Chapter 10 - The False Victory
Damian slowly reached out his shaking hand and took the gold pen from his mother.
"Do not sign it!" I screamed, crying hysterically as I clutched the boys.
"I have to, Claire," he whispered back with heavy tears in his eyes.
He quickly scribbled his signature on the bottom line of the custody surrender form.
Vivian aggressively snatched the paper back with a highly triumphant smirk.
"A very wise decision," she said coldly.
"My security team will escort the boys out to my estate immediately."
She turned sharply on her expensive heels and marched confidently out of the hospital room.
Marcus, the security guard, suddenly slammed and locked the heavy door behind her.
I collapsed totally onto the floor, clutching my three boys in pure, unadulterated agony.
Damian knelt softly beside me and gently tilted my chin up to face him.
He was actually smiling.
"Claire, stop crying," he whispered softly into the quiet room.
I stared at him in utter, complete confusion.
"That pen used high-grade disappearing ink, and Marcus hacked the hospital cameras ten minutes ago," Damian explained.
"My mother just walked out of here with a blank piece of paper and absolutely no proof she was ever here."
A massive wave of profound relief crashed over my entire trembling body.
We had actually won.
Damian quickly ordered Marcus to escort us through the service elevator to a private, untraceable safehouse.
Within hours, we were securely locked inside a massive, heavily guarded penthouse overlooking the city.
Evan was resting very comfortably in a massive king-sized bed down the hall.
Noah and Caleb were happily eating warm pizza in the spacious living room.
Damian wrapped a warm fleece blanket around my shoulders and softly kissed the top of my head.
I finally felt completely and totally safe.
I walked over to my old, worn purse to find the boys' birth certificates to give to Damian's new lawyers.
My hand brushed against a strange, heavy black object buried at the very bottom of the bag.
I slowly pulled out an unfamiliar burner phone just as it suddenly began to ring loudly.
I answered the device with a severely trembling hand.
Vivian's cold, mocking laughter echoed clearly through the tiny speaker.
"Did you really think I wouldn't recognize basic disappearing ink, you incredibly stupid girl?" she chuckled darkly.
"I intentionally let you go to the penthouse so you could finally find out the absolute truth yourself."
"Check the original divorce papers you signed five years ago very carefully."
"Damian was the one who secretly requested the emergency custody order all those years ago, not me."
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"He flawlessly played you today just to get his precious heirs legally back under his own roof."
I slowly turned around and saw Damian standing silently in the doorway, casually holding a loaded gun pointed directly at me.
