Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary of Vance Manor
The fifteen minutes felt like fifteen hours, but precisely on time, the heavy oak door didn't shake with a slam, but echoed with three firm, polite knocks. Caleb peered through the peephole to see two paramedics in pristine white uniforms, flanked by a tall, silver-haired man in a tailored charcoal suit. The man’s face was etched with deep lines of worry, but his eyes were sharp and piercing.
Caleb unlocked the door.
Arthur Vance didn't hesitate. He bypassed the paramedics, stepping into the cramped, suffocating apartment. His eyes locked onto the couch where Ellen lay, pale and diminished. With a choked cry, the billionaire tycoon dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around his daughter.
"Look at what he did to you," Arthur whispered, his hands trembling as he brushed a strand of damp hair from her forehead. "I will make him pay for this, Ellen. Every single cent, every single teardrop. I swear it to you."
"Grandfather?" Caleb asked softly from the doorway.
Arthur turned, his gaze softening completely as he looked at the boy. He stood up, walking over to Caleb, and knelt down to be at eye level with him. He placed a large, warm hand on Caleb’s shoulder. "You saved her, Caleb. You kept her safe. You have your mother’s courage."
The paramedics moved efficiently, transferring Ellen to a specialized gurney. Within minutes, they were downstairs, bypassing the crowded streets in a state-of-the-art private ambulance. Caleb sat by his mother's side, holding her hand, while Arthur sat opposite them, making a series of quiet, intense phone calls.
"I want the best oncologists and pulmonary specialists at Vance Memorial Hospital waiting at the bay," Arthur ordered into his phone. "And call Marcus. Tell him I need my chief legal counsel at the hospital immediately. We are initiating an emergency asset freeze and filing for immediate divorce and criminal abandonment."
They arrived at Vance Memorial, a world-class facility funded largely by Arthur’s conglomerate. Ellen was whisked away through double doors into a private wing, surrounded by a team of elite doctors. Caleb wanted to run after her, but Arthur gently held him back.
"She is in the best hands now, Caleb. Come, let’s get you cleaned up and fed."
Arthur took Caleb to Vance Manor, a breathtaking estate nestled on a hill overlooking the coastline. It was a stark contrast to the cramped, dark apartment they had left behind. The halls were lined with warmth, history, and portraits—including one of a young Ellen, smiling and vibrant.
As Caleb ate a warm meal prepared by the estate's chef, Arthur sat across from him, looking at the platinum credit card Caleb had picked up from the apartment floor.
"Your father thought he was clever," Arthur said, a cold, dangerous smile playing on his lips. "He thought by draining Ellen’s personal accounts, he could leave her to die and claim the remainder of her life insurance and whatever he could extract. But he made a fatal mistake."
"What mistake?" Caleb asked.
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"He forgot who her father is," Arthur replied, tapping the table. "And he doesn't know that the apartment you were living in? I bought the entire building through a shell company last month. I was preparing to force him out legally. But now, he has handed us the weapon to destroy him."
Arthur leaned forward. "Tomorrow, the real battle begins. But for tonight, you rest. You are a Vance, Caleb. And no one hurts a Vance without facing the consequences."
