Chapter 6 - Tracks in the SandVictoria lunged forward, her manicured hand slapping the phone out of Ethan’s grasp. It clattered against the marble floor, the screen cracking. "You fool!" she hissed, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You think you can dismantle forty years of influence with a phone call? The adoption records for the second child were sealed under federal national security provisions through an old favor from the Pentagon. You can't touch them legally!"
Ethan looked down at his shattered phone, then back up at his mother. The realization hit him: Victoria had used his own military standing and classified channels to bury the child deep within a secure legal loophole. But instead of flying into a rage, Ethan let out a cold, humorless chuckle. "National security provisions for a newborn baby? You abused federal authority, Mother. That’s not just a family dispute; that’s a federal felony."
Before Victoria could respond, the heavy front doors pushed open. Arthur Sterling stepped inside, flanked by two federal marshals in tactical vests. But they weren't looking at Victoria. They looked at Ethan, and then at Sterling. "Arthur Sterling," the lead marshal announced, flashing a federal warrant. "You are being placed under arrest for wire fraud, child trafficking conspiracy, and falsification of government documents under color of authority."
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Sterling gasped, turning frantically toward Victoria. "Mrs. Knight, you said this was covered—!" Victoria stepped back, her aristocratic mask completely disintegrating as she realized her fixer had just flipped to save his own skin. Ethan had anticipated her legal roadblocks; while confronting her in the foyer, his encrypted message to federal investigators had triggered an automated warrant based on Sterling’s corporate bank trails and Grace’s sworn affidavit.
As Sterling was cuffed and led out into the humid D.C. night, Ethan picked up his broken phone. He looked at his mother, whose shoulders were now slightly hunched under the crushing weight of her crumbling empire. "You wanted an untouchable legacy, Mother," Ethan said quietly. "Instead, you built a prison. Now, give me the name and location of my second child before I let the federal prosecutors finish what I started." Victoria stared at him, defeated, and whispered a single name and city: "Evelyn Vance. Boston, Massachusetts."
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