Chapter 11 - THE HEARING -
Nathan asked the judge for permission to introduce the letter.
My mother’s attorneys objected immediately.
They argued that Rosa’s statement was unverified and inflammatory.
The judge agreed to review it privately.
For ten minutes, no one spoke.
Vivian stared straight ahead.
Lucas was not present.
His attorneys had secured his release on bail shortly before dawn.
I wondered whether he was already leaving the country.
When the judge returned, she addressed my mother.
“Mrs. Blackwood, do you know the current location of Rosa Alvarez?”
“No.”
“Did you terminate her employment?”
“She resigned.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
The judge looked down at the letter.
“Ms. Alvarez claims she was forced into a vehicle belonging to Blackwood Holdings.”
My mother’s face remained calm.
“Rosa is elderly and confused.”
Nathan stood.
“We have security footage showing the vehicle leaving the estate.”
My mother’s attorney turned sharply toward him.
Nathan placed a flash drive on the table.
The footage had come from a camera my father installed near the service entrance.
Vivian had apparently forgotten it existed.
The video showed two men escorting Rosa into a company SUV.
One of them was Calvin Royce.
The other was Dr. Mercer’s son.
The courtroom erupted in whispers.
The judge ordered the footage transferred to law enforcement.
Then the financial evidence began.
Mara testified through video.
She described the shell companies, the erased files, and the forged approvals.
My mother’s lawyers attacked her credibility.
They claimed Mara had conspired with me to seize control of the company.
Then they presented an email in which Mara appeared to offer me personal financial assistance.
Mara examined the message.
“That is not my email address.”
The attorney smiled.
“It contains your name.”
“So do thousands of fraudulent messages sent every day.”
The judge leaned forward.
“Can you verify that it is false?”
“Yes.”
Mara shared her screen.
The message had originated from a server purchased by Northbridge Interiors.
Every false email used against Elena and me came from the same source.
My mother’s attorney requested a recess.
The judge denied it.
Then Nathan presented Lucas’s complete video.
The court heard him threaten Elena.
The court heard my mother order her to kneel.
The court heard Elena beg to call me.
Vivian finally turned toward me.
Her eyes were not ashamed.
They were furious.
The judge revoked her temporary control of Blackwood Holdings.
She also froze every account connected to the shell companies.
For the first time, my mother had lost something she valued.
Money.
The hearing ended shortly after noon.
As we stepped into the hallway, Dr. Mercer approached me.
He looked exhausted.
“I need to speak with you privately.”
Two detectives moved toward him.
Mercer raised both hands.
“I know where Rosa is.”
“Then tell them.”
“I will.”
His eyes shifted toward my mother.
“But first, I want protection from her.”
May you like
Before he could say anything more, he collapsed.
A small dart was embedded in the back of his neck.
