Chapter 22
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The week leading up to the Mercer gala was a masterclass in clandestine preparation. My small advocacy office essentially transformed into a war room. Luis utilized his security contacts to illegally acquire the original architectural blueprints of the Mercer estate, specifically analyzing the HVAC systems to locate the exact position of the hidden sub-basement where Sofia had heard the coughing.
On Wednesday evening, Sofia came back to my office. She looked pale and exhausted from maintaining her terrified facade around her employer, but she possessed a fierce, quiet determination.
"I brought what you asked for," Sofia whispered, placing a small, silver keycard on my desk. "It belongs to the head of security. He left it on the kitchen counter for exactly two minutes while he was yelling at the catering staff. I swiped it, cloned it with the device Mr. Luis gave me, and put it back before he even noticed."
"You are incredibly brave, Sofia," I said, carefully picking up the cloned keycard. "This is the final piece we needed. Did anyone suspect you?"
"No," she shook her head firmly. "To them, I am just the invisible girl who cleans the messes. They talk right over me. Dr. Thorne visited again this morning. I heard him tell Mr. Mercer that Leo's 'cognitive regression' is progressing perfectly, and that the legal paperwork for full guardianship will be ready to file next month."
"They are running out of time," Luis noted grimly, standing near the window. "Once a federal judge signs that guardianship order based on Thorne's fraudulent medical assessment, Mercer's control over the boy becomes absolute. Extracting Leo legally after that becomes a nightmare of endless appeals."
"Then we make sure the paperwork never reaches a judge," I stated, placing the keycard securely into my bag.
I looked at Sofia, knowing the immense risk she was taking by returning to that house. "When the gala begins on Friday, Mercer will mandate that all domestic staff remain in the east wing kitchens to handle the catering overflow. I need you to stay exactly where you are supposed to be. Do not try to help me once I am inside. If this goes wrong, you need to be entirely separate from it to avoid retaliation."
Sofia reached across the desk and grasped my hand tightly.
May you like
"Get him out, Emma," she pleaded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "He is just a boy. He cries for his mother at night when the medication wears off. Please, don't leave him in the dark."
"I promise you," I said, my voice resonating with an absolute, unshakeable vow. "I will not leave without him."
