Chapter 18 - Breaking Point
The courtroom erupted into quiet murmurs. Richard Vance sat at the prosecution table, his jaw clenched so tightly his facial muscles twitched.
"Objection!" Vance's lead counsel shouted. "Speculation and slander!"
"Overruled," Justice Henderson stated sharply, staring directly at Julian. "The witness will answer the question."
"I... I am the rightful heir to the Vance estate," Julian stuttered, completely breaking down under the pressure. "Miles belongs in London! He belongs in the family business!"
"He is a six-year-old child, Mr. Vance, not a corporate asset," Eleanor said coolly, sitting back down.
However, the drama was far from over. Just as Eleanor finished her cross-examination, Marcus Sterling leaned over and whispered frantically into Richard Vance’s ear. Richard’s lips curled into a cold, triumphant smile.
Minutes later, during a short recess, Arthur Davenport rushed into the private consultation room where Thomas, Eleanor, and I were reviewing our final notes.
"Claire! Thomas!" Arthur gasped, out of breath, his face pale as chalk. "It's Miles!"
Panic seized my chest instantly. "What happened? Is he okay? Where is he?"
"The court-appointed child guardian, Dr. Aris, was conducting her home evaluation at my apartment," Arthur explained rapidly. "Marcus Sterling’s operatives alerted the local child protective services, claiming there was an unauthorized security breach at the apartment. CPS officers and two police constables have just arrived at the building—they are threatening to place Miles in temporary emergency foster care until the judge issues his verdict!"
"No!" I shrieked, my world spinning out of control. "They can't take him!"
Thomas caught me before my knees could give way. His eyes were ablaze with a terrifying intensity.
"They are trying to provoke us into committing a crime," Thomas realized instantly. "They want us to rush over there, breach the police line, and get arrested for obstructing justice so the judge deems us unfit parents."
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"What do we do?" I sobbed, clutching Thomas’s jacket. "Thomas, please, don't let them put Miles in a shelter!"
"We don't run into their trap," Thomas said, his mind moving at lightning speed. "We use their own weapons against them."
