Chapter 7 - The Legal Siege
The news hit the penthouse like a mortar shell.
"He produced a forged birth certificate?" Adrian demanded, his voice dangerously sharp as he scanned the legal documents on the tablet. "How did he bypass the state registry?"
"Julian bought the head registrar of the county clinic two days ago," Jonathan explained bitterly. "He retroactively registered Mateo’s birth under his name, claiming Lucía kidnapped the child from his private estate eight months ago. The court issued an emergency pickup order. If we resist the marshals tomorrow, Adrian, you will be arrested for harboring a fugitive minor."
Lucía stood up, her face white with panic. "No! He can't do this! He’s a monster! Clara died running from him!"
"We won't let him touch Mateo," Adrian said, putting his hands on Lucía’s shoulders, grounding her panic. "Jonathan, call our legal team. I want Judge Harrison on the phone immediately."
"Judge Harrison recused himself an hour ago, Adrian," Jonathan revealed, shaking his head. "Julian’s lawyers got the case reassigned to Judge Marcus Sterling—a judge whose campaign was quietly funded by Vance Development."
Lucía began to tremble. "He’s thought of everything. He’s going to take my baby..."
Adrian stood tall, his eyes hardening into solid steel. The grief-stricken man was gone; in his place stood the ruthless corporate dragon who had built Cole Enterprises into an untouchable empire.
"He thinks he’s thought of everything," Adrian said, his tone icy and precise. "Julian played his hand in the dark. Now we bring everything into the light."
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"What are you going to do?" Lucía asked.
"Julian wants a legal battle in a quiet courtroom where his bought judge can hand him the child," Adrian said, pulling his phone out. "So we aren't going to a quiet courtroom. We are going to hold a live, international press conference at Cole Tower in twelve hours. I am going to expose Julian Vance, Clara’s murder, and the forged documents on live television before the whole world."
