Chapter 5 - The War Room
The next morning, the sun rose over a freezing Manhattan skyline. I left my parents sleeping peacefully in the hotel suite, guarded by the hotel's tight security, and drove to the offices of Vance & Associates—not Daniel's firm, but the prestigious law firm of Arthur Vance, a distant relative of Daniel's family who had long since severed ties with them due to Beatrice's toxic behavior.
Arthur Vance was a legend in the New York legal circuit. He was a sharp, intimidating man of seventy with a mane of white hair and a reputation for being ruthless in court. When I had first married Daniel, Beatrice had tried to use Arthur’s name to elevate her social status, but Arthur had publicly snubbed her. I hoped that his distaste for his extended family would make him the perfect ally.
Arthur sat behind his massive mahogany desk, reviewing the folder of documents I had compiled. He didn't speak for nearly twenty minutes, his eyes scanning the bank statements, the forged lease agreement, and the photographs of my parents sleeping in Delancey Street.
When he finally looked up, his eyes were cold and sharp.
"This is not just a divorce, Emily," Arthur said, his voice a deep baritone. "This is a criminal conspiracy. What Daniel and his mother have done here constitutes elder abuse, grand larceny, fraud, and illegal eviction. They didn't just take your property; they actively endangered the lives of two elderly citizens."
"Can we put them in prison?" I asked, my voice steady.
"We can certainly try," Arthur replied, a grim smile appearing on his face. "But first, we are going to freeze every single asset Daniel has. I see here that you have a joint account with him, but the primary funds in that account come from your salary. I am going to file an emergency petition to freeze that account due to suspected fraudulent activity."
"What about the apartment?" I asked.
"The lease on your Manhattan apartment is in your name, paid for by your company’s housing allowance," Arthur noted. "We will have him legally evicted from that premises today. I have already drafted the emergency motion for a temporary restraining order. He will not be allowed within five hundred feet of you, your parents, or the Queens house."
"And his sister?"
"She has forty-eight hours to vacate, as you stated," Arthur said. "If she does not, we will not wait for a marshal. We will file an emergency motion for immediate ejectment due to the fraudulent nature of her occupancy. And we will file a civil lawsuit against Beatrice and Chloe for conspiracy to commit fraud."
I took a deep breath, feeling the heavy weight of the last twenty-four hours lift slightly. "Thank you, Arthur."
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"Do not thank me yet, Emily," Arthur said, leaning forward. "Beatrice is a cockroach. She will claw, scratch, and lie to protect her lifestyle. She has spent her whole life parasitic on others, first her late husband, and now you through Daniel. She will not let go of the golden goose easily. This is going to be a nasty, public fight."
"Good," I said, my eyes cold. "I want everyone to see what they are."
