Chapter 9: The Fortress
The bright morning sun poured through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse.
Thomas was already awake, sitting at the glass desk with a steaming cup of black coffee.
His laptop screen was filled with frantic emails and frozen bank accounts.
He was systematically dismantling Vanessa’s access to his wealth, piece by piece.
Every credit card was canceled, and every joint account was locked down completely.
Marcus had worked through the night, filing the restraining order at the exact moment the courthouse opened.
Thomas heard a soft rustling sound from the massive king-sized bed.
Ethan sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
The boy looked around the luxurious, sunlit room in complete awe.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Thomas said, closing his laptop and smiling warmly.
"How did you sleep?"
Ethan stretched his arms wide, a genuine smile breaking across his face.
"I slept perfectly, Dad."
"No bad dreams at all."
Thomas walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress, pulling his son into a comforting hug.
"That is great to hear, buddy."
"Because today is a very busy day for us."
"We are going to order the biggest room service breakfast this hotel has ever seen."
"And then, we are going house hunting."
Ethan’s eyes lit up with pure excitement at the mention of a new home.
"Can we really get a big yard?" Ethan asked eagerly.
"The biggest one we can find," Thomas confirmed with absolute certainty.
His phone suddenly buzzed on the desk, displaying a frantic, furious text message from Vanessa.
Thomas did not even bother to read the words on the screen.
May you like
He calmly blocked the number and tossed the phone onto the plush sofa.
She was a ghost now, entirely erased from their new reality.
