Chapter 4: The Vultures Circle
Within forty-eight hours, the news of the "Miracle at St. Mercy" leaked to the press. The media discovered that a homeless boy had saved the son of the city’s most powerful billionaire. Reporters surrounded the Bell estate, their cameras flashing through the iron gates.
But the media attention brought out darker forces.
On Thursday afternoon, a sleek black town car pulled up the driveway. A sharply dressed woman stepped out, flanked by two men holding official-looking briefcases. Her name was Cynthia Vance, the head of the State Department of Child Services—and a woman who had often received funding from Garrison's corporate rivals.
Garrison met her in the grand foyer, his expression icy. "What is the meaning of this, Cynthia?"
"Garrison, we have a report that you are harboring a runaway minor on your property," Cynthia said, pulling out a set of legal documents. "Leo is a ward of the state. He has no legal guardian. By keeping him here without proper foster certification, you are violating state law. We are here to take him into custody and place him in a secure juvenile facility."
"He's not a runaway, he's my guest," Garrison growled, stepping between her and the stairs.
"The law doesn't care about hospitality, Mr. Bell," Cynthia sneered. "If you refuse to hand him over, I will return with an arrest warrant for child concealment. Your corporate board is already unstable after your son's medical scare. Do you really want a child-trafficking scandal on the nightly news?"
From the top of the stairs, Leo stood in the shadows, listening to every word. His heart hammered in his chest. The familiar terror of being locked in a cold, state-run group home rushed back. He looked at his muddy sneakers, realizing his brief taste of safety was over.
May you like
"Wait," Leo called out, stepping into the light. He looked at Garrison, tears swelling in his eyes. "It's okay, Mr. Bell. Don't ruin your business for me. I'll go with them."
"No, Leo," Garrison said, his voice booming through the foyer. He turned a lethal, terrifying gaze back to Cynthia. "You want a legal battle, Cynthia? You tell your handlers that Garrison Bell doesn't lose. You have twenty-four hours before I dismantle your entire department
