Chapter 5 - The Silent Phone
The shrill ringing of the wall-mounted telephone cut through the tense atmosphere of the maternity room like a jagged blade.
Sarah, the nurse, hesitated, her hand hovering over the plastic receiver before she finally lifted it to her ear.
"St. Jude’s maternity, Station Four," Sarah said, her voice tight with professional strain. She listened for a moment, her eyes widening as she glanced across the room toward Clara and the lawyer. "Yes, she's here. Hold on."
Sarah covered the mouthpiece with her palm, her expression grim. "It's for you, Ms. Sterling. It's the front desk. Security just detained Julian in the hospital parking garage."
Clara felt the breath leave her lungs in a sharp gasp. "Julian? Is he hurt?"
"Security didn't specify," Sarah replied, handing the receiver over as Clara stepped forward to take it. "They said he was attempting to leave the premises with a second vehicle, and his vehicle's trunk contained documents matching the seal on that tray."
Clara pressed the cold plastic to her ear, her hands trembling uncontrollably. "Julian? Julian, talk to me. What is going on?"
The line crackled with heavy static, followed by the sound of ragged, frantic breathing.
"Mom," Julian's voice came through the speaker, breathless and terrified. "You shouldn't have come here. You don't understand what Arthur set in motion."
"Where are you, Julian?" Clara demanded, her maternal instinct overriding the shock of the past ten minutes. "Security says you're in the garage. What were you carrying in your car?"
"I was trying to protect the baby," Julian sobbed softly on the other end, the sound breaking Clara's heart. "The trust isn't about an inheritance, Mom. Arthur didn't want an heir. He wanted a continuation."
Chloe strained to hear every word from the bed, her face turning chalk white as she clutched the newborn tighter.
"What does that mean?" Clara shouted into the phone, ignoring the watchful gaze of Mr. Henderson and the nurse. "Julian, tell me the truth right now!"
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"The DNA test on that tray isn't the first one," Julian whispered, his voice dropping to a panicked murmur. "The hospital ran a preliminary screening twenty-four hours ago... and the baby's genetic markers don't match mine at all."
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