Chapter 5 - The War Begins
By eight o'clock the following morning, Brandon had already gone on the offensive.
I opened my phone to find dozens of text messages from mutual friends, followed by a link to a video Brandon had posted on social media.
Sitting on our living room couch, wearing a wrinkled shirt with teary eyes, Brandon had recorded a five-minute video.
"I'm posting this because I don't know where else to turn," Brandon said to the camera, his voice shaking masterfully. "Last night, my billionaire father-in-law, Arthur Vance, forcefully entered my home with armed bodyguards. They assaulted me and abducted my pregnant wife, Rachel, and our baby daughter. Rachel has been struggling with severe prenatal depression and emotional instability... I just want my family home safe."
The video was already going viral. Comments were pouring in by the thousands:
"Rich family taking law into their own hands!"
"Praying for this poor husband!"
"Billionaires think they own people!"
My phone buzzed. It was a formal legal notice from Brandon’s new lawyer demanding the immediate return of Lily and threatening to file emergency kidnapping charges against my father.
I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the rage build inside me. He wasn't just trying to cover his tracks; he was trying to destroy my sanity publicly so no one would believe me.
Arthur walked into the morning room, holding an iPad displaying the same video.
"He's good," Arthur noted coolly. "He knows the public loves a story about an arrogant billionaire abusing power."
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"What do we do?" I asked, my voice rising. "He's telling people I'm crazy!"
"We don't fight in the court of public opinion with lies, Rachel," Arthur said, turning to face his legal team, who had just walked into the room. "We fight with facts. And unlike Brandon, we have receipts."
