Chapter 12 - The Web Tightens
"Clara is lying to save herself!" Maya yelled, standing up so fast her chair slid back into the floor-to-ceiling glass window behind her. "She’s taking whatever deal the prosecutors offer her because she’s terrified of going to prison!"
"Or," Julian said, his voice dropping into a flat, distant tone, "she’s telling the truth, and I’ve been a blind idiot for three years."
"Julian!"
"You wanted full custody of Lily," Julian said, his eyes filled with a terrifying, hollow disappointment. "You hated my mother. You hated that she had total financial control over our lives. You knew that as long as Eleanor was alive, you would always be under her thumb."
"I fought her to protect our daughter!" Maya screamed, tears finally spilling over her cheeks. "I didn't want her money! I never wanted her money!"
"Then why is seventy million dollars sitting in your account right now?" Julian demanded, leaning over the desk, his face inches from hers. "Why is my mother’s body missing? Why is every single piece of paper pointing straight to you?"
"Enough," Croft interrupted, tapping his pen on the desk. "Julian, as your ex-wife's defense counsel, I must advise you that anything you say in this room can be subpoenaed. If you believe Maya committed a federal crime, you need to step outside and speak with the U.S. Attorney."
Julian stared at Maya for a few seconds longer. The love, the shared history, the years of raising a child together—all of it seemed to dissolve beneath the overwhelming weight of Eleanor's engineered paranoia.
Without another word, Julian turned and walked out of the office, the heavy frosted glass door clicking shut behind him.
Maya collapsed back into her chair, her body trembling violently.
"What do I do?" she whispered to the empty room. "What do I do?"
Croft leaned back, crossing his arms. "The U.S. Attorney will issue an arrest warrant by 5:00 PM today. Asset forfeiture will seize your home, your accounts, and your personal property. State Child Protective Services will take temporary custody of Lily until a legal guardian can be appointed."
Maya snapped her head up, her eyes flashing with pure terror. "No. No! They can't take Lily!"
"If you are in federal custody, you cannot care for a minor," Croft said dispassionately. "And given Julian’s current psychological state and his status as a person of interest, the state will place her in a shelter environment pending a background check on distant relatives."
Maya stood up, her terror instantly solidifying into an icy, immovable resolve.
Eleanor hadn't just framed her for a crime; she had designed a system that would systematically rip Lily away from her, putting the child back into the exact foster or institutional system that Eleanor had controlled from the shadows.
Maya looked down at her handbag on the desk. Inside was her passport, Lily’s birth certificate, and five thousand dollars in cash that she had withdrawn two weeks ago for emergency legal fees.
"Mr. Croft," Maya said, her voice dropping into a whisper. "Where is the bathroom?"
May you like
"End of the hall, on the right," Croft replied without looking up from his files. "You have twenty minutes before the federal marshals arrive to serve the summons."
Maya picked up her bag, turned, and walked out the door.
