Chapter 5 - The War for Maya
By the end of the week, news of the battle within Anderson Global had leaked to the press.
Headlines splashed across the city’s major newspapers:
BILLIONAIRE MAXWELL ANDERSON CLAIMS SECRET HEIR IN ICU CORPORATE WAR INFLAMED BY SHOCKING PATERNITY REVELATION THOMAS ANDERSON CHALLENGES CUSTODY OF STREET CHILD
Thomas did not go down without a fight. Backed by a team of predatory corporate lawyers, he filed an emergency injunction in family court, claiming that Maya was an illegitimate imposter used by Maxwell to create a tax shelter, and that Maxwell was mentally unfit to assume custody of a child due to his age and corporate stress.
Meanwhile, in the pediatric ward, six-year-old Maya was slowly recovering.
The fever had broken. Her cheeks were regaining their natural color, and her small room was now filled with plush toys, storybooks, and high-end clothes that Maxwell had personally selected.
Every single afternoon, Maxwell sat in the chair beside her bed. He read her stories, helped her eat soup, and held her tiny hand whenever she woke up frightened by the medical machines.
“Grandpa?” Maya asked softly one evening, looking up from a book of fairy tales.
Maxwell froze. Hearing that word—Grandpa—sent a warmth through his chest that no corporate success had ever given him.
“Yes, little one?”
“Are we going back to the boat?” she asked, her big brown eyes filled with innocent curiosity. “Grandma said you lived on a boat.”
Maxwell smiled, leaning down to adjust her blanket. “If you want to go to the boat, we will go to the boat. We can go anywhere you want, Maya.”
“Grandma was really tired,” Maya said softly, her small voice dropping into sadness. “She said she had to go to sleep. Is she coming back?”
Maxwell felt a heavy knot form in his throat. He reached out and took her hand, smoothing her hair back.
“Grandma was very tired, sweetie,” Maxwell said gently, tears burning the corners of his eyes. “She went to a place where she isn't cold or sick anymore. But she sent you to me so I could take care of you. She loved you very much.”
Maya stared at him for a long moment, then reached out her arms. Maxwell leaned down, and the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight.
“Grandma said you were sad,” Maya whispered into his shoulder. “Are you still sad?”
Maxwell closed his eyes, holding his granddaughter close to his heart. “Not anymore, Maya. Not anymore.”
At that moment, the door to the hospital room opened.
Maxwell’s chief legal advisor, Richard, stepped inside, his face dark with serious news.
“Mr. Anderson,” Richard whispered. “We have a problem. The state family court judge has ordered an emergency custody hearing for tomorrow morning. Thomas’s lawyers have brought in a corrupt Child Protective Services agent who is claiming your home is unsafe for a child.”
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Maxwell gently laid Maya back on her pillows and stood up, his face hardening into granite.
“Tell our legal team to prepare the heavy artillery, Richard,” Maxwell said coldly. “Tomorrow, we don't just win custody. We destroy Thomas once and for all.”
