Chapter 6 - Legal Iron and Moral Duty
By the following Monday, Christian had assembled a team of five elite family-law attorneys and three former federal prosecutors in his private conference suite in Manhattan. Clara sat beside him, nervously twisting her fingers under the table.
Across from them sat Marcus Miller, flanked by a flashy, cheap attorney smelling of stale aftershave, and a middle-aged woman from Child Protective Services named Mrs. Gable.
Marcus looked disheveled. The bravado he carried on the streets of Brooklyn was visibly fraying under the oppressive elegance of the high-rise conference room.
"This is kidnapping," Marcus's lawyer stammered, slapping a yellow legal pad. "Mr. Miller is the legal guardian appointed by the state after the passing of their mother. Clara Miller has removed the minor without consent—"
"Mr. Miller," Christian’s lead counsel, Evelyn Carter, interrupted in a crisp, razor-sharp voice, "let us dispense with the theater."
Evelyn slid a thick binder across the table toward Mrs. Gable. "Herein are the sworn medical affidavits from Dr. Helena Ward, complete with high-resolution photographic evidence of blunt-force trauma to Clara Miller’s body, inflicted over a thirty-six-month period. Here are bank records showing Clara’s wages being deposited directly into Marcus Miller’s accounts, followed by immediate withdrawals at local sports-betting parlors."
Marcus’s face drained of color. "Those bruises... she fell down the stairs! She’s clumsy!"
"And here," Christian spoke for the first time, his voice cutting through the room like a refrigerated blade, "are the surveillance logs from the parking lot behind the auto shop on 4th Avenue. It shows you collecting illegal betting slips for Jonathan Sterling’s offshore shell operations."
Marcus shot to his feet. "You can't prove that!"
"We don't need to prove it to the city," Christian said smoothly. "The federal tax authority received that exact file thirty minutes ago. If you contest this petition for full legal custody of Leo Miller, Dominic will hand the rest of your offshore ledger to the district attorney."
Mrs. Gable closed the medical file, her expression one of profound disgust as she looked at Marcus. "Mr. Miller, step outside immediately. Officers are waiting in the corridor to process an emergency restraining order. Full temporary protective custody of Leo Miller is granted to Clara Miller, effective this minute."
Marcus glared at Clara, his fists shaking. "You think this rich bastard cares about you? When he gets bored, you'll be right back in the gutter!"
May you like
Christian didn't blink. "Get him out of my sight."
Two private guards opened the door and hauled Marcus out before he could say another word. Clara sat frozen, tears silently streaming down her cheeks, soaking the silk collar of her blouse. She had lived in terror for three years, and in forty-five minutes, the chains had simply been sheared away.
