Chapter 8 - The Fall of the Matriarch
The fallout was immediate and catastrophic for Eleanor.
By the next morning, the local news stations were running the story of the wealthy Atlanta socialite arrested for poisoning her own grandson for a trust fund. The hospital board convened an emergency meeting and voted unanimously to strip her of her position, citing the forged medical documents that Thomas the lawyer handed over to the FBI.
Marcus's brother, David—the one whose son Eleanor was trying to secure the money for—publicly disowned her, terrified of being implicated in the conspiracy. She was entirely isolated. Denied bail due to her wealth and flight risk, Eleanor was forced to await her trial in a cold, concrete county jail cell.
But none of that mattered to me.
What mattered was the steady beep of the heart monitor in Leo’s room, growing stronger and more rhythmic by the hour.
Three days later, Leo opened his big brown eyes.
"Mommy?" he rasped, his voice small and tired.
May you like
I burst into tears, leaning over the bed and kissing his forehead a hundred times. "I'm right here, my sweet boy. Mommy and Daddy are right here."
Marcus leaned over, his strong shoulders shaking as he buried his face in Leo’s neck. "You're safe, buddy. I promise you. Nobody is ever going to hurt you again."
