Chapter 4 - The Legal War Begins
Sarah didn't go back to the white colonial house. That very afternoon, she moved into a modest extended-stay hotel on the outskirts of the city, bringing Lily and Emma with her. Rose stayed in the adjoining room. For the first time in seven years, the twin sisters slept in the same room, their beds pushed close together, their small hands touching across the gap as they slept.
The next morning, Sarah walked into the law offices of Vance & Sterling. She had bypassed the high-profile firms her husband used, seeking out Arthur Vance—a legendary, fiercely independent family attorney known for taking down corporate giants.
Arthur reviewed the documentation Sarah had gathered: the affidavit from Nurse Margaret, the altered hospital night logs Rose had preserved, and the recent photographs of the two girls.
"The physical evidence is overwhelming, Sarah," Arthur said, adjusting his glasses. "The birthmark, the identical facial structure—a simple DNA test will confirm maternity within forty-eight hours. But you are fighting a monster. Eleanor Mitchell has judges in her pocket and a public relations team that can paint you as an unstable mother who had a psychological break."
"I don't care about the scandal, Arthur," Sarah said, her jaw set. "I want my daughter back, and I want to protect Lily from them."
"If we file for full custody of Emma and temporary separation from Robert, they will counterattack instantly," Arthur warned. "They will try to freeze your assets. Do you have access to independent funds?"
Sarah swallowed hard. "My grandfather left me a small trust. It’s not much compared to the Mitchell fortune, but it's enough to pay your retainer and keep us housed."
"Then let's go to war," Arthur said.
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True to Arthur’s prediction, the counterstrike was immediate. By Tuesday afternoon, Sarah’s credit cards were declined at the grocery store. Robert’s legal team filed an emergency motion demanding Lily’s immediate return to the Greenwich estate, claiming Sarah had abducted her during a manic episode.
When the court server delivered the papers to the hotel room, Sarah felt a cold panic wash over her. Lily was playing a board game with Emma on the floor. If she lost this legal battle, she wouldn't just lose the daughter she had just found; she would lose the one she had raised.
