Chapter 6 - The Custody Threat
Julian looked wildly around the room, desperately searching for a lifeline that didn't exist.
His eyes landed on Lily, who was standing safely by the doorway in Sebastian’s arms.
A twisted, desperate look crossed Julian’s face.
“You can take the company, but you can't take my daughter!” Julian shouted, pointing a shaking finger at me.
“I have parental rights! I'll drag you through family court for years!”
I didn't even flinch at his pathetic threat.
Suddenly, the heavy doors at the back of the room opened once more.
My oldest brother, Arthur, the State Governor, walked in flanked by four armed state troopers.
The room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Arthur adjusted his glasses, looking at Julian with a mixture of pity and extreme disgust.
“You really should read the corporate documents you sign, Julian,” Arthur said smoothly.
Arthur pulled a folded piece of paper from his tailored vest.
“When we bailed out your failing firm three years ago, we buried a clause in the equity transfer,” Arthur explained.
“You signed away all legal, financial, and custody rights to Lily in exchange for the capital.”
Julian gasped, clutching his chest as if he had just been shot.
“That’s illegal!” Julian screamed.
“It is entirely legal when it is drafted by the best lawyers in the world and signed by an idiot,” Arthur countered.
“You have no rights, Julian.”
“You have no daughter, no company, and no future.”
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I looked at the man I had loved, realizing there was absolutely nothing left of him but a hollow, greedy shell.
He had traded everything for a facade, and now the facade was crumbling to dust.
