The silence in the hallway deepened into something suffocating.
“Avery,” Thomas said. His voice was a low rumble, the sound of thunder rolling over dark water. “Did he touch you?”
“No, Daddy,” Avery said, her voice steady, perfectly calibrated. “He didn't touch me. He just held her waist and laughed while she punched me.”
Brooke Keating let out a sharp, panicked breath. “It was an accident! She stepped into it! She’s crazy, I swear, I didn't—”
“Shut your mouth,” Thomas said softly.
He didn't yell. He didn't raise his voice. But the sheer, localized absolute zero of his tone made Brooke’s jaw snap shut so fast her teeth clicked.
Thomas finally turned his gaze to Grant.
Grant swallowed hard, a bead of sweat tracing the line of his perfectly groomed jaw. “Thomas, listen to me. This is a misunderstanding. Brooke was just emotional, and Avery provoked her. You know how pregnant women get. Let’s go to my office and sort this out. I am the CEO of this hospital, for God’s sake.”