Chapter 7 - The Hostage
The cold, sterile air of the courthouse hallway made me shiver violently in my borrowed suit.
I had been out on bail for exactly three hours, and my first stop was the family court division.
My father paced the floor, his face pale with a terrifying mixture of rage and sheer exhaustion.
"We are going to destroy him, Claire," he promised, though his voice lacked its usual certainty.
Denise emerged from the judge's chambers, her expression completely unreadable.
"The judge refuses to overturn the emergency custody order while you have pending federal drug charges," she explained softly.
Derek and Patricia walked down the hallway toward us, both wearing smug, victorious smiles.
Derek stopped a few feet away, adjusting the cuffs of his expensive, custom-tailored suit.
"You look tired, Claire," he mocked, looking me up and down with utter disgust.
"Where is my daughter?" I demanded, stepping forward until my father held me back.
"She's safe at my mother's new house, eating something much better than dry cereal," Derek sneered.
He motioned for his lawyer and Patricia to walk ahead, leaving us alone in the corridor.
Derek leaned in close, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper.
"I have a proposition for you, Claire."
I glared at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of showing my fear.
"Sign over the deed to your house, transfer the remaining equity to my account, and plead guilty to the drug charges," he demanded.
"If I go to federal prison, I'll never see Lily again," I shot back fiercely.
Derek smiled, a cold, empty expression that chilled me to my core.
"If you don't take the deal, my mother is going to take Lily on a long vacation to a country that doesn't recognize US extradition treaties."
He patted my shoulder mockingly and walked away, leaving me entirely paralyzed.
I looked at my father and Denise in absolute despair.
"He's going to steal her," I choked out, the reality of my nightmare fully setting in.
Denise suddenly pulled her laptop from her briefcase, her eyes narrowing intensely.
"He thinks he thought of everything, but arrogant men always make one fatal mistake," she said quietly.
May you like
She turned the screen around to show a blueprint of my pharmacy.
"Derek forgot about the street camera across from the pharmacy's rear exit."
