“Lower your weapons.”
The voice was not loud, but it carried the weight of a gavel strike.
William Croft stood in the open doorway. He was drenched from the rain, his chest heaving, his eyes burning with a cold, terrifying fire. He didn’t look at Dominic. He looked straight at the officers.
“Mr. Croft,” the lead officer said, relaxing slightly. “We are executing the order as requested by your grandmother. Ms. Vance is–“
“Ms. Vance is leaving with me,” William interrupted, walking into the room.
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that, sir,” Dr. Aris stepped forward. “The court order grants custody to Lady Beatrice. As the grandmother of the unborn child–“
“The grandmother has no rights,” William stated, stepping past Dominic to stand directly in front of Victoria. He turned to face the room, placing a hand on Victoria’s shoulder. “Not when the husband is present.”
Victoria froze. She looked up at him, confused. “William… we’re divorced.”
William looked down at her, his expression a mix of shame and fierce possessiveness. Then he looked back at the officers.
“We are not divorced,” William declared. “I never filed the papers.”
The room went silent. Victoria’s mouth fell open. Dominic stiffened.
“I signed them,” Victoria whispered, the betrayal washing over her. “Months ago. I signed them.”
“And I put them in a safe,” William said, his voice low. “I never sent them to the court. You are still legally Victoria Croft. I am your next of kin. I am your medical proxy. And I am overriding this order.”
He glared at Dr. Aris. “If you try to touch my wife again, I will sue you, the department, and the hospital into oblivion. Get out.”
The officers looked at each other, then at the doctor. The legal hierarchy was clear: the husband outranked the grandmother. The warrant was null and void.
“We’re done here,” the officer said, holstering his taser. He signaled his team to leave.