Chapter 8 - The Assistant's Warning
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I found out exactly how serious the situation had become when a woman named Camille Ortega called me late one evening from a number I did not recognize.
Camille had been Natalie’s personal assistant during the first few months of her pregnancy. She was originally hired by Lucinda to "help with household logistics and errands," but she had quietly become deeply concerned by what she witnessed behind closed doors.
"I am so sorry to call you like this, Mrs. Hartwell," Camille had said, her voice dropping to a nervous whisper. "But I truly do not think Natalie is safe in that house."
My hands went instantly cold. "What happened, Camille?"
"Mrs. Wexford has been taking stacks of legal documents into Natalie’s room late at night, right after she falls asleep or takes her medication. Mr. Wexford aggressively makes her sign things while she's groggy. I have seen her crying quietly afterward."
"Did you see what the documents were?" I asked, my heart pounding.
"Not all of them," Camille admitted. "But I managed to see one paper that explicitly mentioned full guardianship. And another one that mentioned temporary medical incapacity."
That very night, I contacted Mara Chen, the brilliant, ruthless attorney Samuel had trusted more than anyone else. Mara was not prone to dramatic reactions. She did not make promises she could not legally keep. She meticulously read every single document before speaking.
After reviewing the trust records, the suspicious bank transfers, and the photocopies Camille had bravely taken before she officially resigned, Mara looked at me across her desk and said, "Evelyn, this is not just simple financial manipulation. They are actively preparing to completely isolate Natalie and declare her incompetent immediately after birth."
I felt something deep inside me become terrifyingly still.
"What can we do?" I asked.
"First, we legally protect Natalie’s primary accounts," Mara outlined efficiently. "Second, we quietly preserve all the evidence. Third, we absolutely do not alert them to our actions until she is physically safe and out of their house."
"So we just wait?"
"No," Mara said, her eyes cold. "We prepare for war."
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For the next three long weeks, I did exactly that. I moved incredibly carefully. I did not confront Lucinda. I did not tell Cole what I knew. I smiled politely when they called me old-fashioned and out of touch. I cheerfully accepted the invitation to the lavish baby shower.
I let them firmly believe I would arrive carrying a simple gift and leave carrying nothing but quiet worry.
