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"Sarah," James whispered, his voice trembling as he finally spoke the name that made the hospital hallway spin. "It’s Maya." / Chapter 17 / 20

Chapter 17 - The Ambush in the Woods

"That’s a lie!" I screamed, my protective instincts flaring up like wildfire. "Maya surrendered her rights to Child Protective Services! There was no legal pre-birth assignment that survived the fraud investigation!"

"Legality is just paper, Sarah!" Elena shrieked, reaching into her coat pocket. "And paper burns!"

Before I could react, Elena whipped a small glass bottle of lighter fluid from her coat, unscrewed the cap, and flung a stream of liquid across the hood of my car, right where the adoption ledgers lay.

"If I can't have my family back, nobody gets anything!" she yelled, pulling a box of matches from her pocket.

"Sarah! Drop down!" James’s voice exploded through my earpiece just as the sound of roaring truck engines echoed down the access road.

James and the sheriff's deputy broke through the tree line from the ridge, their flashlights cutting through the twilight like searchlights.

"FBI! Police! Drop the matches right now!" the deputy roared, drawing his sidearm.

Elena panicked, striking a match against the abrasive strip, but her hand shook so violently the flame sputtered and went out. She turned to bolt toward the dark treeline behind the cabin.

"Elena, stop!" I shouted, taking a step forward to catch her, but she shoved me hard against the car door, sending me crashing to the gravel.

James sprinted across the clearing, tackling Elena to the ground just as she reached the edge of the woods. They rolled into the high grass, Elena thrashing and screaming like a trapped animal before James managed to pin her wrists behind her back.

A second later, the deputy’s cruiser skidded to a halt beside us, its red and blue lights flashing against the rotting walls of the abandoned lake house.

"Got her! Cuff her!" the deputy yelled, rushing over with steel handcuffs flashing in the strobe lights.

I stood up, brushing the dirt and gravel from my knees, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I watched Elena being hauled to her feet, her dark hair matted across her face, screaming obscenities into the night air.

James walked over to me, breathless, his hands bruised, pulling me tightly into his chest.

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The silence in the grand living room felt heavier than the mahogany beams holding up the ceiling. My eyes remained open, burning with unaccustomed moisture, reflecting the amber glow of the hearth. Sofia stood frozen two feet away from my armchair, her small fingers still curled into the edge of the cashmere blanket she had just draped over my chest.

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"Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" he asked frantically, checking my arms and face.

"I'm okay," I whispered, burying my face in his jacket. "I'm okay, James. It's... it's finally over."

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