Chapter 4 - The Counter-Strike
I didn't waste a single hour.
With Daniel’s full support, I scheduled an emergency consultation with Marcus Vance—no relation to my grandmother, but widely regarded as the most ruthless civil litigation attorney in Ohio.
His office on the 40th floor of the Miranova corporate tower overlooked the entire city. Marcus leaned back in his leather chair, a stack of viral news clips, police incident reports, and the original boutique affidavits spread across his mahogany desk.
"Mrs. Brooks," Marcus said, a slow, appreciative smile spreading across his sharp features. "Or should I say, Ms. Carter. This isn't just a civil dispute. This is an open-and-shut case of intentional infliction of emotional distress, property destruction, and fraudulent collateral misrepresentation under Grandma Evelyn’s trust."
"I don't want to destroy my family, Mr. Vance," I said quietly. "I just want what was stolen from me—and accountability."
Marcus chuckled, tapping a pen against the desk. "Let’s dispense with the polite fiction, Emily. Your parents and your stepsister didn't just snub you; they tried to publicly humiliate you to boost your sister’s social media standing for her husband’s family. Now that her husband’s family—the Vanderbilts of Cincinnati—are pulling out due to the viral fraud scandals, your family is staring down four hundred thousand dollars in debt."
He slid a pristine document across the table.
"Sign the injunction. We freeze the trust assets immediately, serve your parents with the forfeiture notice, and file a formal criminal complaint against Lauren for grand larceny and malicious destruction of private property."
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My pen hovered over the signature line. The image of my mother’s cold, dismissive face flashed in my mind, followed by the sight of my torn dress hanging limply in the dark bedroom.
I pressed the pen down and signed my name in sharp, decisive strokes.
