Chapter 1: The First Move
Khloe woke beneath the harsh lights of the operating room to the steady rhythm of hospital monitors. Pain radiated through every bone in her body, but the first thing she noticed was the emptiness beneath her hands.
Her swollen stomach was gone.
Panic surged through her.
"My baby..."
A nurse gently squeezed her shoulder.
"Your daughter survived. She's in the neonatal intensive care unit. She's very small, but she's fighting."
Relief came only for a moment before another question escaped her trembling lips.
"My brother?"
The door opened.
Harrison Cole entered without a word.
His tailored suit had been replaced by a simple dark overcoat, but the dried blood still stained the cuff of his white shirt. It was Khloe's blood.
He walked to her bedside and placed a tiny knitted pink cap into her hands.
"She weighs four pounds," he said quietly.
"She has your eyes."
Khloe burst into tears.
For the first time since the courthouse, Harrison allowed himself to smile.
Only for a second.
Then his phone vibrated.
His investigator had sent a single message.
Vanessa Kensington has disappeared. Richard Harrington emptied another $12 million two hours ago. Private jet scheduled for the Cayman Islands tomorrow morning.
Harrison's eyes hardened.
"They're running."
Khloe looked at him.
"What are you going to do?"
May you like
He calmly buttoned his coat.
"I'm going to make sure they never leave Pennsylvania."
