Chapter 3 - The Midnight Eviction Notice
The shock wave of Alexander's declaration left the grand living room utterly paralyzed. For three seconds, nobody breathed. Then, Victoria let out a sound that was half-gasp, half-scream.
"Foreclose?!" Victoria shrieked, throwing her hands up in absolute disbelief as she lunged forward, ignoring the bodyguards who instantly stepped into her path. "You can't do that! We have a contract! You came here tonight to court one of my daughters! My lawyer drafted the investment terms months ago through the chamber of commerce!"
Alexander looked at her with utter disdain, as if she were a persistent insect crawling across a polished desk. "Your lawyer drafted a proposal based on social climbing and financial desperation. I signed nothing. My initial inquiry into your estate was triggered by an anonymous tip sent to my corporate foundation regarding human rights violations and illegal domestic servitude in the hills. I didn't come here to find a bride among vipers, Mrs. Collins. I came to verify if the reports were true."
Olivia burst into furious tears, her mascara running down her cheeks, ruining her expensive makeup. "This is insane! You humiliated us for a maid?! She's nobody! She's a nobody who sleeps in the basement storage room!"
"She is the rightful heir to half of the Collins Shipping Empire," Alexander countered, his voice ringing out with crystal clarity.
The entire room went dead silent once more. Even Samantha gasped, turning her wide, tear-filled eyes toward the billionaire.
"What... what did you say?" Samantha whispered.
Alexander turned his gaze fully to her, his expression softening into something warm and protective. "Your grandfather, Jonathan Collins, amended his will before his passing five years ago, Samantha. He left fifty percent of his global shipping conglomerate to you, trusting that you would inherit it upon your eighteenth birthday—which was last month."
Victoria’s face turned an alarming shade of purple. "That's a lie! Jonathan left everything to the family trust! I am the executor!"
"You were the executor," corrected a deep, gravelly voice from the open front doors.
Everyone whipped around. Striding into the mansion came Arthur Vance, senior partner at Hayes & Vance Corporate Law, holding a thick leather briefcase. Behind him walked two local county sheriff deputies, their badges catching the light of the crystal chandeliers.
May you like
Arthur flashed a cold, legal smile as he walked past the stunned security guards, stepping directly up to Victoria and slamming a certified injunction onto the marble coffee table.
"Mrs. Victoria Collins, you are formally served with a federal restraining order, an audit subpoena for corporate embezzlement of minor trust funds, and an immediate eviction notice," Arthur announced, his voice echoing off the walls. "For the past five years, you systematically hid Samantha’s legal status, intercepted her grandfather's letters, and forged her signature on quarterly dividend releases totaling over twelve million dollars."
