Chapter 10: The Heir's Dilemma
Chapter 10: The Heir's Dilemma
The next morning, the battle lines were officially drawn. Julian Vance had filed an emergency injunction in federal court to freeze the Vanderbilt Trust assets, citing massive, systemic fraud. The news broke within minutes, sending Vanderbilt Shipping stock into a complete freefall.
Liam and Maya sat in Julian’s office, watching the chaos unfold on the monitors.
"He's bleeding out," Liam said, a grim satisfaction in his voice. "He can't move any liquid capital. The board will force a vote of no confidence by the end of the week."
But Julian Vance wasn't smiling. He was staring at a manila folder his paralegal had just rushed into the room. "Don't celebrate yet," Vance said gravely. "Robert didn't become a billionaire by playing fair."
Vance opened the folder and pushed a series of printed photographs and legal documents across the desk.
Maya gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.
The photos were of the Miller family home in Ohio. Her parents' modest, two-story house. Then there were photos of her father, a retired high school teacher, leaving a grocery store. There were photos of her mother tending her garden. They had been taken within the last twenty-four hours.
"Robert's attorneys just countered our injunction with a threat of their own," Vance explained, his voice tight. "When Robert paid the Millers two million dollars twenty-five years ago, he didn't just hand them cash. He structured it through a shell corporation as a 'consulting fee.' Your adoptive parents signed NDAs."
"What does that mean?" Liam demanded.
"It means," Vance said, looking at Maya with deep sympathy, "that Robert is preparing to have your adoptive parents arrested for extortion, child trafficking, and wire fraud. He has the paperwork to make it look like they blackmailed him for the baby, not the other way around. He's claiming they stole you."
Maya felt the blood drain from her face. "He would send my parents to federal prison?"
"He will destroy anyone in his path to keep his company," Liam said, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white.
"He sent a message," Vance continued. "If Maya drops the DNA claim and signs a document renouncing her identity, he will leave the Millers alone. If she proceeds, he will unleash his legal team on them. They will spend their twilight years in a federal penitentiary."
Maya stared at the photos of her innocent, loving parents. Robert was backing her into a corner, forcing her to choose between the family who raised her and the justice she deserved.
May you like
She looked up at Liam, tears of pure, unadulterated rage shining in her eyes. She wasn't the scared, embarrassed bride in the chapel anymore. She was a Vanderbilt by blood, and it was time to act like one.
"Julian," Maya said, her voice completely devoid of fear. "Call Eleanor. Tell her to release her medical records to the press. We aren't backing down. We're going to burn him to the ground."
