Chapter 6 - The War for Truth
For forty-eight hours, Chicago was inundated with headlines.
“RECLUSIVELY DEAF BILLIONAIRE IMPLICATED IN CHILD CUSTODY BATTLE” “MERCER TECH IN TURMOIL AS BOARD MOVES TO OUST FOUNDER”
The media tore into Adrian’s life with relentless cruelty. They painted him as an unhinged, eccentric hermit who had manipulated a poor, struggling housekeeper. Stock in Mercer Tech dropped by fifteen percent in two days.
Inside the penthouse, however, there was no panic. Only tactical precision.
Adrian had hired the top family law attorney in Illinois, a sharp-witted, relentless woman named Evelyn Vance (no relation to Richard). Alongside her was a team of private investigators who had spent the last forty-eight hours digging into every corner of Richard Vance and Julian Thorne’s lives.
Maya sat at the dining room table, her face pale, dark circles beneath her eyes. She hadn't slept or eaten since Lucy was taken.
“We have them,” Adrian said, laying out a thick stack of documents on the table. He was wearing his hearing aids, his posture rigid, his eyes burning with cold determination.
Maya looked up, her voice faint. “What is that?”
“Julian Thorne made a mistake,” Evelyn explained, tapping a financial spreadsheet. “He thought he was clever. He transferred fifty thousand dollars from an offshore shell account linked to Mercer Tech’s legal retainer directly to a bank account registered in Richard Vance’s name three days before the police showed up.”
Maya’s eyes widened. “A bribe?”
“Extortion and conspiracy,” Adrian said sharply. “Julian paid your ex-husband to manufacture a custody crisis to ruin my reputation, trigger a board vote to remove me, and allow Julian to assume the role of interim CEO.”
“And what about Lucy?” Maya’s voice cracked. “Where is my baby?”
“Richard is keeping her at a cheap motel near O’Hare,” Evelyn said gently. “He doesn't care about the child, Maya. He’s using her as leverage. He expects Adrian to offer him a million dollars to give her back and drop the scandal.”
“I won't pay him a dime,” Adrian said, his voice cold as ice.
Maya looked at him, horror in her eyes. “Adrian... please! If we don't pay him, he’ll take her away forever!”
Adrian walked over to Maya, knelt down beside her chair, and took both of her hands in his.
“Listen to me, Maya,” Adrian said, looking directly into her eyes so she could read every nuance of his face. “If we pay him, he will control us forever. He will use Lucy as a weapon every time he wants money. We don't buy him off. We destroy him.”
He turned to Evelyn. “Is the emergency hearing set?”
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“Tomorrow morning at nine o’clock,” Evelyn nodded. “Judge Harrison’s courtroom. The board of directors will also be present, as Julian has called an emergency vote for ten o’clock in the same building.”
Adrian stood up, adjusting his suit jacket. “Good. Tomorrow, we end this.”
