Chapter 4 - The Predator’s Demand
"You have no right to be here, old man," Chloe chimed in, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "And you," she pointed a manicured finger at Lucy, "are coming with us. We need you to sign over your mother’s trust fund paperwork. Your father can't access the accounts without your signature on the co-guardian release."
The truth clicked in my mind like a padlock snapping shut. Arthur didn't want the girls—but he desperately wanted the massive inheritance Rose's maternal family had set up for them. He had planned to dump the girls in foster care after forcing them to sign over their rights to the trust.
"She is twelve years old, Arthur!" I roared, stepping between him and Lucy. "She isn't signing anything. And you aren't taking a single dime of Rose’s legacy!"
Arthur laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "You think you can stop me? I have the best lawyers in Savannah. On Monday morning, I’m filing a petition declaring you unfit due to your age and financial status. I’ll have the state take these brats, and as their legal biological father, I will retain control of the estate until they are of age—which, conveniently, my lawyers can stretch out indefinitely."
He raised the golf club slightly, step by step encroaching on us. "Now, hand over the box."
Lucy didn't flinch. Instead, she slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out her smartphone. She tapped the screen.
A loud, crystal-clear voice echoed through the wooden playhouse. It was Arthur’s voice, but it wasn't from tonight. It was a recording from three months ago.
"If you don't take the pills, Rose, I’ll make sure the girls suffer. I’ll make sure they end up in the system where nobody can find them. Just sign the power of attorney. Do it, and I’ll let you see your father one last time."
Arthur froze. The color drained from his face.
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"What is that?" Chloe whispered, her smug smile vanishing. "Arthur... what is that?"
"It's over, Arthur," Lucy said, her voice steady and cold as ice. "We have dozens of these. Every time you screamed at Mom, every time you threatened her, she recorded it. And she gave them to me."
