Chapter 14 - The Traitor in the House
The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor echoed through the ICU room at St. Jude’s Hospital.
Michael’s eyes snapped open. His body felt heavy, locked in place by heavy sedatives and IV lines. A clear oxygen mask covered his face.
Standing beside the IV drip was Maria, the family’s longtime housekeeper. Her hands were shaking violently as she adjusted a syringe filled with clear liquid.
"Maria..." Michael managed to croak through the oxygen mask.
Maria flinched, dropping the syringe onto the linoleum floor. Tears streamed down her wrinkled cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Michael... I'm so sorry!" she sobbed quietly, falling to her knees beside his bed. "He has my grandson! Damian's men took little Mateo from his school in Madrid three days ago!"
Michael forced his fingers to move, squeezing Maria’s trembling wrist. "Where... is... Emma?"
"They took her to the estate, Mr. Michael," Maria whispered frantically. "Damian is holding a press conference at midnight. He’s going to announce that you suffered a drug overdose and that he is taking Emma abroad for 'specialized treatment' on his private yacht!"
Michael looked at the digital clock on the hospital wall: 11:15 PM.
He had forty-five minutes.
Ignoring the blinding pain tearing through his nerve endings, Michael ripped the IV lines out of his arms and tore off the heart monitor pads. The alarms on the medical equipment began to blare loudly.
May you like
"Mr. Michael, you can't stand!" Maria cried out.
"If I don't stand today, Maria," Michael growled, pulling off his hospital gown and grabbing a jacket from the visitor's closet, "my daughter loses her life forever."
