Chapter 7 - THE TRUTH ABOUT CHICAGO
The flashing red and blue lights illuminated the massive oak tree as three police cruisers tore across the lawn.
Officers swarmed Vanessa, reading her her rights and handcuffing her. She didn't fight them. She just kept staring at Carol, a wicked, triumphant smile on her face.
"Check her background!" Vanessa yelled as they shoved her into the back of a squad car. "She's a ghost!"
I led Carol and Ivy to the back of a waiting ambulance to be checked by paramedics. Once Ivy was given a teddy bear and a clean bill of health, I turned to Carol.
"What did she mean, Carol?" I asked gently. "What happened in Chicago?"
Carol pulled a thin, worn blanket tightly around her shoulders. She looked at the ground for a long time.
"I was married," she whispered. "He was... he was a powerful man in the city. And he was cruel. When I got pregnant with Ivy, I knew I couldn't let him raise a child. So I ran."
She finally looked up at me, tears brimming in her eyes. "I changed my name. I lived in shelters. I took cash-only jobs cleaning houses. I had no records for Ivy because if I registered her birth, he would find us. Vanessa found out. She found my old ID hidden in my locker. That's why I let her hurt me. That's why I let her frame me. If she exposed me, my husband would take my baby away."
My chest ached. This woman had endured physical abuse, blackmail, and sheer terror, all to protect her child.
"He's never going to find you," I said firmly.
"He has money, Mr. Sterling," Carol cried softly. "Money can find anyone."
"He doesn't have my money," I replied.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I called my lead corporate attorney.
"David," I said. "I need the best family law and protection team in the country on a plane to my estate by tonight. I have a domestic abuse survivor who needs a legally ironclad new identity, full custody rights, and a permanent restraining order against a man in Chicago."
I hung up and looked at Carol. She was staring at me in utter disbelief.
"Why... why are you doing this for us?" she asked, her voice cracking.
May you like
Before I could answer, a police officer approached us, holding a clipboard.
"Mr. Sterling?" the officer asked. "We're processing Vanessa Hale's belongings. We found something in her purse you need to see. It's a plane ticket. But it's not for her."
