Chapter 147 The Attempt

Chapter 147 The Attempt
Julian stood with a glass of whiskey in his hand, a sad expression. Olivia sat on the leather sofa, her phone pressed to her ear.

She ended the call and looked up at Julian. "It's true. She gave birth. A boy. Both are alive."

Julian's grip tightened on his glass. "How?"

"Thorne found her. Pulled her out of whatever hole Noah had her in. She was rushed to the hospital. Emergency C-section." Olivia's voice was clipped, each word a dagger. "The baby is small but stable. Chloe is recovering. The information from our contact is legit."

Julian turned from the window, his eyes hard. "Noah?"

"Disappeared. Thorne's team swept the warehouse, but they were gone. Through some old tunnels, apparently. The river." Olivia waved a hand dismissively. "He's a loose end, but not our immediate concern."

"Our immediate concern is that Chloe Sterling is still breathing. Still CEO. Still a problem." Julian set his glass down with a sharp click. "And now she has an heir. A son to carry on the Sterling name. Our window is closing."

Olivia stood, pacing the length of the room. "We need confirmation. Not just hearsay from a contact. I want eyes on her. Someone inside who can tell us exactly what condition she's in, what the security looks like, and how vulnerable she really is."

"I have someone," Julian said. "A nurse. Not at the main hospital, but at the private recovery wing they moved her to. She owes me."

"Can she be trusted?"

Julian's smile was thin. "She can be paid. Which is the same thing."

Olivia nodded slowly, her mind already working. "Find out everything. How long until she's discharged. Where they're taking her after. What Thorne's security looks like. We need a new plan."

"And the baby?"

Olivia paused. "The baby is leverage. A weakness we can exploit. But first, we confirm the facts." She picked up her phone, scrolling through contacts. "I'll arrange the payment. You arrange the meeting with your nurse. We need to move quickly. Thorne won't give us another chance."

Julian picked up his whiskey again, swirling the amber liquid. "This isn't over, Olivia. Not by a long shot."

"No," she agreed, her voice cold. "It's not. But it will be. One way or another."

The hospital's private recovery wing was quiet, the kind of hush that money and influence bought. Chloe slept in a private room at the end of the hall, her baby in a bassinet beside her, Rhys stationed outside the door.

But no fortress is impenetrable.

Julian's contact was a mid-level nurse named Margaret. She had worked at the hospital for fifteen years, knew every corridor, every schedule, every blind spot. She was good at her job, and she was deeply in debt. Julian had paid off her creditors six months ago. Now, she was his eyes.

Margaret moved through the ward with a clipboard, her expression professional, her footsteps unhurried. She nodded to the security guard at the end of the hall, a young man she'd seen before, easily distracted by his phone. She slipped into a supply closet, pulled out a burner phone, and dialed.

Julian answered on the first ring. "Report."

Margaret kept her voice low, her eyes on the door. "She's stable. Weak, but recovering. The baby is small but healthy. They're keeping them both for at least three more days for observation."

"Discharge date?"

"Saturday morning, barring complications. They're planning to take her back to the Sterling estate. Thorne has already arranged for a private medical team to continue care there."

Julian was silent for a moment, absorbing the information. "Security?"

"Thorne has two men on the door at all times. Rotating shifts. The hospital has its own security, but they're not involved. He doesn't trust them." Margaret paused, checking a small notebook she'd hidden in her pocket. "The baby has a standard ID tag, ankle bracelet, hospital issue. But Thorne has added his own measures. I can't get close enough to see what."

"What about her? Is she alone with the baby?"

"No. There's always someone in the room. Thorne himself, mostly. Sometimes a female guard. Sometimes the nurse from his private facility."

Julian's fist tightened. Thorne had turned the hospital room into a bunker. "Keep watching. I need to know their exact route on Saturday. What vehicle, what time, what roads. Every detail."

Margaret hesitated. "That's... that's harder. I'm not part of the discharge planning."

"Then find a way to be." Julian's voice was ice. "You owe me, Margaret. Remember that."

A long pause. Then: "I'll try."

"Don't try. Do." The line went dead.

Margaret slipped the burner phone back into her pocket, took a steadying breath, and walked out of the supply closet. She continued her rounds, her face betraying nothing.

Outside Chloe's room, Rhys glanced up as she passed. Their eyes met for a second. Margaret nodded politely and moved on.

She was just a nurse. Doing her job. No one suspected a thing.

Back in the penthouse, Julian set his phone down and looked at Olivia. "Three days. Saturday morning. The estate."

Olivia nodded slowly. "That gives us time. We need a plan that accounts for Thorne's security, the baby, and the fact that Chloe is still recovering. She won't be able to fight back."

"No," Julian agreed, a cold smile spreading across his face. "She won't."

Rhys had been at Chloe's side for two days straight. He hadn't slept more than a few hours in a chair. His clothes were wrinkled, his jaw rough with stubble, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

He needed to reset.

David was at his post outside Chloe's room, alert and ready. Nurse Anya sat inside, watching over mother and baby with vigilance. The hospital security was on alert, and Aegis teams monitored every entrance, every hallway, every face that came too close.

Chloe was safe. For now.

Rhys stood, stretching his stiff shoulders. He looked through the small window in Chloe's door. She was asleep, her dark hair spread across the pillow, her face peaceful. The baby lay in a clear bassinet beside her, wrapped in a white blanket, his tiny chest rising and falling with each small breath.

"David," Rhys said quietly.

David turned. "Boss."

"I'm going to the estate. Quick shower, change of clothes. I'll be back in two hours."

David nodded. "She'll be safe."