Chapter 2 - The Ambush at St. Jude
The morning sun cast a harsh, glaring light across my hospital room by the time the heavy oak door banged open without even a courtesy knock.
Bruno marched in first, his tailored suit immaculate, his face twisted in an expression of supreme annoyance. Right behind him bustled Amber, draped in designer mink despite the warm weather, her nose upturned in disgust as if the hospital’s antiseptic smell offended her royal sensibilities. Indigo brought up the rear, walking with the heavy, self-important stride of a man who believed the entire world owed him a debt of gratitude.
“Honestly, Jade, dragging this out for twenty-four hours is peak melodrama,” Amber snapped, walking directly to the side of my bed and crossing her arms. “Your face looks a bit messy, but makeup can fix that. What cannot wait is the notary public we brought downstairs. The real estate partners are meeting at noon, and your delay is costing us thousands.”
I sat up slowly, propping myself against the pillows. I kept my swollen face bare, refusing to hide the bruises that served as permanent testimony to their brutality. I didn't say a word. I simply watched them with an eerie, unblinking calm that momentarily threw Amber off balance.
Bruno stepped forward, pulling a thick folder from his leather briefcase and slapping it onto my bedside tray, right over my medical charts.
“My mother is right, Jade,” Bruno said, his tone dripping with patronizing disappointment. “You’ve made your point with this ridiculous hospital stunt. Now, stop being stubborn. Sign the transfer authorization for the $3.8 million, and sign the quitclaim deed giving my parents full equity control over the suburban house. Once that’s done, we can pretend this unpleasantness never happened.”
Indigo nodded sagely, stroking his chin. “A dutiful wife protects her husband’s family legacy, Jade. Your grandmother would be ashamed of your selfishness. Holding onto money that clearly belongs to a family enterprise is nothing short of theft.”
They stood there towering over my bed, completely wrapped in their arrogant delusion of absolute control. They truly believed I was cornered. They believed that ten years of conditioning had broken my spine, leaving me crawling and desperate for their approval.
A sharp, distinct knock sounded at the open door.
All three of them turned around, annoyed by the interruption.
A senior nurse stepped into the room, holding a sleek manila folder bearing the embossed gold seal of Vance & Sterling Corporate Litigation. Behind her stood a tall, imposing man in an obsidian-tailored suit—a process server whose expression could have frozen water.
“Are you Jade Miller?” the process server asked, his voice clear and authoritative.
“I am,” I replied, my voice steady and cold.
The nurse walked past a bewildered Bruno, stepped up to my bedside, and handed me a single printed message from my lawyer, alongside three massive legal injunctions.
“This is for you, Mrs. Miller,” the nurse said politely, before turning to glare at Amber and Indigo. “And these three documents are for the people standing blocking the exit.”
Bruno frowned, stepping forward to block the nurse. “Excuse me, this is a private family matter. You have no business— Shut up, Bruno,” I interrupted, my voice cutting through the room like a jagged knife.
May you like
I picked up the single printed message from Marcus. I looked straight into Bruno’s eyes, watching the color slowly drain from his arrogant face.
“Read it out loud, Bruno,” I whispered. “Or should I read it to you?”
