Chapter 2 - THE ENFORCERS AT THE DOOR
The heavy knocking at the main door echoed relentlessly down the marble hallway.
Each blow sounded like a countdown to an impending disaster.
Eleanor stood with her arms crossed, her eyes gleaming with cold triumph.
“Go on, Ethan,” she purred, her voice dripping with fake concern.
“Answer the door before they break it down.”
Ethan kept his hand resting firmly on his daughter’s small shoulder.
The little girl was clinging to Maria’s sleeve, whimpering softly.
“Maria, stay in the bathroom with her,” Ethan instructed in a low, controlled voice.
“Lock the door behind me.”
“Do not open it for anyone unless you hear my voice.”
Maria gave a quick, terrified nod and pulled the child further into the room.
Ethan stood up to his full height, adjusting the sleeves of his dark suit jacket.
He turned toward Eleanor and stepped uncomfortably close to her.
“You think you’ve won this round,” Ethan whispered, his eyes dark with suppressed fury.
“You have no idea what I’m willing to do to protect my family from you.”
Eleanor merely smirked, stepping around him gracefully as if she were walking a red carpet.
“We’ll see about that, darling,” she whispered back.
They walked together toward the foyer, the sound of their footsteps clicking against the floor.
Ethan reached the massive mahogany front door and grasped the cold brass handle.
He pulled it open slowly.
Standing in the hallway were two tall men wearing dark suits.
They were not the apartment building’s standard security guards.
They were broad-shouldered, muscular, and bore cold, expressionless faces.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed instantly as he recognized the emblem on their lapels.
They belonged to a private security firm owned by Eleanor’s powerful family.
“Good evening, Mr. Vance,” the lead enforcer said, his voice deep and metallic.
“Mrs. Vance called us regarding a domestic disturbance.”
“We are here to clear the property and secure the minor child.”
Ethan took a step forward, blocking the threshold completely with his body.
“You are on private property,” Ethan stated firmly.
“My family is fine, and I did not request your presence.”
“Leave immediately.”
The lead guard did not flinch or step back.
Instead, he looked past Ethan’s shoulder toward Eleanor.
Eleanor immediately covered her face with her hands, letting out a dramatic sob.
“Please, help me!” she cried out, her voice echoing in the hallway.
“My husband is out of his mind!”
“He allowed the maid to burn my stepdaughter, and now he’s keeping them locked inside!”
“He’s threatening me!”
The two guards shifted their weight, their hands moving closer to their belts.
“Mr. Vance, step aside,” the lead guard commanded coldly.
“We have strict orders to secure Mrs. Vance and inspect the child.”
“You have no legal warrant or authority in this building,” Ethan snapped, his jaw tightening.
“If you cross this threshold without my permission, I will call the police for home invasion.”
The second guard smirked slightly, taking a step closer.
“Go ahead and call them, sir,” the guard said casually.
“By the time they arrive, the story will already be written.”
“And it won’t end well for you or your maid.”
Ethan realized the terrifying truth in that moment.
Eleanor hadn't just arranged an emergency intervention.
She had hired muscle to physically remove Maria and seize his daughter before any official investigation could take place.
If they took his daughter away tonight under these false pretenses, he might never get her back.
A sudden sound interrupted the standoff.
The elevator doors at the end of the hall opened with a quiet chime.
A tall figure stepped out into the bright hallway.
It was Ethan’s private lawyer and long-time friend, Marcus.
Marcus was holding a black leather briefcase, his eyes immediately locking onto the scene outside the door.
“Is there a problem here, gentlemen?” Marcus asked smoothly, walking toward them with steady confidence.
Eleanor’s posture froze, her triumphant expression instantly vanishing.
“Marcus?” Eleanor gasped, her voice losing its frantic edge.
“What are you doing here?”
Marcus smiled thinly, standing right beside Ethan.
“Ethan called me five minutes ago, Eleanor,” Marcus replied calmly.
“And as the executor of the late Mr. Vance’s estate, I hold full legal authority over this residence.”
Marcus pulled a formal document out of his coat pocket and held it up to the lead guard.
“These men have thirty seconds to step off this property,” Marcus said, his tone turning razor-sharp.
“Or I will personally ensure their private security license is revoked by midnight.”
The lead guard stared at the paper, then at Marcus, and finally at Eleanor.
He realized the legal trap had just sprung on them instead.
“We’re leaving,” the guard said quietly, backing away toward the elevator.
Eleanor glared at Marcus with pure hatred in her eyes.
“This isn’t over, Ethan,” Eleanor spat softly, her voice shaking with rage.
“You can’t hide the truth forever.”
She turned around sharply and slammed the bedroom door shut down the hallway.
Ethan took a deep, exhausted breath, looking at his lawyer.
“Thank God you made it,” Ethan whispered.
Marcus looked at Ethan with a dead serious expression.
“We don’t have much time, Ethan,” Marcus warned in a hushed tone.
May you like
“She’s not acting alone.”
“Your father’s safe... someone tried to crack it an hour ago.”
