Chapter 1 - The Marble Stairs
Leo hit the marble hard enough to make the whole foyer go silent.
For half a second, Maya thought he had broken his neck.
Then he sucked in a sharp breath and tried to push himself up.
“Don’t move!” Maya shouted.
Eleanor stood three steps above him, one hand still gripping the banister. In the other, she held a cream-colored envelope stamped with the crest of Whitmore & Hale, the law firm that had handled the family estate for twenty years.
“You slipped,” she said.
Leo stared up at her. “You shoved me.”
Eleanor’s eyes narrowed. “Be careful what you say in this house.”
Maya had been carrying a tray from the dining room when she saw the whole thing. She dropped it, rushed to Leo, and knelt beside him.
“He hit his shoulder,” she said. “We need a doctor.”
“We need silence,” Eleanor snapped.
Then the front doors opened.
Julian Mercer stepped inside with two security officers behind him, his travel bag still in his hand.
“What is going on in my home right now?”
Leo pushed himself upright, wincing. “Dad, she tried to force me out of the house.”
Eleanor’s expression changed instantly. Tears appeared as if someone had flipped a switch.
“Julian, darling, this servant is filling your son’s head with lies.”
“I saw what you did,” Maya said.
Julian’s gaze moved to the envelope. “What papers are you holding?”
Maya stood. “She took them from Leo’s room. They’re his official trust documents.”
Eleanor clutched the envelope against her chest. “I was protecting our estate.”
“By pushing my son down the stairs?” Julian’s voice dropped.
Leo looked at his father. “She told me if I didn’t sign something tonight, I’d be out by morning.”
Julian stepped toward Eleanor.
“You did this out of greed and heartlessness.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Security,” Julian said. “Remove her from my property.”
Eleanor went white. “You cannot throw me out. I am your legal wife.”
“My lawyers will file for divorce tomorrow.”
One guard reached for the envelope.
Eleanor jerked it away.
And a second paper slid out.
It landed at Julian’s feet.
He picked it up, read the first line, and stopped breathing.
May you like
Because the document was not about Leo’s trust.
It was a petition to have Julian declared mentally incompetent.
