Chapter 1 - The Shadow of the Past
The grand chandelier trembled as silence fell over the marble hall.
The mother clutched her weeping daughter closer to her chest.
Security guards rushed in, their polished shoes squeaking against the tile.
The older woman on the floor groaned, clutching her hip with a grimace.
Her eyes flickered with a cold, terrifying secret.
She did not look like a defeated woman at all.
She slowly smirked while looking directly at the young mother.
"You think you won tonight, Elena?" the older woman wheezed softly.
Elena's grip on her daughter tightened until her knuckles turned pale.
"Don't you ever speak her name again, Victoria!" Elena screamed.
The guests whispered frantically among themselves in the background.
Smartphones recorded every second of the chaotic scene.
The security guards hesitated, unsure of whom they should arrest.
Victoria slowly sat up, assisted by a tall man in a dark suit.
The man pulled a thick brown envelope from his jacket pocket.
He stepped toward Elena with a cold, mechanical expression.
"Mrs. Elena, you need to step away from the child immediately," the attorney said.
"Get away from us!" Elena shouted, backing away while shielding her child.
The attorney unsealed the envelope and held up a white document.
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"This is a legally binding court order signed three hours ago," the attorney announced coldly.
"You no longer have parental rights over this child."
