Chapter 3 - The Inheritance TrapDr. Liam Vance, the chief of surgery and Maya’s closest confidant at Lakeshore Medical, strode into the room holding a stat lab report. He took one look at Ethan’s white, sweating face and then at Maya’s rigid posture, raising an eyebrow.
"Dr. Bennett, code blue in trauma—oh. Patient consultation still in progress?" Liam asked, his voice sharp and professionally detached, though his eyes lingered warningly on Ethan.
"I’m finishing up here, Dr. Vance," Maya said smoothly, taking the chart back from Ethan’s limp grip. "Mr. Caldwell’s EKG is clear of acute ischemia. I am discharging him with strict instructions to follow up with an outpatient cardiologist."
"Wait," Ethan choked out, grabbing Maya’s wrist. His grip wasn't rough, but it was desperate. "We aren't done. We can't be done. Ava... she has my eyes. She has my birthday, doesn't she? When is her birthday?"
"Let go of me," Maya warned, her voice dropping into an icy register that made Liam step forward, his hand hovering near his pager.
Ethan slowly released her, staring up at her with a look of absolute ruin. "You think this is just about us, Maya? You think I’ve been living the high life as a billionaire tech mogul for the last eight years without paying a price?"
"I don't care about your money, Ethan. I care about my patient, and right now, my patient's heart rate is spiking dangerously high because he refuses to accept boundaries." She turned to Liam. "Dr. Vance, please escort Mr. Caldwell to the discharge lounge."
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As Liam firmly guided Ethan toward the door, Ethan looked back over his shoulder, his voice echoing down the corridor. "Eleanor is dying, Maya. And she’s rewritten the will. If I don't produce an heir by my thirty-fifth birthday—which is in three days—the entire Caldwell estate goes to the board of trustees... unless I can prove I have a child."
Maya froze with her hand on the doorknob.
