Chapter 6 - THE COUNTER-SUIT
A month later, Clara’s Hearth reopened with a line stretching three blocks down the avenue. The story of the homeless heroine taking down a corrupt billionaire socialite had hit the national news. Clara was a local legend.
But Victoria was like a cornered snake. Out on bail, facing federal charges, and abandoned by her boyfriend, she made one final, desperate play. She filed an emergency injunction in family court, claiming Julian was unstable, romantically involved with a "vagabond," and entirely unfit to raise Leo. She demanded immediate sole custody and an exorbitant increase in child support to fund her criminal defense.
Julian received the summons at the diner. He stared at the paper, his hands shaking. "She wants to take Leo. She knows he's the only thing that can break me."
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Clara dried her hands on her apron and walked out from behind the counter. Little Hope was sleeping peacefully in a carrier strapped to Julian’s chest. Leo was doing his homework in a booth. They looked like a family. They were a family.
"She tried to take my livelihood," Clara said, her voice hard as steel. "I won't let her take your son. We fight."
