Chapter 5 - The Family Secret
An hour bled into two. The hallway remained dead quiet except for the quiet humming of the overhead air conditioning vents. Madison had walked away to the waiting room, unable to stand the oppressive atmosphere, while Adrian remained standing by the surgical doors like a stone sentinel.
The double doors opened slowly. The lead surgeon stepped out, pulling down his mask, his face showing deep physical exhaustion.
Adrian stepped forward instantly. "Doctor?"
"Your daughter is alive, Mr. Ashford," the doctor announced, a faint smile gracing his tired eyes. "She weighs five pounds, six ounces. She’s small, but her lungs are strong. She’s currently in the NICU being monitored."
A massive wave of emotion crashed over Adrian, making his knees feel weak for a fraction of a second. A daughter. He had a daughter.
"And Elena?" Adrian asked frantically, his heart clutching in his chest. "How is her mother?"
The surgeon’s smile faded instantly, replaced by a grave, heavy expression. "Mrs. Ashford suffered extreme blood loss. We managed to stabilize her vitals, but she fell into an unconscious state. Furthermore, we found high levels of synthetic hormone blockers in her bloodstream—chemicals designed to cause hypertension and premature labor."
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Adrian’s eyes narrowed into terrifying, lethal slits. "What did you say?"
"Someone was systematically poisoning her with preeclampsia-inducing agents over the last three months," the surgeon revealed quietly. "Mr. Ashford, this wasn't just a medical emergency. This was an attempted termination."
