Chapter 6 - The King's Gambit
Nick wiped the water from his eyes,
his face turning a deep,
ugly shade of purple.
The camera crew behind him caught every second,
the red lights on their lenses blinking like predatory eyes.
"You're hysterical,"
Nick snarled,
stepping closer despite the security guards.
"You see, Judge?"
"She's mentally unstable."
"She's been through a lot,"
"but she's clearly unfit to make decisions for the Drayke heirs."
The man in the robe,
Judge Miller,
looked at Adeline with a practiced,
impartial frown.
"Mrs. Drayke,"
he said,
"the evidence presented this morning suggests you have no fixed address,"
"no income,"
"and a history of emotional outbursts."
"Under the circumstances,"
"the court must consider the father's petition for temporary custody."
Adeline felt the world tilting again.
The legal system was a machine,
and Nick knew exactly which gears to grease.
She looked at Eleanor,
but the lawyer remained silent,
looking at the door.
"I have an address,"
Adeline said,
her voice trembling.
"I have a life."
"You have three hundred dollars,"
Nick laughed,
recovering his composure.
"And a bus ticket."
"That's not a life,"
"that's a tragedy."
He turned back to the cameras,
adjusting his tie.
"I only want what's best for my sons."
"I have a team of nannies waiting,"
"a wing of the mansion prepared,"
"and the best medical care money can buy."
"Your money can't buy their souls, Nick,"
a voice rang out from the doorway.
The room went silent.
The camera crew turned as one,
focusing on the man who had just entered.
Lucien Arkwright walked in,
not alone this time.
He was followed by the Chief of Police,
the Hospital Director,
and a man carrying a heavy leather briefcase.
Lucien didn't even look at Nick.
He walked straight to the Judge.
"Judge Miller,"
Lucien said,
his voice carrying a weight that made the air feel heavy.
"I believe you were misled."
"Mrs. Drayke—who will henceforth be known by her maiden name, Adeline Vance—"
"is the owner of the Arkwright-Vance Estate."
"She is also the CEO of the newly restructured Vance Holdings."
"Her net worth,"
"at this moment,"
"exceeds yours, Nick,"
"by approximately two hundred million dollars."
Nick’s jaw dropped.
The camera crew began to whisper,
the story shifting under their feet.
"That's impossible,"
Nick stammered.
"She's a pauper!"
"She signed the papers!"
"The papers you obtained through fraud?"
Lucien asked,
turning his head slowly to look at Nick.
"The ones where you hid seventy percent of your assets in offshore accounts?"
"The ones where you failed to mention the triplets,"
"knowing that would change the settlement entirely?"
Lucien took a document from the man with the briefcase.
"This is a warrant,"
"for the seizure of your business records, Nick."
"And this,"
"is a restraining order,"
"signed by the High Court,"
"effective immediately."
The Judge took the papers,
his face changing as he read the names and the seals.
"Mr. Drayke,"
the Judge said,
his voice no longer cold,
but cautious.
"If these documents are authentic,"
"your petition is not only denied,"
"but you are in serious legal jeopardy."
Nick looked around the room,
his world crumbling in the span of a minute.
He looked at the cameras,
the very tools he had brought to destroy her,
now recording his downfall.
"Adeline,"
he pleaded,
his voice suddenly small.
"We can talk about this."
"Think of the children."
Adeline looked at him,
seeing the small,
pathetic man behind the expensive suit.
"I am thinking of them,"
she said.
"And that's why you're never seeing them."
"Get him out of here,"
Lucien ordered.
The security guards grabbed Nick by the arms,
dragging him from the room while he shouted threats and pleas.
The camera crew followed,
smelling a much bigger story.
The room was finally quiet.
Lucien walked to the side of the bed,
looking down at Adeline.
"The first strike is over,"
he said.
"But he'll try to find another way."
"I'll be ready,"
Adeline said,
May you like
her hand moving to her belly.
"We'll be ready."
