Chapter 4 - The Fertility Clinic Had Hidden One Missing FilePolice sirens changed everything.
They were distant at first.
Then louder.
Adrian’s men disappeared before the first sheriff’s vehicle reached the ranch.
Adrian went with them.
No confrontation.
No dramatic arrest.
He simply vanished.
That frightened Emily more.
A man prepared to take her baby had walked away because he believed another opportunity would come.
Paramedics arrived.
Emily was transported to a regional hospital.
Margaret tried to ride with her.
Emily refused.
“No.”
Margaret stared.
“I need to—”
“You need to stay away from me.”
“Emily.”
“I almost went into labor beneath a helicopter because of you.”
Margaret flinched.
Emily continued.
“You don’t get to become my protector because somebody worse showed up.”
The ambulance doors closed.
Margaret remained beside the helicopter.
Alone.
Daniel Whitmore arrived at the hospital ninety minutes later.
Thirty-eight.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Suit jacket thrown over a travel shirt.
He had flown home from San Francisco after receiving Rachel—
No.
Emily’s emergency call from the ambulance.
He entered the maternity unit looking like a man barely holding himself together.
“Where is she?”
A nurse pointed.
Daniel entered Emily’s room.
She was lying on her side.
Monitoring equipment tracked the baby.
He rushed toward her.
“Oh my God.”
Emily began crying the second she saw him.
Daniel held her.
“I’m here.”
“She did this.”
“I know.”
“Your mother hung me under a helicopter.”
“I know.”
“She paid—”
“I know.”
Emily pulled back.
“How?”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Police called me.”
She studied him.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Did you know she was planning to scare me?”
His eyes widened.
“No.”
“You knew she hated me.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she wanted me gone.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she thought I was using the baby to control you.”
Daniel stepped back.
“I thought it was verbal garbage.”
“You keep saying that.”
“What?”
“That she talks.”
“She threatens.”
“She manipulates.”
“But somehow it’s never serious until somebody gets hurt.”
Daniel looked down.
She was right.
The doctor entered.
“The contractions are slowing.”
Emily exhaled.
“The baby?”
“Heart rate looks reassuring.”
Daniel closed his eyes in relief.
“Thank God.”
The doctor continued.
“We’re going to monitor overnight.”
After she left, Emily told Daniel about Adrian.
His reaction was immediate.
“No.”
“You knew?”
“I knew he existed.”
“You knew he worked at the clinic?”
“No.”
“He thinks the baby is his.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Biologically?”
Emily started crying again.
“I don’t know.”
Daniel sat.
“What happened at the clinic?”
“Nothing I knew about.”
“Emily.”
“I swear.”
She explained.
Boston.
Three years earlier.
Emily and Adrian had been engaged.
He became controlling.
Tracked her phone.
Showed up at work.
Accused colleagues of sleeping with her.
She ended the relationship.
He harassed her for months.
A restraining order followed.
Later Emily moved to California.
Met Daniel.
Married.
They struggled to conceive.
IVF.
A fertility clinic affiliated with a medical research institute.
Emily never knew Adrian had joined that institute as a laboratory consultant.
Daniel’s face turned pale.
“You never saw him?”
“No.”
“Never?”
“No.”
“Then why does he think—”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel stood.
“I’m calling the clinic.”
It took four hours.
Legal departments.
Privacy officers.
Police involvement.
Finally, they received confirmation.
Adrian Cross had worked as a contracted embryology systems consultant during the month Emily underwent treatment.
Daniel looked at the report.
“He had access?”
The clinic representative answered carefully.
“Not authorized access to patient genetic material.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
A pause.
“We are investigating.”
Emily whispered:
“Oh my God.”
Daniel held her hand.
Then the representative said:
“There is one irregularity.”
Everyone froze.
“What?”
“One file is missing from the archive.”
“Whose?”
A pause.
“Emily Whitmore’s embryo transfer chain-of-custody review.”
Daniel stood.
“Missing how?”
“Deleted.”
“By who?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Emily stared at the ceiling.
This was impossible.
No.
Worse.
It was possible.
Adrian had inserted himself into the one process that created the child inside her.
Margaret arrived outside the room.
Daniel saw her through the glass.
His expression changed.
“I told security she could come for questioning.”
Emily looked away.
Daniel stepped into the hallway.
Margaret approached.
“Is the baby okay?”
“For now.”
Margaret exhaled.
Daniel stared at her.
“How much?”
“What?”
“How much did he pay you?”
Margaret hesitated.
“Five hundred thousand.”
Daniel looked like she had slapped him.
“You sold my wife’s terror for half a million dollars?”
“That isn’t what happened.”
“What did you think was happening?”
“I thought she would leave.”
Daniel laughed.
“You thought dangling my pregnant wife beneath a helicopter would improve our family?”
“She was turning you against me.”
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You did that yourself.”
Margaret’s eyes filled.
“Daniel.”
“Don’t.”
He looked through the glass at Emily.
Then back at his mother.
“Adrian claims the baby is his.”
Margaret went still.
“What?”
“Did he ever tell you why he wanted Emily frightened?”
“No.”
“Did you ask?”
“He said Emily was using the baby to take control of the Whitmore family.”
Daniel stared.
“And you believed a stranger because it matched what you wanted to hear.”
Margaret looked away.
Daniel continued.
“That wasn’t manipulation.”
She looked at him.
“That was permission.”
Margaret had no answer.
Then Emily’s monitor alarm sounded.
Daniel spun.
Doctors rushed into the room.
Emily cried out.
Another contraction.
Harder.
The baby’s heart rate dipped.
Daniel rushed toward the door.
A nurse stopped him.
“Give us space.”
Margaret stood frozen.
Minutes passed.
Then the doctor emerged.
“We need to prepare.”
Daniel’s face went white.
“For what?”
“The baby may be coming tonight.”
Margaret whispered:
“No.”
The doctor looked at her.
“Who are you?”
Daniel answered without looking away.
“No one she needs right now.”
Then a nurse hurried toward them.
“Mr. Whitmore?”
“Yes?”
“Security found this outside the maternity unit.”
She held a small white box.
No label.
No sender.
Inside was a newborn hospital bracelet.
May you like
Printed with one name.
BABY CROSS.
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