Chapter 27 - The Tense Reunion
The reunion in the front parlor was emotionally charged, thick with decades of stolen time, unspoken grief, and profound hesitation. Vanessa sat rigidly on the sofa next to Elena, her arms crossed defensively over her chest. It was difficult to instantly accept a father who had been a ghost for thirty-four years, even if his absence was entirely orchestrated by monsters.
Mateo sat across from them, refusing to push her boundaries. He respected the delicate, fragile nature of the moment.
"I do not expect you to call me father, Vanessa," Mateo said softly, his deep voice filled with undeniable sorrow and regret. "Richard Vale and Julian Vance stole my right to raise you. They threatened to kill Elena if I ever returned. I spent thirty years building an empire so that one day, I would have enough power to come back and utterly destroy them."
Vanessa looked down at her hands. "Richard is already in prison. Emily and I put him there. You are too late for revenge."
"I know what you both accomplished," Mateo said, looking at me with a nod of deep, profound respect. "I followed the news of the trial closely. You dismantled his throne. But Richard was only the public face of the corruption. Julian Vance is the true architect of our misery. And I hear he is currently trying to steal this house from you."
I sat forward in my grandfather’s chair. "Julian has filed a forged lien. He has corrupt judges in his pocket. He wants to evict the clinic by Friday."
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Mateo’s eyes hardened into dark, unyielding obsidian. The sorrow vanished, instantly replaced by the terrifying, cold calculation of a billionaire CEO who was accustomed to war.
"Julian Vance assumes you are two vulnerable women fighting alone with a single local attorney," Mateo said, pulling out a sleek mobile phone. "He does not realize that you are now backed by the full, unlimited financial and legal weight of the Vargas Corporation. He wants a war over this house? We will bury him in scorched earth."
