Chapter 4 - The Puppet Master
The ride back from the warehouse was suffocatingly quiet. The revelation hung between Roman and me like a heavy smoke.
Victoria Voss. The matriarch of the family, the elegant widow of Roman's father, and the woman who had spent the last decade positioning herself as the moral authority of Chicago's elite society. She had always treated Roman with cold distance while openly favoring her biological son, Julian.
"If Victoria was behind this," I said softly, staring out at the passing skyline, "then Julian's death... was that really an accident?"
"No," Roman said coldly, his fingers tightening around his armrest. "Julian was unstable. He was a gambler and a loose end. Victoria likely used him to secure the children—and once Julian obtained the heirs needed to claim my father's fifty-billion-dollar trust, she eliminated him to consolidate total control as the children's legal guardian."
"Except Julian unexpected named you as their guardian in his finalized legal will before he died," I realized, the pieces of the sinister puzzle clicking together.
"Exactly," Roman agreed, turning to look at me. "Julian knew his mother was dangerous. Naming me was his final act of self-preservation. But Victoria couldn't push me out without creating a public scandal. She was waiting for the right moment to contest my custody... until you appeared."
"I am her worst nightmare," I whispered. "I'm the biological mother. If I am alive and present, her entire narrative falls apart."
"Which means you are in immense danger," Roman said, his gaze softening with a deep, intense concern that sent a warm pulse through my chest. "Victoria will realize Thorne has compromised her position within hours. She will strike."
"Let her try," I said fiercely. "I spent fourteen months believing I had nothing left to lose. But now I have my children back. I'm not running."
Roman reached out, his hand gently grasping mine. The gesture was unexpected, sending a subtle shockwave through my nervous system. "You won't have to fight her alone, Pamela. I will burn the entire Voss empire to the ground before I let anyone separate you from our children again."
When we returned to the estate, the grand entry hall was filled with armed security officers moving with urgent precision. Marcus stepped forward, holding a silver tray with a formal, wax-sealed envelope resting upon it.
"It arrived ten minutes ago via private courier," Marcus reported grimly. "From Victoria Voss's legal council."
Roman picked up the envelope, slicing it open with a sleek silver letter opener. He read the contents, his eyes narrowing into cold slits of steel.
"What is it?" I asked, my anxiety spiking.
May you like
"A summons," Roman replied, handing the paper to me. "Victoria has called an emergency board meeting of the Voss Enterprise Conglomerate for tomorrow morning. She is filing an injunction to revoke my guardianship of the triplets, citing unfit living conditions and psychological instability."
He looked into my eyes, a dark, dangerous smile touching his lips. "She wants a battle. Tomorrow, we give her a execution."
