The echo of the cane striking the floor faded into the sterile walls of the VIP hospital room. Axel stood perfectly still. He glared at his grandmother in furious, suffocating silence.
Madam Sterling stepped closer to him. She lowered her voice, ensuring only he could hear the venom in her tone.
"The board is already looking for a reason to oust you, Axel," she reminded him. "Your violent reputation is a liability. A wife and a child will stabilize your image. Do not test me."
Axel let out a bitter, humorless chuckle. His chest rose and fell heavily. He acknowledged that the old woman had played her trump card perfectly. His mother's shares were the only thing he actually cared about.
He gave a single, sharp nod. His eyes never left Eleanora's trembling form on the examination bed.
Madam Sterling smiled in grim satisfaction. She turned to Jayson, who stood rigidly by the door.
"Draft the marriage documents immediately," she ordered.
Jayson nodded with professional efficiency. He pulled out his encrypted tablet and began typing rapidly, contacting the family's elite legal team.
Madam Sterling approached the bed. She reached out and patted Eleanora's cold hand gently.
"Do not worry, my dear," Madam Sterling promised. "The Sterling family protects its own."
Eleanora lowered her gaze. She forced her shoulders to slump. "Thank you, Madam," she whispered politely. She played the role of the timid, grateful victim flawlessly. Inside, her mind was already calculating her next move.
Madam Sterling turned and walked out of the hospital room. Her four elite bodyguards followed her in perfect synchronization.
The heavy double doors clicked shut.
The atmosphere in the room instantly dropped back to freezing.
Axel slowly walked toward the bed. His footsteps were deliberate. The hard leather of his shoes clicked against the linoleum like a predator stalking cornered prey.
Eleanora pulled her knees to her chest. She pressed her back against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible on the crinkling paper of the examination table.
Axel stopped right beside her. He leaned down. He placed one hand on the wall behind her head, trapping her. His face was inches from her masked cheek.
"You might have won the old lady over," Axel whispered. His breath was hot against her skin. "But to me, you are nothing but a temporary incubator."
Eleanora forced herself to look up. She met his dark, furious eyes. Her heart raced, but she refused to look away.
Axel raised his hand. His thumb roughly traced the upper edge of her white medical mask. He pressed just hard enough to test her flinch response.
Eleanora held her breath, terrified he would rip it off and expose her healed skin.
"If anything happens to that child before it is born," Axel warned, his voice a low scrape of gravel, "I will personally ensure you disappear into the East River. Do you understand me?"
Eleanora swallowed the dry lump in her throat. She gave a slow, jerky nod to show she understood the gravity of his lethal threat.
Axel stepped back. He wiped his thumb against his trousers, visibly disgusted by the proximity. He grabbed his suit jacket from the plastic chair.
"Get dressed," he ordered sharply. "You are moving into my penthouse today. I am going to monitor your every single move."
He turned his back and strode out of the room. He slammed the door so hard the glass medical cabinets rattled.
Eleanora let out a long, shaky breath. Her hands gripped the edge of the mattress to stop the violent trembling in her fingers.
A minute later, a nurse entered timidly. She handed Eleanora her folded clothes and a discharge paper, refusing to make eye contact.
Eleanora took the clothes into the attached bathroom. She changed quickly, splashing freezing water on her forehead to ground her racing nervous system.
She stepped out into the hallway. Jayson was waiting for her. His expression was completely impassive.
"Mr. Sterling has already left for the corporate office," Jayson informed her. "I will escort you to the residence."
Eleanora followed him out of the hospital. She ignored the curious stares of the private security staff.
She climbed into the back of a waiting black SUV. The premium leather seats felt cold against her skin.
Jayson got into the driver's seat. He pressed a button, and the thick, soundproof privacy divider rolled up, leaving Eleanora in complete, isolated silence.
As the heavy vehicle pulled away from the curb, Eleanora rested her hand on her stomach. Her fear slowly hardened into cold resolve. She would use this forced marriage. She would use the Sterling family's power to destroy the Caldwells for what they did to her.
