Chapter 8: The Lawyer's Office

Chapter 8: The Lawyer's Office

They didn't let Eleanor up. Not yet. Maya wasn't ready to face the woman who had birthed her, lost her, and then emotionally tortured her for a year. Instead, they snuck out through the hotel's service elevator and headed straight for the offices of Harrison & Vance, a ruthlessly aggressive corporate litigation firm that held a long-standing rivalry with Robert's legal team.

Julian Vance, a silver-haired shark in a bespoke suit, listened to their story with his hands steepled beneath his chin. When they finished, he let out a low whistle.

"You understand," Vance began, leaning forward, "that if what you are saying is true, we are looking at fraud on a catastrophic, generational scale. Robert Vanderbilt orchestrated an illegal adoption, falsified medical records, and defrauded the Vanderbilt family trust."

"I want to know what Maya is entitled to," Liam said firmly.

Vance pulled a legal pad toward him, mapping out the battlefield.

• The Family Trust: Valued at roughly $4.2 Billion.

• The Stipulation: The trust required a biological grandchild of the late Silas Vanderbilt to inherit the controlling shares at age 25.

• The Reality: Liam received the shares five years ago. Because he is not biological, the transfer is legally void.

"Technically," Vance said, looking directly at Maya, "the moment we prove your DNA matches Eleanor and Robert, you are the sole, legal beneficiary of the Vanderbilt trust. You own the shipping company, the real estate, everything. Liam holds it all illegally."

Maya felt the room spin. "I don't want the money. I just want Robert to pay for what he did to me. What he did to my adoptive parents. And what he did to Liam."

"The money is the weapon, Ms. Miller," Vance corrected her smoothly. "Robert built his identity on absolute control. If you claim your rightful inheritance, you strip him of his power. He will go to prison for fraud, and you will dismantle his empire. But..." Vance paused, looking at Liam. "Liam will walk away with absolutely nothing. By law, he is a stranger to the Vanderbilt estate."

"I don't care," Liam said without a second of hesitation. "Burn it down. Make her the CEO. File the injunction."

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Maya looked at Liam, her heart breaking for him. He was throwing away his entire life to avenge hers. "We need proof," she said softly. "Real proof. DNA."

"Then you need your mother," Vance replied. "Eleanor is the key. If she testifies, Robert is finished."