Chapter 6 - The Trap ClosesThe rain began to lash against the glass windows of the penthouse as the storm broke overhead. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with impending war.
Gabriel stood by his mahogany desk, his phone pressed to his ear, listening to the frantic voice of his lead corporate attorney.
"Mr. Mendes, if Arthur Vance enforces that deathbed trust agreement in court tomorrow morning, the judge will have no choice but to grant temporary guardianship to the Vance family," the lawyer warned. "They have legal possession of the signature, the notarized documents, and the medical waivers."
"How is that possible?" Gabriel roared, slamming his fist onto the desk. "Lucia didn't know the Vances! Why would she sign anything naming them?"
"We don't know yet, sir. But Victor Vance has already filed an emergency injunction. They are dispatching social services to remove Clara from your custody within the hour."
Gabriel cut the line. He turned around slowly.
Clara was standing in the doorway of the office, holding her worn photograph of him and Lucia. Her green eyes were wide with fear, reflecting the flashing red lights of police cruisers and news vans gathering on the street far below.
"Are bad people coming to take me away?" Clara asked, her voice trembling.
Gabriel crossed the room in two long strides, dropping to his knees in front of her. He took her small, cold hands in his.
"Listen to me, Clara," Gabriel said, looking deep into her eyes with fierce, unshakable determination. "Nobody is taking you anywhere. Do you hear me? You are my daughter. And I built an empire to protect what's mine. Nobody takes my family twice."
Before Clara could answer, the private elevator chime chimed loudly.
Ding.
The doors slid open.
Standing in the marble foyer was a towering figure in a bespoke gray suit, flanked by two state social workers and a local sheriff holding a court-mandated custody transfer order.
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It wasn't Arthur Vance. It was Victor Vance himself, wearing a triumphant, predatory smile that made his eyes look like shards of ice.
"Good afternoon, cousin," Victor drawled, stepping out of the elevator. "Or should I say... congratulations on finally meeting your daughter. Too bad your custody rights just expired."
