Chapter 5 - The Legal War
The weeks that followed were a whirlwind of legal battles. The Hastings family lawyers were mobilized, but this time, they were on the side of justice, not cold indifference. They worked to secure Mia's identity, to bypass the bureaucracy Rosa had carefully navigated, and to ensure that Rosa Delgado was not punished, but rewarded for her heroism.
Adrien spent his days learning how to be an uncle. He learned that Mia loved strawberry milk, that she was afraid of the dark, and that she had her mother’s stubborn streak. He watched as the little girl began to trust him, her small hand finding his with more frequency.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Cole did not go quietly. She tried to leak stories to the press, claiming Adrien was unstable and that he was involved in some kind of kidnapping scheme involving his staff. But Adrien was a master of information warfare. He leaked the security footage of the ballroom—the footage of Vanessa cutting the child’s hair.
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The public reaction was absolute. Vanessa was crucified in the media. Her charity boards dropped her, her social circle evaporated, and the lawsuits piled up. She was not just a disgraced fiancée; she was a pariah.
Adrien found himself in a place he never expected: a house that felt like a home for the first time in his adult life. He had Rosa stay on—not as a maid, but as a nanny and a partner in raising Mia. He brought in the best tutors, the best doctors, and the best security, but he did it with a softness he had never possessed before.
