Chapter 4 - The Legal Storm Brewing
News of Gabriel Mendes’s sudden personal shift sent shockwaves through the corporate headquarters of Mendes Corp. Within forty-eight hours, the financial news networks were flooded with speculation. Was the ruthless billionaire stepping down? Had the scandal from the subsidiary forced an early retirement? None of them guessed the real reason: a seven-year-old girl with green eyes.
In the executive boardroom on the 47th floor, Regina paced back and forth, her tablet flashing with urgent notifications.
"Sir, the board is in an absolute panic," Regina said, her voice laced with anxiety. "Shares dipped by 2.3% yesterday afternoon because rumors leaked that you're liquidating personal assets to fund a private foundation and pursuing a complex adoption case. Investors want stability, not a sudden fatherhood narrative."
Gabriel sat at the head of the massive glass table, casually twirling his grandfather's silver pocket watch. His expression was serene, a stark contrast to the frantic energy in the room.
"Let them panic," Gabriel replied coldly. "Mendes Corp's financial fundamentals are stronger than ever. If a minor market fluctuation scares our investors, they are free to sell."
"It's not just the investors, Gabriel," a sharp voice interrupted from the doorway. It was Marcus Vance, the senior board member and Gabriel’s most formidable internal rival. Marcus stepped into the room, flanked by two corporate lawyers. "The board has provisions for leadership incapacitation. If your personal life—or this sudden charity obsession—begins to compromise our upcoming merger with Sterling Global, we will trigger a vote of no confidence."
Gabriel stood up slowly. He didn't raise his voice, but the sudden drop in temperature within the room was palpable. He walked toward Marcus until he stood towering over him, his dark eyes locked onto the older man's face.
"Marcus," Gabriel said softly, his voice like grinding ice. "In the last ten years, I have made every single person in this room richer than their wildest dreams. I built this empire brick by brick, and I can dismantle it just as easily if I choose. If you ever question my priorities again while I am in the middle of securing my family's future, I will strip you of your voting shares before you can finish your next sentence."
Marcus swallowed hard, taking an involuntary step back. The boardroom fell into absolute silence. No one dared to challenge him.
"Now, get out of my office," Gabriel commanded. "I have a family to pick up."
Leaving the stunned executives behind, Gabriel walked out of the skyscraper and climbed into his car. But as he drove toward Sunshine House, a new shadow cast itself over his mind. While he could easily intimidate boardroom executives and buy off hostile investors, the legal battle for Clara was an entirely different beast.
When he arrived at the orphanage, Catherine met him with a grave expression, holding a thick Manila folder.
"Gabriel, we have a complication," she said as they sat in her office. "Social services conducted an initial review. Because Lucia Martinez listed no father on Clara's birth certificate, and because you have no legal proof of paternity, establishing your rights isn't just a matter of filing paperwork."
"What does it require?" Gabriel asked, his jaw tightening.
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"A formal paternity test," Catherine said softly. "And worse... there is a maternal aunt living in Chicago—Elena Martinez. She was estranged from Lucia for years, but according to state family law, she has legal priority as next of kin if she chooses to contest custody."
Gabriel stared at the folder. A legal battle against a biological relative who hated the Martinez family name, combined with the glare of the media spotlight, threatened to tear his fragile new world apart before it even began.
