Chapter 6 - The Paper Trail
My father froze, his hand tightening around his car keys until his knuckles turned white. He looked at Evelyn, then at the thick legal folder in her hand, his eyes darting frantically as he tried to calculate his next move.
"This is a family matter, Ms. Vance," Richard said, trying to regain his commanding tone. "Olivia is my daughter. She is recovering, and she needs to be at home where we can care for her."
"Home?" Evelyn let out a soft, mocking laugh. "You mean the home where she was drugged with prescription-grade sedatives before her accident? Or perhaps the home where you planned to keep her isolated while your wife recovered using sixty percent of Olivia’s liver?"
Vanessa’s eyes widened. She stepped forward, her voice rising in pitch. "That’s a lie! She wanted to do it! She’s our sister!"
"Your sister is currently my client," Evelyn said, stepping directly between Vanessa and my bed. "And as of ten minutes ago, a temporary restraining order has been signed by Judge Miller. You, Richard Vance, Eleanor Vance, and Vanessa Vance are legally barred from coming within five hundred feet of Olivia. You have three minutes to leave this hospital before security executes the order."
"You can't do this, Olivia!" Vanessa shrieked, her perfect facade completely cracking. "I have my finals next week! If this gets out, my character and fitness review for the bar—"
"Your bar review is the least of your worries, Vanessa," I said, leaning forward in my bed, my voice steady and filled with a cold, quiet power I had never felt before. "You drugged my tea. You knew what Dad was planning. You wanted me out of the way so you could inherit everything, and you wanted Mom to have her liver without having to risk your own perfect body."
"Olivia, please," my father pleaded, his arrogant demeanor completely vanishing, replaced by the desperate pleading of a cornered man. "We can settle this. I can pay for your tuition. I can buy you a car. Just don't do this to us. Think of your mother's health."
"My mother survived because of my liver," I said, my eyes locked on him. "She has her life. But you have lost yours. Get out."
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With the threat of immediate arrest hanging over them, my father and Vanessa had no choice but to retreat. They backed out of the room, their faces pale, their footsteps hurried as the hospital security guards began to close in on the hallway.
Evelyn turned to me, a proud smile on her face. "Well done, Olivia. Now, let’s get you transferred to a private clinic where they can’t find you. The real battle begins now."
