Chapter 4 - The Threat
At noon, a sleek black Mercedes pulled up to my driveway. Julian stepped out, wearing a sharp charcoal suit, looking completely sober and incredibly dangerous. Beside him was a man clutching a leather briefcase—a lawyer.
I stepped out onto the porch, blocking the door.
"Sarah," Julian smiled, though his eyes were completely dead. "I'm here to pick up my wife and daughter."
"They aren't going anywhere with you," I said calmly.
The lawyer stepped forward. "Ma'am, I am Mr. Vance's legal counsel. If you do not release his child to him immediately, we will be filing an emergency ex-parte order for full custody. We will claim parental alienation and kidnapping, citing Clara's 'mental instability.'"
Julian smirked. "Clara needs help, Sarah. She’s unhinged. If she doesn't come home today, I’ll make sure she never sees Lily again. I have the money to tie you up in court until you go bankrupt."
He was using his wealth as a weapon, confident that a retired widow couldn't possibly fight back.
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"You have until 5:00 p.m. to bring them home," Julian said smoothly. "Or I destroy her."
They drove away. I didn't panic. I just smiled. Julian had just made the biggest mistake of his life: he had declared war on a veteran who specialized in asymmetric warfare.
