Chapter 3 - THE MAN OUTSIDE THE DOOR.
Violent pounding echoed against the reinforced steel of the nursery door.
“Clara, open this door immediately!” Julian’s voice sounded through the heavy metal.
Her husband was standing in the hallway, his tone devoid of any concern for his child.
“The system is malfunctioning, Clara. Let Agnes out before I call building maintenance to break the lock.”
Clara stared at the smart base, which continued projecting the red biohazard hologram.
“She tried to poison Leo, Julian!” Clara screamed back, her voice shaking with rage and betrayal.
“The system scanned the bottle. She put something in his formula!”
Agnes backed into the corner of the room, clutching her phone to her chest.
The older woman regained a fraction of her cruel composure.
“Mr. Sterling knows exactly what is best for his heir,” Agnes sneered quietly.
Clara felt the floor drop beneath her feet.
Julian didn't want to save their baby; he wanted to secure the trust fund without Clara's interference.
Because Clara came from a working-class family, she had been forced to sign a predatory prenuptial agreement.
The only leverage she had in the marriage was her legal guardianship of their son.
If Leo became chronically ill, Julian’s family could legally declare Clara an unfit mother.
They would institutionalize her and take complete control of the billion-dollar estate.
“You are a monster,” Clara whispered, pulling her phone from her blazer pocket.
She tried to call 911, but there was no cellular service inside the locked room.
Julian had activated a signal jammer from the hallway.
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Then the digital display on the smart door lock flashed with a new notification.
Someone was remotely trying to override the quarantine protocol using an administrator passcode.
