Chapter 6 - The Frozen Assets
"You cannot arrest my son based on a forged piece of paper!" I shouted, stepping between Daniel and the police.
Captain Reynolds looked at me with genuine sympathy, but he did not lower his handcuffs.
"I have to follow the evidence, Margaret, and right now, this paper trail points directly to him," the Captain explained.
Daniel gently placed his hands on my shoulders and moved me aside.
"It is okay, Mom, we will sort this out with the lawyers at the station," Daniel said calmly.
He offered his wrists to the officers, refusing to give Vanessa the satisfaction of a public breakdown.
As they led my son out of his own home in handcuffs, Vanessa stood in the corner, wiping away her fake tears.
The moment the police cruisers drove away, she dropped the innocent act completely.
She walked over to the mahogany bar, poured herself a glass of expensive bourbon, and smiled.
"Well, that went much better than I anticipated," Vanessa mocked, taking a slow sip.
"You are a monster," Rosa whispered, standing protectively by my side.
I didn't waste time insulting her, because I needed to get my son out of that jail cell.
I walked over to the antique desk in the corner and picked up the landline phone.
I dialed the emergency number for my lead corporate attorney, instructing him to arrange bail immediately.
"Transfer whatever funds you need from the primary foundation account to secure his release," I ordered the lawyer.
There was a long, heavy pause on the other end of the line.
"Mrs. Whitmore, I am looking at the accounts right now, and I cannot authorize that," the attorney said nervously.
"What do you mean you cannot authorize it?" I demanded.
"The primary accounts have been completely frozen by a court order issued thirty minutes ago," he explained.
I felt a cold wave of dread wash over me as I slowly hung up the phone.
Vanessa laughed, swirling the amber liquid in her crystal glass.
"Did you really think I was just sitting around planning flower arrangements for the last three weeks?" she gloated.
She opened her designer bag and pulled out a thick legal document stamped by a local judge.
"While you were busy playing dress-up in dirty clothes, I filed a petition declaring you mentally unfit to manage the estate," Vanessa revealed.
I stared at her, horrified by the sheer depth of her calculated cruelty.
"You forged a medical power of attorney," I realized, my voice trembling with rage.
"And since your beloved son is currently sitting in a jail cell for attempted murder, the judge granted me temporary conservatorship," she smiled.
May you like
She walked toward me, her eyes gleaming with absolute malice.
"This house, the bank accounts, and the entire Whitmore Foundation now belong entirely to me."
