Chapter 7
Ethan froze, his hand trembling against the black plastic phone receiver.
"Divorce settlement...?" Ethan stammered, his eyes wide with utter disbelief.
"Clara, we've been married for three years! We can fix this through counseling!"
Marcus Vance stepped forward, sliding a single sheet of paper beneath the tray slot under the glass.
"Mr. Miller, this agreement surrenders all parental rights, marital property claims, and corporate shares," Marcus explained flatly.
"In exchange, Mrs. Vance will not pursue additional civil damages against your family's remaining trust."
Ethan looked down at the document, his breath catching in his throat as he read the ruthless terms.
"You want me to give up my child?!" Ethan screamed into the phone, his face flushing dark red.
"I am the biological father of that baby! You can't strip me of my rights!"
Clara leaned closer to the glass partition, her eyes burning with pure, icy fury.
"You lost your right to be a father the moment you raised your hand against my child's mother," Clara stated firmly.
"Sign the paper, Ethan. Or my father will ensure you serve twenty years in a maximum-security facility."
Ethan stared at her, realizing with horrifying clarity that the woman he once thought he could control was completely unreachable.
"You're a monster, Clara," Ethan whispered bitterly into the earpiece.
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"I was raised by Arthur Vance," Clara replied with a chilling, triumphant smile.
"What did you honestly expect?"
