Chapter 12 - The Return of the Ghost
The next morning, I drove the kids to school with white-knuckled grips on the steering wheel. Every car behind us looked like a tail; every stranger on the sidewalk looked like a threat. Ethan, intuitive beyond his seven years, watched me quietly from the rearview mirror.
"Dad? Are we safe?" he asked softly.
I forced a smile, swallowing the bile in my throat. "Always, bud. Just thinking about a big project."
When I returned home, a sleek black town car was parked in my driveway. A woman stepped out. Her sharp, tailored suit and icy demeanor brought back instant memories of courtrooms and betrayal. It was Victoria Vance, my father’s former chief legal counsel—and the woman who had helped Sarah orchestrate the first wave of attacks against me.
"What are you doing here, Victoria? Call your dogs off, or I’ll have the police arrest you for trespassing," I snarled, stepping out of the car.
"I’d watch your tone, Marcus," she replied, her voice smooth as silk. "I’m not the one you should be afraid of. Your father’s conviction is being reviewed. A technicality in the wiretap evidence. He could be out on bail by the end of the month."
May you like
My world tilted. Twelve years was supposed to mean twelve years.
"And that’s not all," Victoria smiled, a venomous, triumphant expression. "Sarah has found a benefactor. Someone wealthy enough to fund a new custody petition under a different jurisdiction. You thought you bought your freedom by walking away from the company, Marcus. But you only made yourself an easier target."
