Chapter 3 - The Chief Justice Arrives
The sterile smell of the hospital room was overwhelmingly sharp.
I lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the doctor's verdict.
The rhythmic beeping of the fetal monitor was the only sound in the room.
It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.
My baby's heartbeat was strong.
The doctor had assured me that the bleeding had stopped.
The heavy dose of medication they gave me had halted the premature contractions.
I was going to be okay.
My child was going to live.
The heavy wooden door to my private VIP suite swung open.
A team of men in dark suits stepped into the room, scanning the area with professional intensity.
Then, the crowd parted.
My father walked in.
Arthur Sterling was a tall, imposing man with silver hair and eyes that missed absolutely nothing.
He usually wore black robes, but tonight he wore a tailored charcoal suit that looked hastily thrown on.
His face was a mask of cold, controlled fury until his eyes locked onto mine.
In an instant, the Chief Justice vanished.
He was just my dad.
He rushed to the side of the bed and fell into the chair.
He grabbed my hand in both of his and pressed it to his lips.
"Anna," he breathed, his voice thick with emotion.
"I'm so sorry, Dad," I whispered, tears welling in my eyes.
"I should have told them."
"I shouldn't have lied to him."
My father shook his head firmly, his eyes fierce.
"You have nothing to apologize for, sweetheart," he said softly.
"You wanted to live a normal life."
"You wanted to find someone who loved you for your heart, not my title."
"It is a noble thing."
He paused, his jaw tightening into a hard line.
"But the man you chose is a monster," my father continued, his voice dropping an octave.
"And monsters do not get to walk away unpunished."
"What is going to happen to David?" I asked softly.
My father leaned back in the chair, his eyes darkening with a familiar, terrifying legal calculation.
"David Montgomery is currently sitting in a holding cell at the county jail," my father stated flatly.
"He has been charged with domestic violence, false imprisonment, and destruction of property."
"His mother is in the cell next to him, charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment."
"Bail has been denied for both of them."
I blinked in surprise.
"Denied?" I asked.
"For a first offense?"
My father allowed a grim, humorless smile to touch his lips.
"The judge overseeing their arraignment happens to be an old colleague of mine," he said casually.
"He considers pushing a pregnant woman into a granite counter to be a severe flight risk."
"They will remain in custody until trial."
I looked down at my swollen stomach, gently rubbing the spot where my baby was sleeping safely.
"He told me I wouldn't win," I whispered, remembering the cruel smirk on David's face.
"He said because he was a lawyer, nobody would believe me."
My father stood up, buttoning his suit jacket with a chilling finality.
"He knows the law, Anna," my father said quietly.
May you like
"But I am the law."
"By tomorrow morning, David Montgomery will realize that his career, his freedom, and his reputation no longer exist."
