Chapter 1 - The Invisible Shield
The folder in my hand was bound in black leather, stamped with the insignia of Vance, Sterling & Associates—the most ruthless corporate law firm on the East Coast.
"Dad?" Emily’s voice was barely a whisper above the crackle of the fireplace. "Ryan said we didn't have a prenuptial agreement. He laughed about it the morning of the wedding. He said he was glad your pride kept you from asking."
"Ryan married the daughter of a retired mechanic, Emily. That's what I wanted him to believe," I said, sitting down across from her, my eyes fixing on the flash drive in my palm. "But he didn't marry a woman without protection. The house you two live in? The one his mother just locked you out of? It doesn't belong to Ryan. It doesn't even belong to his family's firm. It belongs to a subsidiary of Northstar Logistics."
Emily blinked, her tear-stained face registering pure shock. "The estate? Ryan told me his mother bought it for us as a wedding gift."
"Margaret bought a shell company that leased the land," I explained coldly. "But the underlying deed belongs to me. Two years ago, I put a clause in the property registry. If you were ever evicted, or if a third party moved into that house without your written consent, the lease instantly terminates, and the occupants become illegal trespassers."
I dialed my personal attorney, Arthur Sterling. He answered on the second ring, despite it being Christmas Eve.
May you like
"Arthur. It's Marcus," I said, my voice dead and heavy. "Ryan just threw Emily and the baby out into the storm. He brought a mistress into the Northstar estate. His mother put hands on my daughter."
There was a pause on the line, followed by the sharp, terrifying sound of a top-tier lawyer locking into battle mode. "Say no more, Marcus. I'll have the emergency eviction order signed by a judge within the hour. By sunrise, Ryan and his mother will find out exactly who they've been playing with."
