jude Memorial Hospital. The sterile smell of disinfectant filled the bright hallway. His hands were tucked deep into his pockets, his tux jacket now discarded on a plastic chair. He could not stop thinking about the way Victoria had looked at Sarah right before the push. It was cold, calculated, and filled with deep hatred. Victoria had been trying to destroy the evidence Sarah was carrying.
The heavy double doors swung open, and Dr. Vance—no relation to Mark, but their trusted family physician—walked out with a clipboard. Mark rushed forward immediately, his heart pounding in his chest like a drum.
Mark: How is she, Doctor? Is the baby okay?
Dr. Vance: Sarah has some minor bruises and severe shock, Mark. But the baby is perfectly fine. The heart rate is stable.
Mark: Thank God... Can I see her right now?
Dr. Vance: Yes, but keep her calm. She needs total rest for the next forty-eight hours.
Mark let out a long breath he felt like he had been holding for hours. He walked softly into room 412. Sarah was lying on the crisp white hospital bed, an IV line attached to her hand. She looked exhausted, but when she saw Mark, a gentle smile broke across her face. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, taking her soft hand into his own.
Sarah: Did they get the papers, Mark? Did security pick them up?
Mark: Don't worry about the papers right now, Sarah. You and the baby are safe.
Sarah: No, Mark, you don't understand. The original will was in that folder!
Mark froze and looked at her with wide eyes. For months, Victoria had claimed that Mark's father had changed his will two weeks before his death. That fake will left the entire sixty-million-dollar real estate empire and the main mansion solely to Victoria. Mark had suspected fraud, but they lacked proof until Sarah found a hidden vault inside his father's mountain cabin three days ago.
Sarah: Your father wrote a handwritten codicil right before he went into the hospital. He left the trust fund to our baby and named you as the sole executor. Victoria knew I had it today.
Mark: She followed you to the courthouse on purpose.
Sarah: She wanted me to drop the folder so she could steal it in the confusion.
Mark pressed his lips together in anger. Victoria was not just greedy; she was dangerous. Suddenly, the hospital room door opened quietly. Mark's private investigator, David, stepped inside holding a clear plastic evidence bag containing several crushed sheets of paper. David looked grim as he pulled off his hat.
David: I managed to collect most of the papers from the courthouse steps, Mark. But Victoria's lawyer was also there. He grabbed a few pages before security restrained her.
Mark: Is Victoria in police custody right now?
David: She posted bail twenty minutes ago. Her attorneys claimed it was a simple stumble in a crowded public place.
Sarah: She is going to try to destroy the remaining bank records, Mark!
Mark: Not while I'm breathing. David, call our custody lawyer and the state prosecutor. We are filing an emergency injunction today.