Chapter 5 - The Shadow at the Window
Claire bolted out of the lounge and sprinted down the hallway toward the NICU.
When she rounded the corner, she found two of Sebastian’s bodyguards standing at the entrance of the nursery, blocking a tall man in a dark grey suit who was holding an official-looking clipboard.
"I am an authorized hospital administrative auditor," the man argued loudly, his tone sharp and demanding. "I have a court order to transfer Baby Boy Miller to an off-site facility!"
"This ward is under private medical hold," the head guard replied coldly, his hand resting inside his jacket.
Claire pushed past the guards, stepping protectively between the auditor and Baby Miller's incubator. "I am the head nurse on this floor. No infant is transferred without clearance from the Chief of Pediatrics and Social Services. Show me your credentials."
The man stared at Claire, his eyes cold and calculating. Instead of presenting a medical badge, he pulled out an encrypted digital tablet. "The child’s biological mother signed over full guardianship to the Valenti Foundation three hours ago. Stand aside, Nurse Bennett."
The Valenti family was the fierce rival syndicate that had fought the Morettis for control of the city’s harbor district for over a decade.
Before the tension in the hallway could boil over, the heavy glass doors opened again.
Sebastian Moretti walked in.
He didn't yell. He didn't pull a weapon. But the sheer aura of lethal authority that radiated from him made the false auditor instantly back up against the wall.
"You’re on the wrong floor, Valenti," Sebastian said softly, stepping into the room like a dark shadow.
"Moretti..." the man stammered, his posture collapsing. "This baby has nothing to do with you! He's just an abandoned orphan!"
Sebastian walked up to the man, taking the tablet from his hands with effortless strength. He smashed the screen between his bare fingers and dropped the broken pieces onto the floor.
"This child is under my personal protection," Sebastian declared coldly. "Tell your boss that if anyone from his family comes within three blocks of this hospital, I will tear down his entire empire brick by brick."
The false auditor fled down the hallway without saying another word.
Claire turned to Sebastian, her pulse racing. "Why are the Valentis after a four-pound premature baby, Mr. Moretti? What is going on?"
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Sebastian turned his gaze toward the incubator, where Baby Miller was sleeping peacefully.
"Because," Sebastian whispered, "the note left in his blanket didn't just have a name. It had a DNA sequence that matches my family."
