Chapter 4 - The Predator Returns
"Stay away from me," Clara hissed, her maternal instincts flaring into pure adrenaline. She reached into her purse, her fingers wrapping tightly around her keys.
Julian didn't flinch. He stepped closer, his eyes scanning her expensive wool coat—a gift from his father. "You look well. Upgrading your wardrobe, I see. My father always was a sucker for a stray."
"How did you find me?"
"Please, Clara. Do you really think an old man checking a baby into a VIP suite under the name 'Vance' wouldn't trigger my alerts?" Julian laughed, a hollow, soulless sound. "I've been watching you for weeks. You've made quite a cozy little nest in my inheritance."
"You don't have an inheritance," Clara shot back, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Your father told me everything. You're a thief."
Julian’s smirk vanished, replaced by a flash of genuine rage. "My father is a sentimental old fool. But my grandfather... now he was a visionary." Julian leaned in close, smelling of expensive cologne and malice. "Grandfather Vance passed away last month, Clara. And he left behind a five-hundred-million-dollar trust. But he was obsessed with legacy."
Clara felt a sickening realization wash over her.
"The trust only unlocks for his heirs if they produce a male bloodline to carry on the Vance name," Julian whispered, his eyes gleaming with greed. "I need the boy, Clara. I'll give you two million dollars to walk away right now. You can go back to your pathetic little life, and I get my son."
"I will kill you before I let you touch him," Clara spat, the ferocity in her voice surprising even herself.
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Julian took a step back, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Suit yourself. But remember, Clara, I have resources you can't even fathom. You're a high-school-educated baker with a history of depression. I'm a Vance. Let's see who the courts favor."
He turned and walked away, blending into the busy street. Clara collapsed against the side of her car, gasping for air. The nightmare wasn't over. It was just beginning.
