Chapter 9: The Legal Shield
By noon, Evelyn and Sarah were sitting in the mahogany-paneled office of Arthur Pendleton. Arthur was a brilliant, no-nonsense attorney who had been Evelyn’s late father’s most trusted advisor. He had never liked Marcus, and seeing Evelyn sitting in his office, pale but resolute, confirmed his worst suspicions.
"Tell me everything," Arthur said, leaning forward and folding his hands on his desk.
May you like
Evelyn didn't just tell him; she showed him. She pulled out her phone and played an audio file. Knowing the dinner party was a trap, she had hit 'record' on her phone's voice memo app before walking into the dining room. The office filled with the horrifying sounds of the previous night: Marcus's aggressive tone, the explosive CRASH of the smashing glass, Eleanor’s shrill, cruel voice yelling, "Sign the papers, loser!", and the violent scuffle of Evelyn being shoved to the floor.
Arthur’s eyes turned hard as flint. The polite, professional lawyer vanished, replaced by a legal gladiator. "They thought they were dealing with a quiet, obedient pawn," Arthur said, his voice dropping an octave as he reviewed the financial documents Evelyn had leaked. "They are about to learn exactly whose daughter you are. We aren't just filing for a restraining order and a divorce, Evelyn. We are filing criminal charges, and we are going to dismantle them."
