Chapter 6 - The Vulture’s WrathThe flashbulbs outside the main entrance of Riverbend Medical Center exploded like white lightning.
Microphones were thrust forward by reporters shouting over one another, creating a chaotic wall of sound.
“Miss Parker! Is it true you extorted a dying man?”
“Miss Parker, how do you respond to allegations of gold-digging?”
“Where is Harrison Hale? Is a civil war brewing over the estate?”
Emily stepped through the glass doors flanked by Arthur Vance and two private bodyguards. She wore her simple navy-blue nursing scrubs, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. She looked tired, having not slept in over twenty-four hours, but her gaze was steady and unwavering.
As she stepped onto the front steps, a furious voice cut through the media frenzy.
"Get out of the way! Let me through!"
Harrison Hale pushed violently through the pack of reporters, his expensive suit rumpled, his face twisted in an ugly mask of rage. He pointed a shaking finger directly at Emily’s face.
"You scheming little parasite!" Harrison screamed, spittle flying from his lips as cameras whirred and shutters clicked furiously. "You crawled into my uncle's room when he was medicated and vulnerable! You stole my family's legacy! You won't see a single cent of that money—my lawyers will tie you up in court until you're bankrupt, broken, and rotting in a jail cell!"
The reporters went wild, recording every single word. Microphones rushed toward Emily, demanding a reaction.
Emily didn't flinch. She looked directly at Harrison Hale—at the man who had spent decades ignoring his uncle, only to scream like a spoiled child when he realized the gold mine had slipped through his fingers.
Emily stepped up to the podium microphone, her voice ringing out clear, calm, and resonant across the courtyard.
"Harrison," Emily said, her tone utterly devoid of fear. "Your uncle didn't leave his estate to me because of what I took. He left it to me because of what you never gave him: fifteen minutes of genuine human kindness."
The crowd fell dead silent.
Harrison’s face flushed a deep, mottled crimson. "You little bitch—"
"Mr. Hale," Arthur Vance interrupted smoothly, stepping in front of Emily with a chilling smile. "Any further public threats or defamatory statements toward Miss Parker will be met with immediate criminal harassment charges and a multi-million-dollar countersuit. I suggest you consult your legal team before opening your mouth again."
Vance placed a hand on Emily's shoulder, guiding her down the steps toward a sleek, black chauffeured Lincoln Town Car idling at the curb.
May you like
As the car door closed behind her, cutting off the chaotic roar of the media storm, Emily leaned back against the leather seat and let out a long, shuddering breath.
The battle for Walter Hale's empire had only just begun. But as Emily looked out the tinted window at the towering skyline of Asheville, she knew one thing for certain: she was no longer running out of time.
