Chapter 5 - The Legal Ambush
The quiet peace inside my hallway lasted less than twelve hours.
By 9:00 AM the following morning, while the kids were at their private preschool, a sleek silver sedan pulled up to my driveway. Out stepped Arthur Vance—Moretti Global’s terrifying head of legal affairs—carrying a thick leather briefcase.
I stood on my porch, crossing my arms over my chest as Arthur walked up the steps.
"Ms. Carter," Arthur said, bowing his head with crisp, professional respect. "I am here on behalf of Mr. Moretti."
"If those are legal papers, Arthur, you can hand them to my attorney," I said sharply. "I am not signing anything without counsel."
"They are not court summons, Nia," Arthur corrected gently, pulling a smooth folder from his bag. "These are proposed settlement terms for a voluntary joint-custody agreement. Mr. Moretti wishes to avoid family court entirely. He wants to keep this out of the press."
I took the folder, opening it with cold skepticism.
As my eyes scanned the legal jargon, my breath hitched. Luca wasn't just offering child support; he was offering to transfer twenty percent of his personal equity in Moretti Global into an irrevocable trust for Leo and Maya—an asset package worth over four hundred million dollars. In exchange, he requested shared legal guardianship, immediate weekend visitation rights, and the restoration of the Moretti surname.
"He thinks he can buy my children?" I snapped, slamming the folder shut.
"He thinks he is protecting his blood, Nia," Arthur replied quietly. "And frankly, you need his protection right now."
I paused. "What are you talking about?"
Arthur pulled out a second folder, his expression darkening significantly. "Evelyn Shaw’s family owns a thirty percent stake in Chicago’s largest media conglomerate. Yesterday afternoon, right after the restaurant incident, Evelyn met with her family’s senior crisis manager. They are preparing to leak a story to the national tabloids."
My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit. "What story?"
"They are planning to portray you as a calculating former spouse who intentionally hid the heirs of a prominent billionaire to execute a massive future extortion play," Arthur explained calmly. "Evelyn wants to ruin your public credibility before Luca can legally establish paternity, making you look like an unfit, manipulative mother."
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I felt the air leave my lungs. "She wouldn't. The children are five years old!"
"Evelyn’s marriage to Luca is worth billions in corporate mergers, Nia," Arthur said grimly. "She sees your children as an existential threat to her position. Luca knows this. He didn't send these papers to strip you of your rights. He sent them so he can legally deploy his security detail and legal shield around your family before the story hits the press at noon."
