Chapter 4 - Unraveling the Web
The digital clock on the mantel ticked silently, reading 11:45 PM. Christmas Eve was slipping away, but time had lost all meaning. In my arms, little Julian shifted, letting out a soft, contented sigh before settling back into a deep sleep.
"Harrison & Croft," I muttered, the name of our family law firm tasting like ash in my mouth. For over a decade, I had trusted senior partner Richard Croft with every corporate merger, every patent acquisition, and every personal asset. If my mother had used them to set up a secret trust and draft illegal custody documents behind my back, Richard had to be neck-deep in the conspiracy.
"You believe me, then?" Maren asked softly, watching my face for any sign of doubt. "You don't think I'm making this up to punish you for the divorce?"
I looked up from the baby and met her eyes, feeling a profound wave of shame. "Maren, when we were married, my mother told me once that love was a distraction from true power. I thought she was just being cynical. I had no idea she was running my life like a board meeting." I shifted Julian carefully into one arm and reached out, gently covering her hand with mine. Her skin was cold, but she didn't pull away. "I am so sorry. For the divorce, for not being there when you needed me, and for letting a monster like my mother anywhere near you."
Maren let out a long, shaky breath, her thumb brushing against my wrist. "She threatened me, Everett. She said if I went to the police or tried to call you, she would use your company's legal team to sue me into bankruptcy, claiming I was an unfit mother suffering from postpartum psychosis. She had psychiatrists lined up and ready to testify."
My blood ran cold. Eleanor was capable of that—and worse. She had built our family's fortune on ruthless corporate takeovers, treating human beings like chess pieces to be sacrificed for the greater good of the brand. But this wasn't a hostile acquisition of a startup; this was my flesh and blood.
"She won't get away with it," I said, my voice dropping into the cold, flat tone I reserved for my most cutthroat business negotiations. "Not this time."
"What are you going to do?" Maren asked, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and hope.
"First, we secure Julian," I said firmly, standing up with the baby cradled securely against my chest. "My mother thinks she's playing a game of chess, but she forgot one crucial detail: I am the CEO of the company she used to fund her little operation. Every transaction leaves a digital footprint, and every lawyer has a price or a breaking point."
"Everett, it's Christmas Day in fifteen minutes," Maren said, standing up with me. "You can't go storming into corporate offices tonight."
"No," I agreed, a grim smile touching the corners of my mouth. "We aren't going to the office. We're going to see my mother."
May you like
Maren froze, taking a half-step back. "Tonight? Are you out of your mind? If she sees me there—if she realizes you know—she'll retaliate."
"She won't have time to retaliate," I said, pulling my phone from my coat pocket with my free hand. "Because tonight, we're crashing her annual Christmas Eve gala at the estate, and I'm bringing my entire family along for the surprise."
