Chapter 17 - THE PROBATE COURTHOUSE
The following morning, courtroom 402 of the New York State Supreme Court was packed to maximum capacity. Lawyers, reporters, and international observers crammed into the wooden benches to witness the ultimate legal battle for control of the Vance empire.
Eleanor Vance sat at the plaintiff's table, dressed in a royal blue silk suit, flanked by four senior barristers from London. She looked across the aisle at Samantha, offering a slight, confident nod that dripped with condescending challenge.
Samantha sat at the defense table in her simple sky-blue button-down shirt—the same shirt she had worn on the day she destroyed Julian. She looked completely unbothered, her posture relaxed yet radiating absolute power.
"Your Honor," Eleanor's lead barrister began, standing up before the judge. "We present certified birth records and the original 1992 trust deed proving that my client, Eleanor Vance, holds fifty percent of the voting shares in Vance Capital."
The judge reviewed the heavy parchment documents presented by the bailiff, nodding slowly as he examined the official seals. "The documentation appears legally sound. Mrs. Samantha Vance, how do you respond to this petition?"
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Samantha stood up slowly, picking up a single white envelope from her desk. She did not look at the lawyers; her eyes locked directly onto Eleanor's face.
"Your Honor, my aunt's documents are indeed authentic," Samantha said clearly, her voice echoing through the silent courtroom. "However, she omitted page seventy-four of the 1992 agreement."
