Chapter 3 - Darkness in the Foyer
Thick darkness swallowed the mansion foyer as the violent thunderstorm cut power across the entire Greenwich neighborhood.
Leo let out a terrified scream, clinging to Maria's neck as the wind howled furiously against the reinforced glass windows.
"Stay calm, everyone!" Richard called out, pulling a tactical flashlight from his suit pocket and clicking it on.
The bright beam illumination swept across the marble floor, but Eleanor was no longer standing on the staircase.
"Mother?" Richard called out, his pulse quickening as his military training kicked into high gear.
A sudden heavy thud echoed from the dark formal dining room nearby, followed by the sound of shattered glass.
Maria instinctively shielded Leo with her body, pushing him behind the large brass pole holding the American flag.
"Mr. Vance, don't go in there alone!" Maria warned, noticing a shadowy silhouette moving along the upper corridor balcony.
Richard stepped cautiously toward the dining room entrance, his flashlight beam revealing a spilled glass of red wine on the mahogany table.
Beside the broken glass lay a crumpled legal document stamped with a red seal from the New York Family Court.
Richard picked up the paper, his eyes widening as he read the bold headline across the top of the page.
It was a secret emergency petition for full legal guardianship of Leo, filed privately by Eleanor three days ago.
"She's trying to take him away from me," Richard muttered, a wave of cold shock washing over him.
"She knows you signed the corporate trust agreement last month, Mr. Vance," Maria revealed from the dark hallway.
"If Leo is declared mentally unfit due to trauma, control of Vance Enterprises automatically reverts to your mother."
Footsteps clicked rapidly on the marble tiles behind them as two private security guards entered through the side entrance.
They wore black uniforms bearing the emblem of Sterling Security, a firm managed directly by Eleanor's brother.
"Mr. Vance, Mrs. Vance has ordered us to escort the nanny off the premises immediately," the lead guard announced sternly.
"You take one more step toward her, and you're fired on the spot!" Richard bellowed, standing firmly in front of Maria.
The guard did not move back; instead, he rested his hand on the holster at his waist.
"Our orders come directly from the board of directors, sir," the guard replied coldly.
May you like
Maria squeezed Leo's hand tightly, realizing the trap had been set long before she ever decided to speak up.
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