Chapter 7 - THE INTRUDER
“Unlock the door,” I told Maria, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm.
“Miss Tessa, no! Mr. Vescari said—”
“He isn’t shooting!” I pointed at the monitor. Adrian had lowered his weapon slightly, though he still kept it aimed directly at Vincent’s chest. They were speaking, but the audio was dead. “I need to know what’s happening.”
I didn’t wait for her permission. I unbolted the heavy steel door and sprinted down the hallway, stopping just at the top of the grand staircase, hidden in the shadows.
“...disabled the cameras for a reason, Adrian,” Vincent was coughing, holding his ribs. His face was bruised, a stark contrast to the arrogant man who had propositioned me earlier that afternoon.
“Give me one reason I shouldn’t put a bullet between your eyes right now,” Adrian snarled.
“Because I didn’t come to kill you,” Vincent rasped, leaning against a marble pillar. “I came to warn you.”
“My father sent you.”
“Your father sent me to distract you,” Vincent corrected, wiping a streak of blood from his jaw. “Victor never intended to attack your fortress. He knows he’d lose too many men.”
Adrian frowned, the weapon wavering slightly. “Then where is he?”
“He’s at the county courthouse,” Vincent said.
I gasped, a small, involuntary sound, but in the echoing hall, it sounded like a gunshot.
Adrian’s head snapped up. When he saw me on the stairs, anger flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by panic.
“What is he doing at the courthouse?” Adrian demanded, turning back to Vincent.
“He found out about the adoption papers,” Vincent explained, his voice grim. “The private, sealed files from your sister-in-law's estate. Victor bought a corrupt judge. Tonight, while you were barricading yourselves in here waiting for an attack, he’s having the judge legally void Tessa’s guardianship based on ‘abandonment’ and ‘fraud.’”
The air left my lungs.
“If that order gets stamped by midnight,” Vincent continued, “Leo legally becomes a ward of the state. And a billionaire grandfather with endless resources will easily scoop him up from Child Protective Services by tomorrow morning.”
“Why are you telling us this?” Adrian asked, his eyes narrowing with deep suspicion. “You’ve served my father for years.”
Vincent looked up, his eyes finding mine on the stairs.
“Because I’m a ruthless businessman, Adrian. I’ll ruin a company. I’ll ruin a career,” Vincent said, his voice thick with disgust. “But I saw him look at that little boy today. He doesn’t love him. He wants to own him. I won’t help a monster steal a child.”
Adrian stared at him for a long moment. Then, he lowered his weapon completely. He reached into his pocket and tossed Vincent a set of keys.
“The silver sedan in the garage. Take it and disappear. If my father finds out you betrayed him, you’re dead.”
Vincent caught the keys, giving a short, respectful nod before limping toward the garage doors.
Adrian turned to me, his jaw set in a hard line. “Get your coat.”
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“I’m coming with you,” I said fiercely, descending the stairs.
“We have twenty minutes to stop a judge from legally erasing you from your son's life,” Adrian said, handing me my jacket. He pulled out a small, heavy iron skeleton key from his inner pocket and placed it in my palm. “We’re not just stopping the order. We’re ending my father’s reign.”
