Chapter 4 - The Legal Warfare
The battle shifted from the boardroom to the courtroom.
The morning news was dominated by headlines of the Vance-Crestmont scandal. Tabloids ran photos of Julian being escorted out of the Crestmont building, contrasted with older photos of him and Evelyn at high-society galas. The public was obsessed with the dramatic return of Arthur Vance from his "miraculous" recovery.
Julian’s high-priced legal team, secretly funded by Thomas Sterling’s offshore accounts, launched their first strike. They filed an injunction against Evelyn, accusing her of illegal corporate restructuring, asset hiding, and parental alienation. They demanded that Julian be reinstated as CEO temporarily until a full investigation was completed, and they requested immediate full custody of Lily.
Evelyn was at her desk at Crestmont headquarters when her assistant handed her the legal notice.
"They're aiming for Lily," Evelyn said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the paper. "Julian doesn't care about being a father. He’s using my daughter as a bargaining chip."
"He knows Lily is your weakness, Evelyn," Mr. Abernathy, who was now acting as her chief legal counsel, said gently. "In family court, judges often lean toward maintaining the status quo or granting temporary joint custody until a final hearing. If Julian gets visitation rights, he could use that time to manipulate Lily, or worse, flee the country with her using Sterling’s resources."
"He will never touch her again," Evelyn said fiercely. "Abernathy, call an emergency hearing for tomorrow. We aren't going to defend against their injunction. We are going on the offensive."
The next morning, the family court room was packed with journalists, despite the judge’s orders for a private session. Julian arrived looking sharp again, wearing a custom suit provided by Victoria’s handlers, trying to project the image of a wronged, loving father. Evelyn sat across from him, flanked by Abernathy and her father.
Julian’s lawyer stood up, putting on a grand performance. "Your Honor, my client has been completely locked out of his home, his bank accounts, and most importantly, his daughter’s life. Mrs. Evelyn Vance-Crestmont, using her father’s immense wealth and sudden, questionable medical recovery, has orchestrated a hostile takeover of both my client’s business and his family. We ask for immediate temporary primary custody of Lily Vance-Crestmont to protect her from this unstable environment."
The judge looked at Evelyn. "Does the defense wish to respond?"
Evelyn stood up herself, gently pushing Abernathy aside. She didn't look at the judge; she looked directly at Julian.
"Your Honor, I have no desire to engage in a smear campaign," Evelyn said, her voice calm, clear, and steady. "I simply wish to present evidence regarding my husband's fitness as a father and his recent financial activities."
She handed a flash drive to the bailiff. "On this drive, you will find certified medical reports from the Crestmont private health service. Over the past six months, Julian has authorized three separate requests to alter my daughter’s medical records to make her appear sickly, attempting to create a false narrative that I was an incompetent mother neglecting our child."
Julian’s jaw dropped. "That’s a lie! I never did that!"
"Furthermore," Evelyn continued, ignoring his outburst, "we have financial statements showing that Julian has transferred millions of dollars to an offshore account registered under the name of Victoria Vance-Crestmont—a woman who is currently residing with him, and who happens to be an undocumented operative for a foreign corporate entity. If my daughter is placed in his custody for even an hour, there is a ninety-eight percent probability, based on his recent flight bookings to a non-extradition country, that he will kidnap her."
Evelyn pulled out a final piece of paper. "And finally, this is a certified drug and psychological evaluation conducted by an independent agency three days ago, which Julian failed due to high levels of unprescribed chemical substances in his system."
The courtroom erupted into whispers. Julian looked at Victoria, horrified. "What evaluation? I never took a drug test!"
Victoria’s face was frozen in shock. She realized too late that Evelyn had bribed Julian’s private doctor weeks ago to include a toxicological screening during his routine checkup.
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The judge slammed his gavel down. "Silence! The court has seen enough. The request for temporary custody by the plaintiff is denied. Furthermore, due to the flight risk and potential danger to the minor child, a total restraining order is issued against Julian Vance-Crestmont. He is to maintain a distance of no less than one thousand yards from his daughter and his wife. This court is adjourned."
Julian collapsed into his seat as the journalists scrambled out of the room to flash the news across the world. He was completely defeated in the eyes of the law. He looked up to see Evelyn walking away, her head held high, never once looking back at the wreckage she left behind.
