Chapter 1 - The First Sensation of Panic
The afternoon sun scorched the manicured asphalt outside the grand municipal courthouse.
Lily stood frozen beside the gleaming black luxury SUV, her small hands clutching a plastic toy stethoscope.
Her lower lip trembled, yet she forced her small frame to remain upright as a heavy man sprinted toward her.
Jax slammed his heavy palms against the tinted rear window, his face contorted in absolute terror.
"Your baby's in the car!" Lily shouted over the hum of city traffic, her voice ringing with stark urgency.
Jax spun around, his dark eyes wide with disbelief and raw panic.
He gripped the vehicle's handle and yanked it violently, but the heavy steel doors remained firmly locked.
"Who did this?" Jax roared, his muscular frame trembling as he stared through the darkened glass.
Clara rushed forward from the marble steps of the courthouse, her white blazer fluttering in the sudden wind.
"Jax, stop shouting! You are causing a scene," Clara hissed, her voice sharp and devoid of warmth.
"My daughter is baking alive in there, Clara! Where are the keys?" Jax yelled, his veins bulging at his temples.
Clara crossed her arms, her cold blue eyes narrowing as she looked at the trapped toddler inside.
"You lost the right to demand anything from me the moment you signed those papers this morning," Clara snapped.
Jax lunged toward her, grabbing her expensive white lapels with tattooed fists.
"Give me the damn keys right now, or I swear I will break every window on this truck!"
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"Try it," Clara whispered, stepping closer with a sickeningly calm smile. "The security cameras are rolling, Jax. Break the glass, and you go straight back to prison."
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