Chapter 2 - THE RAIN AND THE WARRANT
Cold rain drenched Elena’s lace veil within seconds.
Lily was shivering violently against her neck.
"Mommy..." Lily whimpered, her tiny lips turning blue.
"I’m scared..."
"Is the mean lady going to hurt us again?"
Elena kissed the child’s wet forehead.
"Never again, baby."
"Mommy is here."
They reached the edge of the estate driveway.
Headlights suddenly cut through the heavy downpour.
A black SUV skidded to a halt in front of them, blocking the iron gate.
The doors flew open.
Four men in slick dark raincoats stepped out.
Elena froze, tightening her grip on Lily.
"Elena Miller?" the lead man asked in a cold, bureaucratic tone.
He pulled a laminated badge from inside his coat.
"State Child Protective Services."
Elena’s heart slammed into her ribs.
"What is this?"
"We received an emergency report of child endangerment and physical abuse," the officer stated coldly.
"An anonymous caller reported that you kidnapped this child from a private residence."
Elena felt the ground slipping beneath her feet.
"Kidnapped?"
"She is my daughter!"
"I have her birth certificate!"
"You will need to prove that at the station, ma'am," the officer replied, reaching for Lily.
"Hand over the child immediately."
"No!" Lily screamed, clinging to Elena’s neck.
"Mommy, don't let them take me!"
"Get away from us!" Elena shouted, backing into the rain.
A dark limousine pulled up slowly behind the SUV.
The tinted window rolled down halfway.
Victoria Vance sat in the back seat, holding a ice pack to her cheek.
A cruel, victorious smile curled on her lips.
"Did you really think you could run from me, Elena?" Victoria’s voice came through the car's loudspeaker.
"In this city, I own the police."
"I own the judges."
"And by tomorrow morning, I will own that child's legal custody."
Julian stepped out from the passenger side of the limousine.
He looked broken, but he refused to look Elena in the eye.
"Elena... just hand Lily over for tonight," Julian pleaded softly.
"It’s safer for her."
"You coward!" Elena screamed at Julian.
"She’s your daughter too!"
The crowd of guests gathered near the glass doors watched from afar, sipping champagne.
The CPS officers stepped in, grabbing Elena’s arms.
They pulled Lily from her grip by force.
Lily’s cries tore through the stormy night air.
"MOMMY! MOMMY!"
"LILY!" Elena thrashed against the guard’s grip, falling to her knees in the cold mud.
Her white dress was stained dark black with wet dirt.
The doors of the SUV slammed shut.
Lily was driven away into the dark, stormy night.
Elena lay in the mud, her hands raw, her heart completely shattered.
Victoria’s limousine drove past her slowly.
The window rolled down fully this time.
Victoria tossed a white envelope onto the muddy driveway next to Elena’s face.
May you like
"Sign the non-disclosure agreement and leave the country," Victoria said coldly.
"Or you will never see your child alive again."
