Chapter 5 - The Secret Inside the SafeBack in Boston, Gabriel had brought Clara back to his penthouse—not because the adoption was finalized, but because a judge had granted an emergency temporary placement order under the urgent supervision of social services, heavily expedited by Mendes Corp’s formidable legal pressure.
The penthouse looked less like a home and more like a minimalist art museum. Cold marble floors, floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and stark white walls.
Clara stood in the center of the massive living room, her small backpack clutched tightly in her arms, looking around in awe.
"Is this where you live?" she asked, her voice echoing in the cavernous space.
"Yes," Gabriel said, feeling suddenly self-conscious of how sterile and unwelcoming his home looked through a child's eyes. "It's... a bit quiet, I know. But we can change that. You can choose any room you want for your bedroom."
Clara walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, pressing her small hands against the glass as she looked out over the glittering Boston harbor. "Mom said you lived in a castle made of glass. She said you built it to keep the world out."
Gabriel swallowed hard, walking up behind her. He placed a tentative hand on her small shoulder—a gesture so foreign to him that his muscles locked up. But Clara didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned back against his leg, just like she used to do with her mother.
"Your mother was right about a lot of things," Gabriel murmured.
Suddenly, a sharp chime echoed from the hallway. Regina stepped out of the private elevator, her expression grim, holding a thick manila envelope.
"Sir, we have a problem," Regina said, casting a nervous glance at Clara.
"Take Clara to the media room," Gabriel instructed gently, handing the girl a tablet loaded with animation. "There are cartoons on there. I'll be right back."
Once Clara was safely out of earshot in the adjoining room, Gabriel turned on Regina. "What is it?"
"It's not about the board," Regina said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "An hour ago, the probate court in Cambridge notified us. Someone contested the emergency custody order."
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. "Who? The state?"
"No," Regina said, sliding a document out of the envelope. "A man. A man named Arthur Vance. He filed a petition claiming he is a blood relative of Lucia Martinez's estate, holding power of attorney over her personal belongings—including a private safety deposit box that was never opened."
Gabriel snatched the document from her hands. His eyes scanned the legal jargon until they hit a name that made his blood run cold.
Arthur Vance.
The uncle of Victor Vance.
"Why would a Vance be involved with Lucia?" Gabriel demanded, a terrifying realization beginning to dawn in the back of his mind.
"I don't know, sir," Regina said, her voice shaking. "But according to the court filing, that safety deposit box contains a document dated three months ago—signed by Lucia Martinez on her deathbed."
Gabriel’s heart hammered against his ribs. "What does the document say?"
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"It's a declaration of paternity," Regina whispered. "And an alternate custody assignment. Lucia didn't just name you as her first choice... she named Victor Vance as the legal trustee of her estate if you refused to claim her within thirty days of her passing."
The room spun around Gabriel. It wasn't a coincidence. The media leak, the sudden appearance of the adoption challenge, the hostile takeover at Mendes Corp—it was all a trap orchestrated by the Vances to steal everything he loved, including the daughter he had just found.
