Chapter 15 - The Attorney with Two Clients
Victor Lane stood so quickly his chair fell backward.
“My client is confused.”
Isabella stared at him.
“No, I’m not.”
“Do not say another word.”
“You told me you would keep them safe.”
Victor looked toward the one-way glass.
He knew we were watching.
The investigator remained calm.
“Mr. Lane, are you holding evidence related to child abuse?”
“No.”
Isabella laughed.
“Yes, he is.”
Victor pointed at her.
“This interview is terminated.”
The door opened.
Two federal agents entered.
One handed Victor a warrant.
His expression collapsed.
The warrant covered his office.
His home.
Electronic devices.
Cloud storage.
Every file connected to Daniel Mercer, Isabella Cole, and the acquisition.
Victor read the first page.
“You cannot search privileged communications.”
The agent answered.
“Crime-fraud exception.”
Victor stopped talking.
Within three hours, investigators entered his downtown law firm.
By midnight, they had found the recordings.
There were forty-two videos.
Maya crying after being denied dinner.
Maya begging to sleep.
Maya carrying Noah.
Maya saying she missed me.
And several videos where Isabella stood behind the camera telling her exactly what to say.
“Tell Daddy you hate living here.”
Maya refused.
“Say it.”
“No.”
“Say you want to go to boarding school.”
“I don’t.”
“Say it.”
The plan became clear.
They intended to create a record portraying Maya as emotionally unstable and desperate to leave.
Then, if I questioned Isabella, they would claim Maya was manipulating me.
It was calculated.
Deliberate.
Documented.
But Victor’s files contained something even bigger.
A draft petition for guardianship over Maya’s trust.
The proposed justification claimed I had become mentally impaired by stress following the acquisition.
The backup guardian named in the petition was Isabella.
A financial management firm would then control the trust.
Laura traced that firm.
Daniel owned it indirectly.
I stared at the documents.
“They planned to take everything.”
Laura corrected me.
“Not everything.”
She tapped the pages.
“The company.”
“The house.”
“Maya’s trust.”
“Your voting shares.”
She paused.
“And eventually your legal capacity.”
I looked at her.
“They were going to declare me incompetent?”
“They were building a narrative.”
My absences.
My work schedule.
My grief history.
The family crisis.
All of it could be rearranged to make me appear unstable.
Then Laura showed me one final document.
A draft affidavit signed by Isabella.
It claimed I became violent when reminded of Rachel.
I read the first paragraph.
Then stopped.
“I’ve never touched her.”
“We know.”
“But if she filed this?”
“Combined with edited footage and testimony from Daniel?”
Laura looked grim.
“It could have created chaos long enough to execute the financial plan.”
I thought about Daniel’s comment at the hospital.
Isabella is the weak link.
He had never considered her a partner.
Only a disposable witness.
That evening, I sat beside Maya while she completed a puzzle.
She looked up.
“Are they still fighting?”
“Yes.”
“Because of money?”
“Partly.”
She placed another piece.
“Isabella always talked about money.”
“I know.”
Maya studied me.
“Do rich people get scared about money too?”
I almost smiled.
“All the time.”
“But you have lots.”
“That doesn’t stop fear.”
She considered that.
Then she pushed the puzzle toward me.
“You should be scared about different things.”
“Like what?”
She pointed toward Noah sleeping nearby.
“Him.”
Then herself.
“And me.”
I nodded.
“I am.”
Maya shook her head.
“No.”
May you like
She smiled faintly.
“Scared enough to stay.”
