Chapter 7 - Confrontation in the Garden
Julian Vance swept his eyes over the rural wedding setting with obvious condescension before his gaze landed squarely on me.
"Sophia," Julian said smoothly, stepping into the grassy garden as if he owned the soil beneath his feet. "I had a feeling I’d find you here. Your sister’s wedding was mentioned on the local town board."
I stood frozen, my hands trembling as I instinctively took a step back toward Emma. "Julian... what are you doing here?"
"I heard a rumor back in Manhattan that you’ve been living in a grand estate," Julian chuckled coldly, adjusting his gold cufflinks. "I came to inform you that I’ve hired a new legal team. I’m petitioning the New York family court for full paternity testing and custody rights for Lily."
A collective gasp rippled through the gathered family members. My father stepped forward, his fists clenched, but Julian didn't even look at him.
"You can't do that," I choked out, horror cold and absolute flooding my veins. "You paid me to leave! You threatened my career!"
"I have no record of that," Julian smiled wickedly, pulling a sheaf of legal papers from his briefcase. "What I do have is a high-income profile, a tenured department head position at Columbia, and a stable home. A court will easily decide that a struggling housekeeper isn't fit to raise my child."
"She’s not a struggling housekeeper," a dark, resonant voice thundered from behind me.
Julian paused, his smile fading slightly as Dominic stepped out from beneath the shade of the willow tree.
Dominic walked slowly, deliberately, his presence filling the garden like a storm front rolling over the mountains. He paused beside me, slipping his arm around my waist, his cold gaze locking onto Julian Vance.
"And who the hell are you?" Julian sneered, trying to maintain his composure. "Her lawyer?"
"I’m Dominic Moretti," he replied quietly.
Julian’s face visibly drained of color. The arrogance evaporated from his eyes in an instant, replaced by a sudden, pathetic terror. Every academic board and private university in New York depended on grants funded directly by Moretti Enterprise foundations.
"M-Mr. Moretti..." Julian stammered, his legal papers trembling in his hand. "I... I didn't realize Sophia was associated with you."
"Sophia is my partner," Dominic said, his voice dropping into that chilling, lethal tone he reserved for his worst corporate enemies. "And if you ever set foot within fifty feet of her or her daughter again, I will personally pull every dollar of funding from your department, launch a formal investigation into your past relationships with female students, and ensure you are stripped of your tenure before the month is out."
Julian swallowed hard, taking an instinctive step backward toward his car. "This... this is a private family matter—"
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"This is my family matter," Dominic interrupted, taking one heavy step toward him. "Leave. Now."
Julian didn't say another word. He practically sprinted back to his Mercedes, threw his briefcase into the passenger seat, and sped out of the gravel driveway in a cloud of dust.
