“No, wait,” Ryan said, holding up his hands. “There’s no need for that.”

He looked at me, his eyes narrowing into slits.

“You’re making a massive mistake, Emma,” he said.

“The mistake was marrying you,” I said.

“You think you can handle a custody battle?” Ryan asked, stepping closer to Victoria. “My family owns half the commercial real estate in this city.”

“And your family is about to be exposed in a public court of law,” Thomas said.

He tapped his jacket pocket, where the digital recorder was hidden.

Ryan noticed the gesture, and his eyes darted to the yellowed papers peaking out from under my blanket.

“What is that?” Ryan asked, reaching toward the bed.

Laura blocked him, stepping between him and my blanket.

“Get out, Ryan,” Laura said.

“This isn’t over,” Ryan said.

He adjusted his jacket and looked at Victoria.

“We will see who the court deems fit to care for a newborn,” Ryan said.

He looked at me one last time, a strange, triumphant smile touching his lips.

“You’re not well, Emma,” he said softly. “Everyone in this hospital knows what you went through.”