Chapter 10 - The Real Father
The man on the porch removed his sunglasses, revealing cold, piercing blue eyes.
"Claire Whitmore?" he asked, his voice smooth and carrying a distinct East Coast accent.
"Yes, how can I help you?" I asked cautiously, keeping the heavy door partially closed.
He handed me a crisp, embossed business card that read 'Sterling & Vance Legal Group.'
"I represent a private client who has been searching for Vanessa Mercer for nearly twenty-five years," the lawyer stated.
I frowned, confused by the timeline.
"Vanessa is currently in federal custody awaiting trial," I informed him.
The lawyer nodded. "We are aware."
"My client has no interest in Vanessa's criminal activities, Ms. Whitmore."
He gestured toward his briefcase.
"My client is one of the wealthiest real estate developers in New York."
"And he just received anonymous DNA confirmation that Ethan and Lily are his biological children."
I stared at the lawyer, the sheer absurdity of the situation leaving me completely speechless.
Daniel had never been their real father.
Vanessa had been hiding them from a billionaire for over two decades.
"My client wishes to immediately integrate his children into his estate and his business empire," the lawyer continued.
I felt a sudden, fierce protectiveness flare up inside me, despite everything the kids had done.
They were just starting to learn how to survive in the real world, and handing them a billion dollars would destroy all their progress.
"They are adults," I told the lawyer firmly. "You can contact them directly."
"We tried," the lawyer replied, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"They refused to speak with us. They told me to come to you."
The lawyer pulled a sealed, black envelope from his briefcase and held it out to me.
"My client is a very powerful man, Ms. Whitmore, and he is not used to being denied access to what belongs to him."
I took the envelope, the heavy paper feeling like a warning in my hands.
"He wants you to convince them to come to New York," the lawyer said, his tone dropping to a quiet threat.
"And if you refuse to cooperate, he has authorized me to make your life incredibly difficult."
I looked at the lawyer, thinking about the war I had just fought and won against Daniel and Vanessa.
I smiled, a cold, fearless smile that made the lawyer take a small step back.
"Tell your boss I don't respond well to threats," I said, slowly closing the heavy wooden door in his face.
I walked back to my kitchen, tossed the black envelope onto the counter, and picked up my wine glass.
My life was finally peaceful, and I was going to enjoy it, no matter who tried to come for me next.
May you like
But as I took a sip of wine, my phone buzzed with an incoming email from an unknown sender.
The subject line simply read: "You should have opened the envelope."
